We spent a couple of hours at Titanic Belfast, “The World’s Largest Titanic Visitor Experience.” I am a bit of a Titanerac, so I had really been looking forward to this! Titanic Belfast is located right on the old Harland and Wolff dry dock where Titanic was built. Two enormous Harland and Wolff cranes, nicknamed Samson and Goliath, are located across the street. The Titanic Belfast is a very modern building, only a couple of years old. The outside corners are meant to look like bows of ships from the golden age of shipbuilding in Belfast. It is also said that the building resembles a star from a bird’s eye view, which represents Titanic’s owner, the White Star Line. Apparently, there is a wedding venue on the top floor with views of the Irish Sea and a replica of Titanic’s grand staircase. This venue is so popular that single girls who do not even currently have boyfriends are already booking it 4 years out!

There are nine galleries that take you from the building of Titanic to its sinking and the aftermath. One of the highlights was seeing the original gates to the Harland and Wolff shipyard. Another cool feature is a gallery that surrounds you on three sides with animated screens that take you through each of Titanic’s decks. I also enjoyed a section on the discovery of the Titanic shipwreck where you stand on a glass-bottom floor and images of the shipwreck glide below you. I only wish we had had more time there. Don’t worry though: I’ll never let go, Jack!