The Northeast’s largest, most captivating, permanent exhibit marking the 100th anniversary of the storied Titanic disaster, “Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below,” opens to the public on April 12 at Sea Research Foundation’s Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn.
Unlike any such centenary exhibit in the world, the long-planned, multimillion-dollar exhibit takes visitors on a journey to new depths of discovery through the eyes of the team that found the Titanic. It represents a creative collaboration between famed ocean explorer and Sea Research’s Institute for Exploration President Dr. Robert Ballard, who first located the legendary shipwreck in 1985, and Tim Delaney, former, 30-year Walt Disney “Imagineer” and current owner of Tim J. Delaney Design. “Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below” is presented by Connecticut-based United Technologies Corporation.
Bringing the legendary vessel’s timeless history to life, “Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below” will captivate minds with a glowing iceberg that is cold to the touch, a bi-level adventure area inspired by Titanic’s engine room, hands-on experiences that unfold Titanic’s lingering mysteries, and modern deep-sea technology that led to Titanic’s eventual discovery.
“The Titanic sinking is, of course, one of the greatest dramas of the last century,” commented Dr. Ballard. “Everything about her is fascinating. I believe that the excitement of discovery is transferrable and can inspire future generations of explorers and discoverers. That’s what ‘Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below’ is all about.”
Sea Research Foundation President and CEO Dr. Stephen Coan called the exhibit: “A unique and important collaboration that will give people a chance to experience Titanic through the eyes of the person who found her, someone recognized as one of the world’s greatest explorers, and through the imagination of a world-renowned exhibit designer.”
Tim Delaney described “Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below” as “a very different approach to the Titanic experience, one that taps directly into the excitement of exploration and discovery. We’ve created something that both adults and children will find thrilling, immersive, interactive, experiential and memorable. ‘Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below’ takes you there.”
