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| We took BART into the City. We had heard about The Exhibit of the Titanic at the Metreon, one of the buildings at the Moscone Convention Center.This was during a week day when it is more relaxed and quiet. |
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| The exhibit tells the tale of this tragic ship, how it was built, and took its maiden voyage in April 1912, only to encounter an iceberg and be doomed to the frigid depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Numerous photographs and a few movie clips, highlighted by some of the relics recovered from the crash site, present a fascinating story. Even if you haven't seen the movie, this presentation will hold your attention for two to three hours. |
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| Standing
behind this huge model of the ship, Sharon is holding her "Boarding
Pass". This is another interesting aspect of how the exhibit is
arranged. Instead of a simple ticket, you receive a boarding pass with
the name of one of the passengers. Sharon happened to be Madeleine
Talmadge Force, wife of the wealthiest man aboard, John Jacob Astor.
Part of their story is shown on the back of the pass. I was a young
emigrant from Norway traveling third class. It is not until close to the
end when you learn whether we lived or died. Both of us survived. To read more about the Astor family click here. |
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| Photography was not allowed inside the exhibit. However, my stubborn camera (without the flash, of course) ended up with a few exposures. Above are a series of dishes and a huge section of the hull that were recovered using remote vehicles. Below is a mock-up of the famous grand staircase. |
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| The way the crash is portrayed with video reenactments, a huge section of real ice and the sound effects is very dramatic. In fact, we found the entire show quite revealing with the emotional aspects of the sinking of the ship and its detailed descriptions of the rescue and (eighty years later) the recovery and restoration efforts. We would highly recommend a visit. |
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| After the exhibit we looked around the Yerba Buena Gardens and then strolled along Mission and Market towards the Ferry Building. We passed California Street where a cable car was waiting for more passengers and the operator, and ended up at the Embarcadero Plaza. Then it was BART back home. |
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