Escape the heat by stepping inside the sunken Titanic ship
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Walking through the immersive "Titanic" exhibit. Photo: Gitanjali Poonia/Axios
'Titanic: An Immersive Voyage" is docked in Scottsdale.
The latest: From re-created cabins to the wreck site itself, this exhibit allows you to explore what the inside of the ship looked like — and how it went down.
What's inside: The exhibit begins by paying homage to the 1997 movie "Titanic," with several props on display, including a shirt worn by Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Jack.
- Walk through replicas of first-, second- and third-class rooms and see authentic artifacts, including letters and memorial cards, plus items from White Star Line, the company that operated the Titanic.
- Pose like Jack and Rose at one of the several photo-ops, including a replica of the ship's bow — where Rose utters the iconic line "I'm flying, Jack!" — or the grand staircase.
Don't miss: Even though I was skeptical about the "immersive" elements, my favorite part was the virtual reality experience, where I walked through the wreckage site more than 2 1/2 miles underwater.
- It's an extra $10 but worth it.
- Since queues for the VR experience run long, spend your wait time watching the 3D play-by-play projections of the ship sinking after the iceberg was spotted.
What to expect: It took me 90 minutes to walk through the entire self-guided experience, located at the Galleria Centre, 4301 N. Scottsdale Road.
- Tickets start at $24 for adults and $18 for kids.
- Get cheaper tickets and shorter lines on weekdays.
The intrigue: You will also receive the ticket of an actual Titanic passenger, whose fate is revealed in the exhibit's final installation.
- Mine had the name William Theodore Brailey.
- He was a young pianist with Titanic's orchestra whose body was never recovered.
What they're saying: More than a century after the Titanic sank, people remain fascinated by the tragedy, ASU film professor Kevin Sandler told KJZZ.
- "Unlike other disasters," he said, "Titanic was not filmed. So you had to visualize what happened" — and this exhibit helps do just that.
If you go: Get free parking at the Fifth Avenue Garage, located at 7136 E. Third Ave. in Scottsdale.
Six-word review: Good value to escape the heat.