Titanic Belfast!

We’ve all heard of Titanic, the unsinkable ship that sadly sank on her maiden voyage. Her tragic story and the stories of her ill fated passengers have held our fascination for over 100 years, but did you know that Titanic was built in Belfast, home to the famous shipbuilders Harland and Wolff? Titanic Belfast, a museum dedicated to all things Titanic, is appropriately located in the very spot Titanic was built and launched. The moment I knew we would be in Belfast I knew this place would be on my list and we weren’t disappointed! If you find yourself in the vicinity or anywhere near it I highly recommend a stop!

The boys and I decided to walk to the museum from our hotel, which took about 30 minutes. Along the way we stopped to take photos by the river, saw a parade and walked by The Albert Memorial Clock.

Titanic Belfast is quite a large museum, so allow at least two hours for your visit, though we spent about four! If you’re traveling with younger children ask for the scavenger hunt when purchasing your entrance tickets. My little Elliot really enjoyed looking out for the clues and at the end he received a prize!

The museum exhibits are laid out along an easy to follow path which moves along from floor to floor. You’ll start by learning about Belfast’s linen and ship building industries and as you move forward you’ll learn about how the ship was built and launched, the loading of the passengers, the voyage itself and of course the sinking. There are also exhibits touching upon the aftermath, her discovery on the ocean floor and her history in film, books and television.

The many interactive exhibits, first hand accounts, and films are all really well done and kept us occupied for hours. The White Star Line dishes and other interesting artifacts on display throughout the museum really helped to bring the past to life. I took only a few photos during our visit and instead spent most of my time just enjoying the museum. We did see a wedding taking place which was fun. Interesting choice of venue!

Apparently you can get married at the museum!

Although it looked inviting the ground floor cafe wasn’t great, though the service was friendly enough. Of course no visit to a museum would be complete without a visit to the gift shop where we bought some holiday ornaments and a magnet.

The Nomadic – The Last White Star Vessel

Along with our admission to the museum our tickets also granted us access to the SS Nomadic, the Titanic’s tender and the last White Star Line vessel in existence. The Nomadic has a long history of her own, but her initial purpose as a tender was to ferry Titanic’s passengers back and forth from port. The Nomadic’s interior was intentionally styled to match Titanic. This would give the passengers a taste of what was to come on the larger vessel and ensure a seamless experience. I particularly enjoyed getting a feel for what it must really have been like aboard Titanic!

We spent a good amount of time exploring the ship and the many interactive displays on board. The boys enjoyed walking around on deck and of course posed for my many photos!

SS Nomadic a mini Titanic

Game of Thrones Bonus!

A huge Game of Thrones fan I was excited to see that Titanic Studios, where some of GoT is filmed is located just behind the museum! Maybe next time I’ll work out how to get in there for a look around…

Accommodations & Such…

We stayed at The Ten Square hotel located in Donegal Square directly across the street from Belfast’s City Hall. The rooms, service and overall experience were great! We enjoyed the hotel breakfast each morning and the staff were incredibly friendly. I would definitely stay here again.

However, I will mention that although the shower and bathroom were lovely the shampoo and conditioner were all in one which isn’t a favorite of mine. The hairdryer was powerful, but the power button had to be held down continuously, which can become tiresome after a while. The only plug was in the main room, which is never a positive for me.

My hilarystyle rating for The Ten Square Hotel is: 

I have to mention that we loved our food at  Nu Dehli a fabulous Indian Restaurant walking distance from the Ten Square. The Chicken Korma was fantastic!