Through March @ Armory Studios, Schenectady

“Whether you are a history buff, fascinated by man-made disasters, or simply looking for an interesting and educational way to spend an afternoon, Titanic: An Immersive Voyage would be a good way to do it.”

It would be hard to find someone who isn’t aware of the famous tragedy that occurred in the waters of the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912. Whether you are a history buff, a cinephile, or simply a glutton for stories of disaster, the tragedy of the allegedly unsinkable crown jewel of the White Star Line has captivated millions since its demise.

I could make an argument that much of the interest in the Titanic came from the film, and therefore the exhibition potentially caters itself to the crowd seeking some nostalgic, educational connection to the ship’s story. That works in the exhibition’s favor.

As most are probably aware, the RMS Titanic sank on her maiden voyage across the sea after colliding with an iceberg in the wee hours of that early spring morning, and killed more than 1,500 individuals — both the incredibly wealthy and the incredibly poor — more than a century ago. A disaster that once again reminds the everyman that regulations are written in blood.

Armory Studios in Schenectady is the perfect place to host a travelling exhibition about a ship like the Titanic, its 50-foot ceilings not unlike the hull of a massive ship with its bowed steel and wood. When you walk in, you are handed a name card, and assume the identity of the real passenger on it — where they originated from, where they got on the ship, a brief story, and — at the end — whether or not they survived that fateful frigid April night.

The exhibition was laid out beautifully, with well-designed graphics and displays, models, and both real and replica artifacts of the maritime disaster. There were some fun photo opportunities (‘fun’ is a weird word to use in this context, but fun is what my friends had), interactive displays, and truly immersive moments, as the name of the touring exhibition suggests. The facet of the exhibition was seating yourself in a large scale-model lifeboat, and watching a 360 film projected on the walls around you. If you are someone like me who can be sensitive to vertigo, this room might not be the stop for you.

The film reel in question was creative and unorthodox in its storytelling, but constantly having to turn and search for the protagonist wandering the walls, at the same time as I was trying to read the informational pieces projected on the others, got tiring on my eyes, my neck, and my nausea; it left me feeling like I was missing significant chunks of both narrative story and history.

The VR experience (not included in the basic ticket) was a pretty cool opportunity too. Again, if you are sensitive to motion sickness, this portion of the experience might not be for you. The VR tour puts you in cool helmets and in a 3D submersible which takes you down to the wreckage at the bottom of the sea floor. It’s hard to know how realistic it was, but if nothing else, the visuals did a really good job of giving you, the viewer, a somewhat good sense of scale, most notably when it takes you down alongside the ship’s boiler room.

When you purchase tickets online, it says to give yourself between 60 and 90 minutes. However, my friends and I were there for more than two hours, and I was the only one who chose to go through the VR experience. Because of timing constraints, I was not quite able to finish making my way through the entire exhibition, so give yourself a block of at least two hours in order to make your way through the entire thing. And while I may have begged my parents to see Titanic in 1997 at the ripe old age of six, James Cameron a true historical account does not make. With the extensive written educational materials, details, and artifacts, the gravity and fascination of this disaster might not be the right experience for kids under the age of 10, or at least those with opinions on a certain door.

All in all, whether you are a history buff, fascinated by man-made disasters, or simply looking for an interesting and educational way to spend an afternoon, Titanic: An Immersive Voyage would be a good way to do it.

PS: Jack totally would have fit on the door [CITATION NEEDED].

Titanic: An Immersive Experience runs through March at Armory Studios (125 Washington Avenue, Schenectady) – Purchase tickets online. I suggest blocking 90-120 minutes for the experience.