Titanic Exhibition Crashes into Atlanta

By Mark Hoerrner

Ask just about anyone and they know the basics of the story of the RMS Titanic. A maiden voyage out of Liverpool destined for New York laden with a cargo of priceless aristocracy that goes awry thanks to an oversized ice cube. But what about the people, the time, the era in which the great ship sank?

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Atlanta Civic Center hopes to shine light into the murky depths and answer those questions in detail. More than 300 objects from the Titanic will be on display to showcase the ill-fated 1912 excursion. But more than an exhibition, it’s about the show, the experience and patrons are immersed in Titanic lore right from the start.

"We have been anxious to present Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in the city housing our world headquarters for several years and now look forward to giving Atlanta audiences a rare opportunity to experience an important piece of history," stated Arnie Geller, President and CEO of Premier Exhibitions, Inc. "In November all seven of our Titanic exhibitions will be touring around the world while we are once again thrilled to collaborate with the Atlanta Civic Center in bringing Titanic to our hometown."

Each attendee is given a boarding pass with the name of a passenger who actually sailed with the Titanic. It is then the patron’s job to discover by the end of the exhibition tour whether or not the person belonging to the pass they hold survived or perished in the cold North Atlantic waters.

Much like the acclaimed Anne Frank in the World exhibit that recently closed at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., the exhibit has taken the tact of constructing several immersive rooms from the ship including the first-class dining hall, the third-class quarters and a replica of a ship construction yard. Each area features personal effects from passengers brought up from the depths by Premier Exhibitions, the sole grantee of the rights to the wreck’s excavation.

Incorporating an "in the moment" feel, the exhibit also includes sensory devices and specialized lighting to slowly dim and "sink" with the ship. At the end of the exhibition, patrons can actually touch a replica iceberg.

More than 17 million people have seen this traveling exhibition thus far in other cities.

Tickets to the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $16 for children, and are available through Ticketmaster.