Visiting the Titanic Belfast Museum in Northern Ireland
When travelling to Ireland, our family also made a point and stopped in Northern Ireland to see the Titanic Belfast, in Belfast. This museum is located beside where the RMS Titanic that was built.
The museum is located in Titanic Quarter where there is a hotel should you want to stay in the area. It is still a shipping dock/industrial area, so there is not a lot to see in the immediate area.
getting to the museum
We drove there and had a hard time being in the right lane to go the correct way. Hiring an Uber or Taxi may be your best bet if you don’t have a vehicle.
Parking is located below the building so look for a sign and take your ticket with you when you exit your vehicle as there is a kiosk to pay and then use your ticket when you leave.
exploring the Titanic Belfast
While the sinking of the Titanic was a tragic and somber event, this museum does not give that feeling while exploring the 6 floors.
You will need to decide which tour you want to take, there is more than one. You can do the Titanic Experience (just the building). There is also the White Star tour, that includes the building and seeing the SS Nomadic and the Discovery Tour. You could also just go for the Discovery Tour which is just the walking tour outside.
You can purchase tickets online or when you arrive. We decided on the Titanic Experience. The exhibit can take about 2 hours to walk through at your own pace. So grab a bite to eat and use the bathroom (look for the toilet signs) before you start your journey. (no bathrooms once you enter the exhibit).
There are 9 interactive galleries to explore and see. There is a lot of displays with details about the ship how it was built is a main focus (because it was built in Belfast!) You will take an elevator up several floors and can take a ride that shows how the ship was made. There is a lot of accounts from workers on what life was like on this ride too. As you move down you see different parts of the ship.
Don’t want to take the ride down, you can go back down following the signs. We walked around the exhibits that had a display showing what the rooms looked like. There are also displays that detail what Belfast was like and how it is today.
The building is beautiful and on the outside it pays respect to the workers who built ships, including the RMS Titanic.
You will want to make sure you go downstairs and see the exhibit that is in the floor. It gives you the experience of looking for the sunken Titanic and pieces of the ship. If you don’t want to walk on the floor, it is also displayed on a big movie screen to watch at well.
There is a gift shop was well, to get souvenirs. If you get postcards, be sure to ask for stamps (International if needed), the shop has those as well to make things easy.
And the end of the tour is a Myth’s and Fact section that was very interesting. It compares how the Titanic has been portrayed in various movies, compared to actual facts.
final thoughts
My kids (teenagers) were a little bored coming here. I was excited because I had visited the Titanic Museum in Branson Missouri and was moved by the details shared in our private tour. Things were different here because we explored on our own. To me being in the actual place the ship started was an experience in itself.
visit the Titanic Museum in Branson Missouri
Facts to Know about Titanic Belfast
- everyone who takes the tour gets their picture taken like they are boarding the ship
- the building is 150,700 square feet
- there are 3 different tour options you can take
- this is the World’s Largest Titanic Visitor Experience
- there are 9 interactives galleries to tour
- building is 6 stories
- ride tours are available in various languages
- pictures are permitted
