The Historic Ramblings of a 14-year-old Girl

In 1998, I was 14 years old, which means I had no choice but to love the movie Titanic. If you're like me and found yourself bawling in the theater (more than once) you may be interested in checking out the Titanic Artifact Exhibition showing at the Henry Ford Museum. 

The RMS Titanic collided with an iceburg on April 14th, 1912, four days after leaving Southhampton, UK for New York City on her maiden voyage. The 882 foot ship was said to be "unsinkable". Her sinking caused the deaths of 1,502 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.

In 1985, after many failed attempts, the remains of the Titanic were found 12,000 feet below the surface of the Atlantic. At this time, they discovered that the ship split in two before sinking and that the two sections lie a third of a mile from one another. Thousands of items have been recovered from the debris but the ship's deterioration has increased significantly in recent years, and it is estimated that within the next 50 years the structure will collapse entirely. 

This year is the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The 10,000 square foot exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum includes over 300 artifacts. It runs through September 30th. Entry is on a scheduled basis—it is recommended you purchase tickets in advance. Tickets include admittance into the Henry Ford Museum. 

And if you didn't come of age listening to Celine Dion sing about a sinking ship, I still suggest you head to the East side of the state. The Detroit Institute of Arts has several fantastic shows running concurrently.

– Five Spanish Masterpieces featuring work from Goya, El Greco, Picasso, Velázquez and Dali

– A showcase of the DIA’s collection of experimental prints and drawings from Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

– Vermeer's Woman Holding a Balance– A masterful use of light, proportion, and symbolism.

And coming up in October – A Fabergé exhibition, featuring more than 200 precious objects from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (home of the largest collection of Fabergé in the United States) including four exquisite imperial Easter eggs. 

So as the temperatures begin to fall and rain returns, there's still plenty to see and do—indoors—in our lovely state!