Few people know about the existence of the Titanic Museum in Belfast. It was created on the spot where the Harland & Wolf shipyard was built on which the sea liners were built. About the Titanic Museum in Belfast, its history, expositions and excursions will be discussed in this article.
History of creation
The Titanic Museum in Belfast is a monument to urban marine heritage. It was opened in April 2012 and immediately became a popular attraction among residents and visitors of the city.
The museum building itself is located on the Queen's Island, this is a piece of land that is located at the entrance to the Belfast Bay. The site was drained in the middle of the 19th century for the construction of ships. The shipbuilders Harland & Wolfe built stocks of gigantic sizes for that time, as well as dry docks, in the bay. To imagine the size of the shipyard, it is worth noting that such large liners as the Titanic and the Olympic were built here at the same time.
However, after the decline in shipbuilding in Belfast, a huge part of the shipyard's territories became abandoned. Many buildings were destroyed, while others were in poor condition. Dry docks and slipways where legendary ships such as the Titanic and Olympic were created were decommissioned and subject to demolition.
New life of the island of Queen
In 2001, the semi-abandoned lands were renamed the Titanic Quarter. Harland & Wolf decided to carry out a massive reconstruction of existing buildings, designed for a period of ten years.
In the future, many areas of the company were sold to several companies for various projects. So, for example, in 2002, about 80 hectares of land were sold for the construction of a hotel complex, residential buildings, shopping centers and various entertainment facilities on them. In 2005, the company announced the construction of the Titanic Museum in Belfast. It was supposed to attract a large number of tourists who are interested in the history of the legendary ship. The museum was planned to be completed by 2011, on the 100th anniversary of the launching of the ship.
Opening
As a result, a grandiose complex of four buildings was erected that look like the bow of a ship. Three buildings surround the fourth (inner), and their front parts, like ships, are directed in different directions of the world. In the photo of the Titanic Museum in Belfast, you can see that the internal building, which is as if locked by the other three from the back, looks like the nose of the ship passes through the icebergs located at the edges. With night illumination in the dark, the composition looks simply grandiose. The buildings were tiled with silver anodized to protect them from natural precipitation.
The museum has a total area of 12,000 m 2 . An interesting fact is that the height of the complex is equal to the height of the Titanic building. She is 38 meters away.
Excursions at the Titanic Museum in Belfast
After the opening of the grandiose monument-museum, visitors had the opportunity to see unique exhibits. The exhibition includes nine interactive galleries with explanatory materials. They are dedicated to such an event in Belfast, as its economic recovery in the early 20th century. In this gallery you can see the original drawings of the Titanic, as well as their virtual options, which will be shown on a special interactive floor.
One of the excursions will show the shipyard, the original forests and fixtures with which ships were built. Virtual materials will complement the real exhibits and help you learn more about shipbuilding in Belfast.
The next gallery is dedicated to the launch of the Titanic on water, which took place on May 31 in 1911. Here you can see the scenes of the descent and materials devoted to the docks, in which events took place to prepare this event.
Other expositions
Especially virtual tours at the Titanic Museum in Belfast are striking in their realism. With their help, as if plunging into the time when the ship went on its fateful voyage. You can see copies of the Titanic lifeboats, as well as various items on board the ship.
With the help of expositions, audio and video tracking, you’ll find out much better what exactly happened to the ship, which was considered unsinkable. There is also an exposition telling and showing what condition the ship is in now. You can see how the ship rests at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, completely falling into the power of the water element. The Belfast Titanic Museum is a must-see if you are traveling in Northern Ireland. This is a unique institution, which has no analogues in the world.