Younger people who may not be up on their history may not realize the Titanic was an actual ship.
Ask them, and they might have a mythical view of the actual Titanic, instead associating it with the 1997 James Cameron film and famous love story between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
That's what makes "Titanic: An Immersive Experience" an enjoyable exhibit but — even moreso — a valuable educational opportunity.
"It's about the passenger stories," said Gautam Chandra with Global Touring for Exhibition Hub, the company in charge of traveling exhibits like this. "Yes, the ship was an engineering marvel, the unsinkable and all those great things. But what made the ship is people. And there were people on the ship, and all of the stories are captured and showcased here in this experience."
There's a lot to see at the Tampa exhibit, including items from the Titanic, as well as its sister ship, the Olympic.
Visitors are given a boarding pass that's connected to someone who was actually on the ship. They find out through the displays if that person made it out alive.
A 360-degree screen room shows the Titanic from the beginning — when it's being built, taken out to sea, then striking the iceberg and ultimately sinking into the icy waters. Visitors can also sit inside an accurately sized lifeboat from that time.
There are also displays of the more famous scenes from the movie, including the grand ballroom and the signature bow where Jack (DiCaprio) holds Rose's (Winslet) waist while she stretches her arms out.
A virtual reality headset transports visitors to 1912, where they celebrate with passengers before watching the tragedy unfold —with a full view of the shipwreck underwater.
"It's to celebrate the lives of the passengers," Chandra said. "You know there were survivors, and there's people who perished, but at least as long as you can take the lesson from the experience and keep that close to your heart, you feel that connection, you empathize with what happened.
"I think that is the whole purpose of this, and not to make you sad, obviously, but to entertain you and educate you is our goal."
"Titanic: An Immersive Voyage" runs through July 12 at 4636 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa. Ticket prices vary; purchase them here.
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