If you’ve ever wanted to step aboard the Titanic without, you know, the tragic ending, or having to pose nude for some scruffy kid from New York, The Legend of The Titanic: The Immersive Exhibition at Dock X in Canada Water is about as close as you’re going to get – and it’s pretty flipping awesome.
The venue itself is huge, a massive warehouse space that lends itself perfectly to the scale of the experience. And from the moment you walk in, it doesn’t feel like any old exhibition – it feels like you’re about to set sail. The entire front wall is decked out to look like the side of the Titanic, with portholes and ship detail, giving you that dockside buzz before you’ve even started.
You’re invited to scan a QR code that links to an augmented reality app – a bit gimmicky, sure, but fun. The first AR moment happens before you’ve even entered the main exhibit: scan the space and Captain Smith appears in front of you, giving a little welcome speech. It’s a charming way to kick things off.
The exhibition itself starts with a corridor of info panels, and even though it’s essentially a history lesson, it doesn’t feel dry. You read about the ship’s construction, the people on board, and the sheer ambition (and hubris) of the whole enterprise. There’s a section on the kids who were aboard. It’s humanising and a little haunting.
Then you hit the first big room: costumes, props, artefacts. Some are replicas, some are originals, and some were made for the screen and then acquired by Juan Cruz Ercoreca, the curator of the exhibition and the owner of the private collection of Titanic memorabilia featured in it. He’s apparently been building the collection for 15 years, and the detail is meticulous. One standout bit is a real porthole from the ship, rusted and behind glass, with an AR component that lets you “see through” it. Is AR necessary? Not really. Is it fun? Definitely.
One particularly clever effect involves two old-fashioned lift shafts with concertina doors. Behind the real doors, they’re actually giant screens showing passengers inside the Titanic, going up and down in period costume, chatting away. The costume is stunning and the effect is quite wonderful.
More information follows, but it never gets boring. There are actual life jackets from the ship, pieces of history, and some sobering reminders: like how they only had 20 lifeboats for over 2,000 people. One half-size recreation of a lifeboat shows just how small they were. It’s a very real reminder of how wildly unprepared the White Star Line was for what transpired.
Then comes the first VR experience: a seated tribute to the Titanic’s musicians. You pop on a headset and watch a stylised, animated concert unfold around you. It’s sweet, and the music is moving, but if you’ve done a lot of VR before, it doesn’t blow your mind. That said, it’s a nice lead-in to what’s coming.
After that, there’s a games area with big touchscreen tables. Families were loving it. Puzzles, quizzes, interactive games – the kind of thing that makes learning feel like play. At one point, I did stop and think: here we are, playing Titanic video games, laughing about lifeboat logistics. And yet, it’s only because the tragedy happened so long ago that we can. It’s fascinating (and a bit unsettling) how time changes the way we interact with history.
And then: the immersive 360° room. My goodness, this was spectacular. A massive space, with projections on the walls and floor, surrounding you with the Titanic’s story. It starts in the dockyard as the ship is built plank by plank around you and follows a fictional father and daughter on their journey. It’s emotive, cinematic, and at times feels so real – the illusion of tilting as the ship lists is incredibly well done. If you’ve been to the Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience, think of the immersive room there, but sharper, and more narratively driven. Make sure you stay for the full 30 minute experience, it’s totally worth it.
And finally, the pièce de résistance: the free-roaming VR walkthrough. I’ve had a VR headset at home for years, and I’ve never experienced anything like this. You’re in a submarine, peering through glass at real footage of the Titanic wreck. Then you pass through a portal and you’re in the ship. The grand staircase, the radio room, the deck – you walk around it all. It’s guided subtly by design so you don’t bump into walls or each other, but you can freely explore the spaces you find yourself in and it’s seriously mind-blowing. The sense of presence, of actually being there, is jaw-dropping.
This is the future. Not just of exhibitions, but of historical storytelling in general. Imagine walking through ancient ruins or classic film sets like this. The possibilities are endless. But even putting all that aside, this Titanic VR experience is a revelation. It doesn’t just show you; it truly moves you.
Afterwards, of course, there’s a photo op where you can re-enact that scene at the front of the ship. We absolutely did. And yes, we have the prints to prove it (see below)!
This is an exhibition that takes something old and familiar and makes it feel fresh and astonishing. It’s educational without ever being boring, emotional without being too heavy-handed, and fun without losing sight of how serious and tragic this event was. Whether you’re a Titanic obsessive, an immersive nerd, or just someone looking for something different to do in London, this is an absolute must.
There’s no Jack and Rose, this time it’s your story. But don’t worry – there’s plenty of room on the door for everyone.
The Legend of The Titanic: The Immersive Exhibition at Dock X in Canada Water is currently booking until 2 November 2025.
Book your tickets at legend-of-titanic.com
Words by Nick Barr
Photography by Madrid Artes Digitales
