A look inside Titanic: The Exhibition as it returns to Utah

SANDY, Utah (ABC4) — Titanic: The Exhibition has returned to Utah and is set to open tomorrow. We took an inside look at the exhibition to see what to expect.

In 2004, Titanic: the Exhibition brought in over 100,000 visitors who hoped to learn more about the infamous shipwreck. Now, twenty years later, the exhibition is back and reportedly better than ever.

Starting on October 17, at 12 p.m., the exhibition will be open to the public. It is located at 10230 South State Street, Suite #5, Sandy, and is open to all ages.

While a ticket for the ill-fated Titanic cost $90 in 1912 or the equivalent of $940 in modern times, tickets to the exhibition start at $28.00, plus tax, for anyone above the age of 13. You can buy tickets and find out more information here.

Mark Lach, the creative producer of the exhibit, said, “We’ve designed this exhibition for all ages, and I love when families come through and experience something together. That’s the most rewarding to see as guests go through.”

The experience

As part of the experience, visitors can take on the name of a passenger on board the Titanic. ABC4’s Alyssa Royster became Mrs. Irene Corbett, the only Titanic passenger from Utah.

“She seemed to be quite the woman. She was a teacher, she was a nurse, and she wanted to study to be a midwife, so she was headed to the best school in the world that was in London.” Mark Lach, the creative producer of the exhibit, said.

Sadly, Ms. Irene wouldn’t make it back,” He added, “Most likely she stayed on board and helped people in that horrible hour as Titanic sank.”

In addition to becoming a Titanic passenger, visitors can walk through the exhibit and learn about what life was like on the Titanic.

Reportedly, first-class suites were the definition of luxury, from the China used to a stunning view of the open Ocean. First-class passengers also met and danced along the way of the grand staircase.

Just a few decks below, though, third-class passengers experienced a different life. Many of those passengers were poor immigrants. And, in the boiler room, crews would constantly shovel coal into giant furnaces to keep the Titanic moving.

You can see exactly how those areas were different at the exhibition.

Passengers’ final moments

The exhibition also has an area for visitors to experience an iceberg at 20 degrees Celsius to see how cold the water was for Titanic passengers.

“You can’t do it very long, because it starts to hurt, quite frankly,” Lach said, “You can pull it away and warm up your hand, but most people that night found themselves in that icy cold water.”

Lach also talked about how musicians played music as the ship sank.

They knew pretty soon that they weren’t going to get in a lifeboat. They knew Titanic was sinking, but they thought about the passengers, and they stayed on that deck until the better end, playing music that was most calming for that moment,” Lach said, “And the one that was said to be the last thing they ever played was ‘Nearer, my God, to thee’, knowing that the end was near.”

The exhibition acts as a good reminder of how fragile life can be and of the thousands of people who were aboard and their stories.

“How uncertain life can be and how quickly things can change. For those folks aboard the Titanic, it happened in a split second,” Lach concluded, “It changed lives or ended lives for so many, so we got to remember to love our family, love our friends, because you just never know.”