The new SeaCity Museum in Southampton has been eagerly awaited with the 100 anniversary of the sinking of Titanic being in this year. I was invited to look around and duly parked off Cumberland Place on the A3024, and this is only a short walk to the museum across the park. It was a dreadful day with heavy rain most of the day, so a nice dry museum was an ideal place to get out of the rain. I have been in many museums, history is one of my favourite subjects, and I was not disappointed with SeaCity.

You should allow at least 3 hrs for your visit, the layout because it is the old law Courts could be easier to navigate, but there are some fascinating displays there, and with the aid of interactive technology, the children and adults really get the most out of the museum.

Maybe it’s me but Law Courts give me the shivers, but being a heritage site, even the signs saying Court 3 cannot be removed. The plus bit is the Gents toilets use the original police toilets, even the doors are original. One Court Room, can’t remember which number has been cleverly refurbished to house the Titanic enquiry, with images and voices taking you through the process that White Star had to go through after the tragedy.

In another hall is a history of Southampton, very interesting to those of us who only know Southampton the way it is today, in 1912 Southampton was as many Cities were a divided town for those that had, and for those that had a struggle to make ends meet. This is why Titanic was such an event because for many of the 500 employed to work on Titanic it must have been Heaven sent, better pay and not just for one day as many dock workers were employed.

There is room for future development, and hopefully they can get Miss Britain III down from Greenwich Maritime Museum where Hubert Scott Paine donated her after the fantastic efforts to win the Harmsworth Trophy in September 1933.

Well worth a visit, but give yourself plenty of time.

More Museums to visit in Hampshire