Titanic Belfast, this special Titanic museum in Northern Ireland, won the 2016 award as the world's leading tourist attraction. We can understand why! Coming here, where the Titanic was once built, is a very special feeling. Titanic Belfast offers a journey through the ship's dramatic history. Right next door you can step into the dry dock where the ship was built or drink a beer in the halls where she was once designed. This is world class!
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Titanic in Belfast - a powerful experience
Many people probably start their Titanic experience by going straight to the museum, or exhibition, which is a more accurate description of this place. Our guide in Belfast corrected us every time we said museum - Titanic Belfast does not have a "collection of systematically arranged objects", which is Wikipedia's description of a museum. Titanic Belfast is an experience!
We perhaps did our visit in a bit of a reverse order. We started with everything related to the Titanic in Belfast and ended with the Titanic Museum. But this order was not so bad after all, so you can follow us around on the same tour!
For those interested in the Titanic, we present all the things to see in the Belfast Quarter. The famous ship was built right here, at the Harland and Wolff shipyard, in 1909 - 1911. The Titanic Quarter is a 15-minute walk from Belfast city centre, and it's well worth the walk.
Titanic I Belfast and Titanic Quarter
Pretty soon after we arrived in Belfast, we heard about the "Titanic Quarter". Apart from the Cathedral Quarter, which is the other area to see as a tourist, you should definitely go here. This quarter is located around the harbour, where you will also find most of the Titanic-related things, such as the museum, the dry dock, the ship SS Nomadic and the Titanic hotel.
Thompson dry dock and pump house
A short walk from the museum is Thompson's dry dock and pump house. This is not only the largest dry dock in the world, but also the dock where the Titanic was built before she was steered on her fateful maiden voyage.
Three sister ships were built here between 1911 and 1915. RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic were built at the same time in the dock, but for two completely different reasons. The RMS Olympic was built to carry more soldiers than any other ship, and left for New York on 14 June 1911. RMS Titanic was to be fitted out for the fine people going to New York in 1912. HMHS Britannic (Her Majesty's Hospital Ship) was completed in 1915 and the last of the Olympic class, and became a hospital ship.
The dock measures 556 x 93 metres and is located at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. The dock is a reminder of a golden age when the shipyard employed 35,000 people. This is not part of the Titanic Museum, but is just behind it. Next to the dock is the pump house, which was used to control the flow of water in and out of the dock. Everything here feels well preserved, as if it wasn't so long ago that it was built and slammed around the White Star Line ships ...
"Titanic in Belfast" The ship SS Nomadic
The SS Nomadic is the last existing ship of the White Star Line. The ship has been restored and now looks like it once did. What this ship once did? In fact, it had various tasks, but among other things, it was this very ship that transported the passengers to their tour with the RMS Titanic. The SS Nomadic is also featured in the Titanic Museum, but it's fun to see it for real too.
Titanic hotel
The hotel, named after the famous ship and located right next to the Titanic Museum, opened in September last year. What's special about this hotel is that it opened on the premises that Harland and Wolff once used to design their great ships. The tall, beautiful halls were built to give the men who drew the ships the best possible light. Today, the halls have been restored and are used as a bar and for various parties.
Care has been taken to carefully restore parts of the past, and the whole hotel is full of memories. In the photo below, for example, you can see the room where the telephone operators sat and received calls during the shipping company's heyday. This is where the fateful messages came from the sinking ship, and where journalists came when they learnt of the dramatic news...
Titanic in Belfast - Titanic Museum in Northern Ireland
Last but not least, you have to see the Titanic Museum, or Titanic Experience, when you are in Belfast. Our guide was kind of right, because this is far from a classic museum, it's an experience. The exhibition takes you through nine different galleries, which together tell the fascinating yet horrific story of the Titanic.
The first gallery takes you to Belfast during the industrial boom, and the second gallery takes you to the shipyard where Harland and Wolff's ship was built, while the sound of the sledgehammers could be heard throughout the city. It then moves on to the day the ship was launched, and you can go on board and see the different cabins. Here you can also stand on the famous Titanic grand staircase and take your selfies.
The fifth gallery takes you on the maiden voyage to New York and in the sixth you will experience the disaster of the ship sinking after it collided with the iceberg. There were 2224 passengers on board. The Titanic hit the iceberg on 14 April 1912 during the day, and sank in the early morning hours of 15 April 1912. During this terrible night, around 1500 people who fell into the water and froze to death died, including 89 Swedes. The ship Carpathia arrived two hours later and took in 705 survivors.
The final three galleries at the Titanic Museum in Northern Ireland deal with the legal aftermath many years later, the Titanic in the world of films and books, and the exploration of the wreck. To find out more about the exhibition, please visit the museum's website.
Watch the video of the Titanic in Belfast
Facts about the Titanic in Belfast
- Travelling hereWe took a direct flight from Sweden to Dublin. Then we took a good and comfortable bus to Belfast, which took two hours and cost about 80 Swedish crowns. The Titanic Quarter is marked on all maps.
- AccommodationWe stayed really central at The Bullit Hotel in the Cathedral Quarter and close to everything. There is a good restaurant and a good breakfast.
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Lena - good for the soul says:
How interesting! I understand that you were moved. I have been to the 911 Memorial twice and was moved both times. Almost more moved the second time. Then it was somehow easier to take in the scope. I get a bit conflicted about these museums/exhibitions. It's so horrible to see, while it's so important to take part in.
What a fantastic trip you have been on. I'm so glad you got to come along 🙂 .
Hug Lena
18 May 2018 - 6:34
Helena says:
I understand that the 911 Memorial caused a lot of emotions! I can also understand your ambivalence towards sights that deal with disasters, suffering and death. In the case of the Titanic, we thought there was so much to see and learn about a time in history, so it's not just about the accident, although of course it is the dramatic end of the Titanic.
19 May 2018 - 9:56
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
What an interesting tour in the footsteps of the Titanic! I really understand that you were moved.
It's nice to be able to save so many of the environments and incorporate them into a new hotel.
Last but not least: A big thank you to Peter for a great film, atmospheric, informative and really professional!
18 May 2018 - 7:41
Helena says:
Funny that you liked Peter's film, I have told him that! 🙂 The tour in the footsteps of Titanic was very interesting!
19 May 2018 - 9:57
Ditte says:
How exciting to experience all this on site. Very interesting reading and great pictures and film.
Would love to see both the exhibition and stay at the hotel.
18 May 2018 - 14:20
Helena says:
Glad you like our pictures and our film Ditte! This was a very interesting place to visit!
19 May 2018 - 9:57
BP says:
Love the building and Peter's great film. A great and very interesting post:/)
18 May 2018 - 22:25
Helena says:
I also like the building! 🙂 Glad you liked the film and the post!
19 May 2018 - 9:58
Mr Lars Permelin says:
Awesome, I have always been interested in the Titanic, ever since I gave a talk at school many years ago about the sinking of the Titanic. Many THANKS for your report and film.
18 May 2018 - 23:06
Helena says:
Glad you liked our post! When you immerse yourself in something, you almost always become more interested, so I can understand why you were interested when you gave your talk at school!
19 May 2018 - 10:02
Ann-Louise says:
I'm a bit behind on blog reading so I need to catch up on your other posts about Ireland too, but the Titanic museum seems incredibly exciting! I didn't even know there was one.
18 May 2018 - 23:11
Helena says:
The Titanic Museum is probably the biggest attraction in Belfast. Very interesting!
19 May 2018 - 10:03
Marianne - Glimpses of the world says:
It would have been interesting to visit the museum after hearing and reading so much about the Titanic over the years. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time when I was in Belfast, so I only drove by and saw it from the outside.
18 May 2018 - 23:55
Helena says:
Sorry you didn't have time for the Titanic Museum when you were in Belfast! We'll write a post about Belfast in general tomorrow, maybe you'll recognise yourself there?
19 May 2018 - 10:04
Matts Torebring says:
Great story, an intimate experience of the story and great film.
19 May 2018 - 8:25
Helena says:
They have really made sure that you have a strong experience, not only of the accident itself but also of this time in history. Very interesting!
19 May 2018 - 10:05
Denandraresan.com says:
Our 6-year-old has been obsessed with the Titanic for 1.5 years, so we finally visited the museum. I thought Belfast was really nice and it was definitely worth a visit.
19 May 2018 - 23:06
Laila MA - Around the Equator says:
Incredibly exciting. This is the place I want to visit if I come to Belfast.
20 May 2018 - 8:00
Lena in Wales says:
Have visited the Titanic museum. That's great!
Both the history of the city and the construction of the Titanic.
20 May 2018 - 11:10