Since its opening in December 2023, three hundred thousand people visited the sold-out season of Melbourne Museum’s Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition, making it the most popular touring exhibition at Melbourne Museum since 2016.
The world-class blockbuster exhibition was an Australian exclusive, direct from a sold-out season in Paris. To accommodate the overwhelming demand from audiences, Melbourne Museum extended the season to 21 April 2024, adding multiple after-hours sessions that were snapped up as rapidly as they could be scheduled.
“The overwhelming success of Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition is a tribute to its enduring legacy. The remarkable interest and engagement from local, interstate and international audiences showcases the breadth, depth, and diversity of connections between Museums Victoria and the communities we serve. These interactions generate significant economic and social value for Victoria and Victorians,” said Museums Victoria CEO and Director, Lynley Crosswell.
Featuring more than 200 authentic artefacts recovered directly from the wreck site, the exhibition captivated audiences with its poignant journey into the tragic tale of the ill-fated luxury steamship, RMS Titanic.
Visitors explored meticulously recreated ship interiors, including the majestic Grand Staircase, First Class Parlour Suite and Verandah Cafe, in a truly immersive museum experience. Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition was complemented by a bespoke High Tea experience inspired by the first-class menus of the time, serving over 10,000 high teas that transported visitors back to 1912.
With marketing support from Visit Victoria, the exhibition has been a major drawcard for audiences all around Australia, attracting more than 100,000 visitors from overseas, interstate and across regional Victoria. It also proved popular among families, with more than 42,000 children visiting the exhibition.
Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition stands as a shining testament to the ongoing success of the most visited museums organisation in Australia. Museums Victoria welcomed an estimated 2.75 million visitors across its museums, iconic sites and spaces in 2022-23, heralding an extraordinary era of growth in recent years for the 170-year-old institution. The success of Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition further solidifies the museum’s position as an industry leader not just in Victoria, but globally.
“With 300,000 people flocking to experience the Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition, we’re proud to showcase these world-class cultural experiences right here in Victoria – attracting visitors from across Victoria and interstate in a boost for local jobs, businesses and our economy,” said Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos.
Melbourne Museum now welcomes Victoria the T. rex on 28 June 2024. The much-anticipated exhibition features one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossils in the world, marking the first time a real T. rex has been displayed in Victoria.
Visitors to Victoria can also see Horridus – the world’s most complete Triceratops, whose permanent home is at Melbourne Museum. For a rare and short time only, Melbourne Museum presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see here in Australia not one, but two of the best examples of these giants from the Cretaceous.
Image: Boarding pass for Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition – courtesy of Museums Victoria