We all know there's a LOT to do in Branson.  But some attractions that seem really promising from the outside turn out to be duds on the inside, then you have bored kids and annoyed moms and dads trying to get their money's worth without feeling like they wasted their time.

The Titanic Museum was definitely NOT one of those attractions.  My three year old loved it!  (Even my 1 year old seemed to like looking at the exhibits from his stroller.)  I have to admit I was a little apprehensive to take my semi-insane three year old to the exhibit, but we were given the chance to come review it at the same time that my mom was visiting, and you know how grandparents like to go do things with their grandkids (lol), so we packed up and made the drive up there last week.  

I really didn't expect a lot of interactivity, but hoped the displays would interest my daughter.  But there are a LOT of interactive exhibits, that even a three year old can enjoy.  From the huge chunk of "iceberg" that everyone can feel in the entrance to the varying degrees of tilted decks that you can climb, it was a really fun tour!  There's also currently a focus on the dogs that were onboard the ship, which is really designed for preschoolers and younger kids, it seems.  We saw the two "mascots" when we were entering, two King Charles spaniels that were extremely docile and let both my kids pet them.  Throughout the museum there were small pawprint markers that had information on different breeds of dog.  My daughter turned this into her own personal treasure hunt, lol.  

The staff, or "crew" of the museum was also a huge part of getting my daughter involved in the tour.  She and her brother were given buttons with their name on them at the entrance, and throughout the museum crew members greeted them by name and directed my daughter to the parts of the exhibits she would find most interesting, including showing her where to look in the mirror over the BIG model ship in the lobby to see the top of the ship and again in the Remembrance Gallery, where a giant model of the ship on the sea floor is located. (Apparently it's the same model James Cameron used for filming the scenes of the ship sitting on the ocean floor in that Titanic movie you may have heard of?)  I had let her wear one of her"fancy" dresses to the museum, so she was really excited when a crew member got down on her level and told her all the special things that girls in pretty dresses could do in First Class. (To top it off, the crew member was Irish, so his accent really grabbed her attention.)  And, another crew member took the time to reassure her that the "fire" in the lower levels that you could load coal into was not actually a fire by putting his hand into the furnace.  The attention from the crew REALLY made the visit special for her.

Of course, there's TONS of stuff for the older set too.  You can rent a self-guided audio tour that pulls up information for dozens of markers throughout the museum.  (Those husbands that are sitting watching their five-hundredth History Channel documentary will LOVE this.)  It contains excerpts of first-hand accounts for everything from the building to the sinking of the Titanic.  Plus, sound effects, lol.  

Our tour of the museum took us about two hours.  I would recommend setting aside 3-4 hours for those families with older children who might want to look more closely at the informational exhibits, which we just browsed.  The museum also has quite a few fun events scheduled for this fall and winter, including a Chili Cookoff this weekend, a three day Woodcarving Competition next weekend, appearances by Santa and his reindeer on weekends from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and an Ice Carving Competition on January 15 that sounds SPECTACULAR.  All the outdoor events are free to the public.

The Titanic Museum is located on Country Blvd, past the wax museum and Ripley's (or the"Monkey Building" and "Cracked House" according to my daughter).  Order tickets online here.  Adults are $18.82, Children 5-12 are $9.99, and kids 4 and under are free.  you can also get a family pass for 2 adults and up to 4 children ages 5-18 for $53.87. (Which is pretty cheap for a few hours entertainment when you consider other options in Branson.)