Southampton’s SeaCity Museum

Southampton has a maritime museum called ‘SeaCity’.

(Part of SeCity Museum)
I visited the Museum in April 2013, when it was new. The official description of the museum is: “SeaCity Museum tells the story of the people of the city, their fascinating lives and historic connections with Titanic and the sea”.
Occupying a former court building, ‘SeaCity’ is located very near the city centre.
It does not have its own car park, but there are some nearby. It is walkable in 10-15 minutes, from the shopping centre, the train station, National Express bus station and hotels like the De Vere Grand, Holiday Inn and Premier Inn. (The City Art Gallery is also adjacent).
The Museum is much more extensive than the little one that was located in the Wool House, that was run by volunteers, that it has replaced. Seacity is open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm, with last admission at 4.00pm. However, you really need 2.5-3 hours to see it all properly, in my opinion. Admission cost £8.50p per adult in 2013 and still does in 2016.
I visited the Museum in April 2013. The official description of the museum is: “SeaCity Museum tells the story of the people of the city, their fascinating lives and historic connections with Titanic and the sea”.
I must admit that I was surprised that the museum was almost exclusively about the RMS Titanic. Unfortunately Southampton’s wider maritime heritage, including Cunard and P&O, forms only a minor part of the museum. There is also little about modern cruising. (I particularly enjoyed the National Maritime Museum’s ‘Passengers’ exhibition which was the history from ocean liners to cruise ships, although it has now been removed.)
Never the less, the SeaCity exhibition is very well done and suitable for both adults and children alike. There are some real artefacts from the Titanic and Olympic on display. One section about the enquiry into the Titanic’s sinking, is located in one of the old courtrooms and creates an interesting audio-visual experience.
SeaCity has space for ‘guest’ exhibitions which will change from time to time and a nice café and book shop.
So in conclusion, SeaCity is a welcome addition to Southampton and is particularly good for Titanic fans. It makes a nice pre or post cruise treat for the nautically inclined.
Malcolm
SeaCity website: www.seacitymuseum.co.uk

(SeaCity = Red Dot)
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