As I mentioned in my last post, we recently visited Las Vegas for a quick little getaway. We stayed at the Virgin Hotel and planned to spend a lot of time at the pool. However, cool and windy weather forced us to change plans. One of the things we ended up doing was revisiting the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. We’d previously visited in September 2022 and I’d been wanting to go back ever since.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Las Vegas opened in 2008 and features over 250 artifacts recovered from the wreck site. It has drawn over 22 million visitors from all over the world since it opened. It’s one of the preeminent Titanic exhibitions in existence.
I should note something upfront, however. My master’s degree was in Museum Studies at George Washington University. My wife’s as well. We both look at museums a bit differently than the average visitor and tend to be a bit snarky in our critiques. I’ve tried to keep that to a minimum here but there’ll undoubtedly be moments when it slips out. I apologize in advance.
Tickets were $34 for adults, plus a $4 processing fee for purchasing online. Visitors are given a replica Titanic boarding pass with a real passenger’s name. After a quick spiel (non-flash photos are fine but videography isn’t allowed), you take a few quick photos before entering the exhibit.
One of the first things visitors see is a memorial screen to P.H. Nargeolet, dubbed “Mr. Titanic.” He was one of the five people tragically killed in the Titan submersible implosion on June 18, 2023. Nargeolet was a French deep-sea explorer who’d visited the Titanic wreck no less than 35 times since 1987. He eventually became the Director of Underwater Research for RMS Titanic, Inc. and ultimately helped recover almost 6,000 artifacts from the wreck site. Nargeolet’s passion for the Titanic was well known, and this exhibit couldn’t have happened without his work and contributions.
Building the Titanic
Walking into the exhibit itself, you find yourself in a gallery dedicated to the Titanic’s design, building, and launch. “Thomas Andrews” gives facts and other information about the Titanic’s construction on a looped video. Artifacts on display include nuts, bolts, rivets, and other hardware recovered from the seafloor. There’s even a piece of rope that had survived decades on the bottom.
Third Class
Next, visitors “board” the Titanic and walk down a recreated Third Class corridor. It was surprisingly busy when we visited…not at all what we were expecting on a Monday in late-October. But it really gave a sense as to how it might have felt when boarding the Titanic at Southampton, Cherbourg, or Queenstown/Cobh.
Down the corridor is a recreated Third Class cabin: four bunks (with White Star Line blankets) and a built-in stand. A few recovered objects are on display. Down the corridor is another video that plays on a loop. It shows a party in Third Class that wasn’t at all inspired by a similar scene in James Cameron’s Titanic (1997). And it certainly doesn’t feature the exact same song that the movie did (it’s called “John Ryan’s Polka”).
Yeah, it’s a bit cheesy. But it’s also a fun tie-in to the blockbuster film as well.
Second Class
From Third Class, visitors walk into Second Class.
Kinda.
China, silverware, and a few other items are on display. There’s another video playing with a woman talking about all the amenities in Second Class. And that’s pretty much it. She mentions how Second Class on Titanic is on par with First Class on other ocean liners at the time. But we don’t really get a sense as to what that means exactly.
Honestly, a recreated cabin would’ve been helpful to illustrate the point. It’s been said that Second Class is the forgotten class on Titanic, and this exhibit seems to prove that point. Don’t get me wrong: there are some phenomenal artifacts on display in this area. I just wish visitors got more of a sense as to what traveling in Second Class really meant.
Before passing into the next area, however, we do see one of my favorite artifacts: the remains of a C Deck landing sign. It’s just so striking to see.
The Grand Staircase
Visitors then stroll into the recreated First Class Grand Staircase. No Titanic exhibition would be complete without one. Unfortunately, photos aren’t allowed in this area. But there is a staff photographer on hand to take your picture on the stairs for a nominal fee.
But this is a really striking space. For many, the Grand Staircase is what comes to mind when they think of the Titanic. It’s a gorgeous recreation to be sure.
First Class
From the Grand Staircase, visitors make their way to a recreated First Class cabin. It’s wonderful to see…and I couldn’t help but compare it to cabins on modern cruise ships. As with the other galleries, a video plays on loop talking about everything First Class has to offer.
There are plenty of artifacts on display. Actually, probably more so than the Third and Second Class galleries combined. There’s everything from paper money to bathroom tiles. An alligator skin purse sits next to a leather wallet. There’s crown molding and other architectural elements from Titanic’s First Class spaces.
“Iceberg right ahead!”
Next is a dark room with illuminated copies of the many iceberg warnings that Titanic received before the sinking. The temperature here starts to drop dramatically.
One of the most striking objects is an unopened bottle of champagne. It still has liquid inside of it. I can almost see it being brought to John Jacob Astor IV or Lord Cosmo Duff Gordon at dinner that last night aboard the ship.
By the time you stroll out to the recreated Promenade Deck, the air is frigid. It gives visitors a really good idea as to how cold it was on the night Titanic went down.
Upon entering the next room, visitors have an opportunity to touch a simulated iceberg. I couldn’t help myself…my fingers started twitching uncontrollably in seconds.
Two artifacts in particular jump out here.
First is the ship’s telemotor wheel hub. Quartermaster Robert Hitchens stood here when First Officer William Murdoch gave the order to turn hard over after the iceberg was sighted. Tragically, we all know what happened next.
Then there’s the binnacle. Titanic had four of these throughout the ship, which housed navigational compasses. These were absolutely vital for shipboard navigation.
The Seabed Gallery
Proceeding down a dark hallway, five artifacts are spotlighted: a butter dish, a spoon, a teacup, a postcard, and a knife.
This leads to a larger space, called the Seabed Gallery.
Dominating the room is a large model of Titanic’s wrecked bow section. Unfortunately, it looks like people haven’t been obeying the “no touching” rule. The model is in pretty rough shape: the bow railings are gone, the crane is broken, and anchors are missing. But I also didn’t notice all this my first time at the exhibit, so the average visitor probably won’t even notice.
Artifacts displayed here include rows of china dishes, a cooking pot, part of a deck bench, and more. They’re poignant reminders of the fact that Titanic was a floating city with 2,240 people aboard.
And that over 1,500 people died in the ensuing disaster.
The Big Piece
The centerpiece of the entire exhibition is literally a piece of the Titanic herself.
The Big Piece was originally a part of the ship’s starboard hull that encompassed parts of staterooms C-79 and C-81 (which were unoccupied). It was recovered in 1998 and weighs 15 tons. After careful conservation, it toured around in a traveling exhibit for a while. The Big Piece was finally installed at the Las Vegas exhibition when it opened in 2008.
For me, this was the highlight of the entire exhibition. I’ve come close to tears both times I’ve seen the Big Piece in person, and I’m sure it’ll happen again. To actually see a piece of the legendary Titanic is beyond words. Photos also don’t do it justice. It’s an experience that one has to have to fully understand.
On the opposite side of the Big Piece, you can “step inside” Titanic in a matter of speaking. There’s even a little part of the decking that’s survived as well. I can almost imagine standing there and looking out one of the portholes back in April 1912.
In my excitement last time I visited, I forgot the get a picture of myself with the Big Piece. That was remedied this time (thanks for taking the photo, Teresa).
Some very personal artifacts are found nearby. Recovered from the wreck was a suitcase belonging to Third Class passenger William Henry Allen (who didn’t survive). His shirt, shoes, glasses, and more were packed neatly inside. They’re now on display beside the Big Piece and give one of the most personal reminders of the tragedy.
Nearby are perfume vials that belonged to First Class passenger Adolphe Saalfed. A chemist from Anholt, Germany, he hoped to sell his floral fragrances in the United States. Saalfeld survived the sinking. His samples went down with the Titanic but were recovered decades later.
One of the last artifacts that visitors see also happens to be one of my favorites. William Hine was Third Baker aboard Titanic and worked under Chief Baker Charles Joughin. It’s possible that he helped his boss provision the lifeboats. His toque was packed away in a satchel and later recovered. Hine himself died in the sinking.
Visitors are then confronted with a giant wall of names. It lists all those who were saved, and all those who were killed in the sinking. The enormity of the disaster really comes into focus as you read the lists.
After the wall of names, you can scan your replica boarding pass and see if your passenger survived the sinking.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I really love this exhibit. It’s a touching experience that brings out the human element of the tragedy. And it features an actual piece of the Titanic too.
That said, it’s not perfect. I’ve mentioned the somewhat cheesy Titanic movie tie-in at the Third Class area. And the lack of any recreated Second Class spaces whatsoever. But afterwards, my wife and I realized that there was actually nothing about the sinking itself. Nor was there anything about the Carpathia’s heroic rescue of the survivors. Honestly, I think it’s a strange choice. But none of this really diminishes the experience.
If you’ve never been to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Las Vegas before, do yourself a favor and visit. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.