Few people know about the existence of the Titanic Museum in Belfast. It was created on the site where there was a shipyard "Harland and Wolfe", where sea liners were built. About the Titanic Museum in Belfast, its history, expositions and excursions will be described in this article.
History of Creation
The Titanic Museum in Belfast is a monument to the city's maritime 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 Queen's Island, a piece of land that is located at the entrance to Belfast Bay. The site was drained in the middle of the 19th century for the construction of ships. Shipbuilders "Harland and Wolfe" erected slipways of gigantic size 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 of shipbuilding in Belfast, a huge part of the territory of the shipyard became abandoned. Many buildings were destroyed, otherswere in a deplorable state. The dry docks and slipways where legendary ships such as the Titanic and Olympic were built were decommissioned and subject to demolition.
Queen's Island New Life
In 2001, the semi-abandoned land was renamed the "Titanic Quarter". Harland & Wolfe has decided to undertake a massive ten-year renovation of the existing buildings.
In the future, many of the company's territories were sold to several companies for various projects. 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 venues. 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 scheduled to be completed by 2011, the 100th anniversary of the ship's launch.
Opening
As a result, a grandiose complex of four buildings was erected, which outwardly resemble the bows of ships. Three buildings surround the fourth (internal), 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 inner building, which is, as it were, locked by the other three from the back, looks like the ship's bow passes through the icebergs located at the edges. With night illumination in the dark, the composition looks simply grandiose. The buildings were covered with tilesanodized silver to protect them from natural precipitation.
The museum has a total area of 12,000 m2. An interesting fact is that the height of the complex is equal to the height of the Titanic hull. She is 38 meters.
Tours at the Titanic Museum in Belfast
After the opening of the grand monument-museum, visitors had the opportunity to see unique expositions. The exhibition includes nine interactive galleries with explanatory materials. They are dedicated to such an event in Belfast as its economic rise at the beginning of the 20th century. In this gallery you can see the original drawings of the Titanic, as well as their virtual versions, which will be shown on a special interactive floor.
One of the tours will show the shipyard, the original scaffolding and fixtures used to build the ships. The virtual content will complement the real exhibits and help you learn more about shipbuilding in Belfast.
The next gallery is dedicated to the launching of the Titanic, which took place on May 31, 1911. Here you can see scenes of the descent itself and materials dedicated to the docks where the preparations for this event took place.
Other displays
Especially the virtual tours at the Titanic Museum in Belfast are striking in their realism. With their help, you seem to plunge into the time when the ship set off on its fateful voyage. You can see copies of the Titanic lifeboats, as well as various things that were on the ship.
With the help of expositions, audio and video accompaniment, you will find out much better what exactly happened to the ship, which was considered unsinkable. There is also an exposition that tells and shows what condition the ship is in now. You can see how the ship rests at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, completely at the mercy of the water element. The Titanic Museum in Belfast is a must-see if you're traveling through Northern Ireland. This is a unique institution, which has no analogues in the world.
