Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will open at The San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT) this February, corresponding with the 100th anniversary of the Ship’s sinking.
“The Exhibition galleries bring to life the drama of that terrible night a century ago and the challenge and adventure of finding and exploring the wreck many years later,” said Michael W. Hager, president and CEO of theNAT. “The ability to view 200 artifacts recovered from the ship’s wreck site create a physical connection that spans 100 years.”
Delicate vials of perfume, china bearing the logo of the White Star Line, and many other objects recovered from the debris field of the wreck site offer poignant connections to the lives abruptly ended or forever changed by one of the world’s greatest maritime tragedies. Of the 200 artifacts showcased in the exhibition, 175 have never before been seen on the West Coast. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is organized by Premier Exhibitions, Inc, and RMS Titanic, Inc. which is the sole salvor-in-possession to the wreck site of Titanic, and owner of the collection of over 5,500 artifacts that have been recovered from the wreck site of Titanic.
Visitors to the exhibition will receive a replica boarding pass granting them permission to “board” the White Star Line's R.M.S. Titanic, and from there the journey begins. The galleries focus on the legendary Titanic’s compelling human stories as best told through extensive room re-creations and authentic artifacts recovered from the ocean floor.
On opening day, visitors will have the unique opportunity to meet Titanic’s captain, Edward John Smith. Captain Smith look-a-like Lowell Lytle, one of only 150 people to have seen Titanic where it lies 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface, will relate what the 12-hour dive was like as well as tell stories of cruising aboard Titanic from 10 to 11:30 am.
Regular admission is $27 and includes admission to the museum and 3D theater, with discounts available for museum members, students, children, seniors, military, and groups of 10 or more. (877/946-7797, www.sdnat.org)
