Titanic Museum Tour + 2nd Annual Professional Ice Carving Competition

My family and I had the opportunity to tour the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge this last Saturday and it was a great experience. It was also the 2nd Annual Professional Ice Carving Competition.

We started our tour in the museum first. The experience starts in the lobby, where you are greeted by women dressed in first class maids attire. You are each issued a boarding pass containing the name of a passenger who was aboard the Titanic and a bit of the passengers history. In the end, you will find out if your passenger survives. You are also given an audio tour. It is a cell phone sized device that contains detailed accounts of personal stories, descriptions of photographs you are looking at, letters, and experiences of the passengers. You keep this device with you throughout the museum and can listen to it at your own pace. My seven year old enjoyed the child's version, while I enjoyed the adults.

Growing up we were told the story of the Titanic and it's tragic ending. James Cameron's 1997 movie "Titanic" gave us a glimpse into that ill fated voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Walking through the "Titanic Museum" in Pigeon Forge, and experiencing a part of this famous subject, forever changed my outlook on the fascinating subject, the "Titanic". You will learn or are reminded through an exclusive photo collection, valuable artifacts, personal items, and hands on activities. My children loved sliding down the deck as if the stern of the ship were up in the air. All the while wondering if "our passengers" were going to make it.

"Crew" members share bits of history and interesting facts about the ship itself, and its maiden voyage. Something very interesting was the amount of ice the ship was trying to navigate through. Great visual aids are displayed throughout your tour. The owners of the Museum left out no detail when recreating the staterooms and the Third class cabins. I got excited as we entered into the elegant Grand staircase. It defined luxury for the wealthy. You can just imagine the ladies making their entrance and mingling before dinner time.
My children were interested in learning of the Titanic and were sad to hear it had sank to the bottom of the ocean. They enjoyed dipping their hands over the rail into 28 degree water. And touching the iceberg on the wall. My son pretended to steer the ship while my daughter practiced Morse Code.

As you head into the Memorial Room, you look for your passengers name to learn of their fate. After such a moving experience throughout the last 20 rooms, I was overjoyed that my children and I made it to New York. And upon learning that my husband didn't survive, for a split second, I felt a glimpse of sadness. Nothing compared to what these families had gone through. These were real people, with real experiences. This Museum is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Titanic and all its passengers and crew. With Titanic's 100th year coming up we each placed a rose petal in a large clear box that will be taken and spread over the memorial site.

For a limited time, an exclusive behind the scenes exhibit of James Cameron's "Titanic" is available for viewing. Oscar statues, props, costumes (my favorite was the dress Kate Winslet wore when the ship hit the ice berg in the movie). My husband and I enjoyed ourselves, as did our kids with activities to keep them interested. The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge is definitely a MUST when visiting the area. Full of History and hands on activities to keep everyone involved in learning about the Titanic, its passengers, its crew, its creators. This museum is a wonderful way to keep the memory alive.

The Titanic Museum was holding their 2nd Annual 2nd Annual Professional Ice Carving Competition. We had a few photo ops (one in a giant ice chair), watched as a part of one of the sculptures crashed to the ground near the end of the competition, and witnessed the world's most celebrated ice sculptors chisel 250-pound blocks of ice into beautiful creations. The Titanic logo was carved into the giant ice chair.

This free one-day family event took place in Titanic’s outdoor entertainment center. Professionals and amateurs competed for prize money. We watched and had our favorites picked out before we entered the museum, then by the time we were finished with the museum, the competition was almost over. This is when we witnessed a large piece fall right off and hit the ground. What a bummer to see the guys face when he wasn’t able to fix it. Here are photos of a few of these competitors hard at work.

Here are the Winners:

Professional division

1st	Todd Dawson	War Horse
2nd	Eric Pfaff	High Hopes
3rd	Edwin Hutchinson	A Taste of Spring

Amateur division

1st	Duane Schmelhaus	Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
2nd	Jeff Lein	The Guardian
3rd	Jayme Schumacher	Firebird Rising

People's Choice Award

1st

Edwin Hutchinson

A Taste of Spring

We had a wonderful time spending the afternoon at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. Next year you will not want to miss the 3rd Annual Ice Sculpting Contest.