The Titanic Museum: Missouri

The Background:

Most everyone knows of the story of the ship called Titanic. It was a modern marvel for its time, boasting the largest size and inundated with luxury, unlike anything the world had seen before. The pride of White Star Line, Titanic was a ship that was to change ocean travel forever; though in the end, not in the way its designers intended.

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In April of 1912, the Titanic set off on its maiden voyage departing from South Hampton, England on April 10th, with the final destination intended for New York City. The Titanic passengers and crew totaled 2,240 souls. The passengers consisted of First, Second, and Third classes.

Some of its wealthiest passengers included John Jacob Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, and Isidor Straus. Ship designer Thomas Andrews and White Star Line boss Bruce Ismay were also onboard the ship captained by Edward Smith on his final voyage before retirement. Sadly, many of the aforementioned names would be lost by the morning of April 15, 1912.

The Wreck

On the evening of April 14, 1912, Titanic was cruising along at a pretty good clip, despite the warning of icebergs ahead. At least one of those warnings, one that came in around 9:30 that night never even made it to those up on the bridge. Radio operator Jack Smith was annoyed at being interrupted by other ships relaying messages of icebergs to him, aptly ignoring these crucial warnings. It would prove to be a catastrophic and deadly mistake.

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At 11:40 PM the two men assigned as lookouts spotted an iceberg right in the Titanic's path. Though they alerted those on the bridge who tried in vain to avoid a collision, it would prove to be futile, as the side of the ship hit the iceberg immediately causing flooding in the lower compartments.

The Titanic was not equipped with enough lifeboats (many of which were not even full when departing) and the ship sank at such a rapid pace that many lives ended up being lost. In all, of the 2,240 on board, only 706 people would survive the sinking. Those who survived included Mrs. Astor and the famous "Unsinkable" Molly Brown.

The ship sank in such a remote place in the Atlantic Ocean, one of the deepest locations in fact, that it would be 73 years before the wreckage was found.

The Hauntings at the Titanic Museum:

The Titanic Museum, in Branson, Missouri, is full of artifacts from the RMS Titanic. Housed inside a partial replica of the historic ship, the museum takes the visitor back in time with the exhibits inside. In addition to the many relics and replicas in the museum, there are personal items from those who were on board the ship when she sank. The personal items lead many who have visited to wonder if the ghostly activity in the museum is tied to those who passed on that fateful voyage.

Reports of paranormal activity started almost as soon as the museum opened. Titanic-period apparitions have been witnessed, along with loud yells, and cries. Disembodied voices have also been reported. Visitors have captured large orbs in their photos on more than a few occasions. Items have randomly moved with no explanation, and invisible touches have also been claimed by both visitors and workers. The museum was even featured on the 15th season of Ghost Adventures.

This place seems like an awesome museum to check out for any Titanic lover out there. Who knows, you may even see a spirit of one of the passengers while you're there!

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Citations:

Tikkanen, A. (2024, March 29). Titanic. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Titanic

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