Titanic Experience Cobh is situated in the original offices of the White Star Line in the middle of Cobh town, the town was formerly known as Queenstown and it was from here that the final 123 passengers boarded the Titanic before it set sail across the Atlantic. The experience can be found in Casement Square in this historic building that dates back to the early 19th century and it provides a slightly different take on the Titanic story.
The experience incorporates two sections, starting with passengers waiting to board the world’s largest and most luxurious liner, the story is told through their eyes. Visitors get a sense of the excitement and anticipation surrounding the passengers waiting to board looking forward to a new life in America. The virtual guide takes visitors on a virtual journey, where they will get a unique insight into life aboard the Titanic and the contrasting conditions on board for both third and first class passengers.
The second part of the experience delves into how it all went wrong, a powerful insight into this ill-fated voyage . The sequence of devasting events that led to the tragic and fatal sinking of the Titanic after crashing into an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Through the use of computer generated graphics the collision and subsequent sinking is recreated. There is also film analysis of the Titanic on the seabed 12,000 feet below the surface waters. Through these interactive exhibits and expert interviews visitors will discover how and why the Titanic, the ship they said couldn’t sink, did on that fateful night.
The guided part of the experience lasts about thirty minutes, after that visitors are free to explore the exhibition area at their own pace. The guides are friendly and knowledgeable and certainly enhance a visit here in their interactive approach.
The Story Room has touchscreen computers and allows one to look at the personalities on board the ship and in particular to find out the fate of the 123 Queenstown passengers. Also found here are a number of interesting artefacts from Carpathia, the Odell Family Collection, photos and videos, and some authentic serving pieces from the White Star Line fleet.
The experience not only covers the Titanic but also focuses on the sad story of emigration, the military history of Cobh and the way of life for the locals throughout the years. It is an interesting and fascinating experience that is well presented. It is also poignant to stand on Heartbreak Pier, the spot where passengers were ferried to the waiting ship offshore.
Titanic Cobh Experience is open seven days a week throughout the year.