A major exhibition dedicated to the legacy of the RMS Titanic has been announced for Liverpool, bringing historic artefacts back to the city closely linked to the ship’s origins. From January 2026, items of international significance will be displayed at the White Star Line Hotel, the former headquarters of the White Star Line.
Running between 8 January and 10 March 2026, Titanic in Focus: White Star Line Hotel will transform the Grade II* listed building at 30 James Street into an immersive exhibition space. Visitors will be able to explore the story of the Titanic in the same rooms where her voyages were once planned, creating a direct connection between the artefacts and their historical setting.
The exhibition traces the ship’s story from conception to legacy. It begins with the ambitious planning and construction phases in Belfast, shaped by Liverpool’s maritime industry, before moving through the luxury of the maiden voyage. The narrative then shifts to a respectful examination of the events surrounding the sinking in the North Atlantic.
A dedicated section explores the rediscovery of the wreck in 1985, featuring artefacts recovered from the ocean floor nearly two miles below the surface. These objects serve as a poignant reminder of the ship’s final resting place and its enduring global significance.
- The Aft Grand Staircase: Guests will stand before the largest surviving section of this iconic feature. Its intricate woodwork provides a direct look at the Edwardian luxury that defined the White Star Line’s Olympic-class vessels.
- Wreckage Artefacts: A centerpiece of the collection is an intact wooden deck chair, recovered from the ocean surface by a cable ship in the days following the disaster—one of the few pieces of furniture to survive the North Atlantic elements.
- Wallace Hartley’s Sheet Music: In a deeply emotional display, the exhibition features a poignant fragment of sheet music belonging to Wallace Hartley. The Lancashire-born bandleader famously led his musicians in prayer and song until the ship’s final moments.
- Personal Archives: Rare, handwritten letters and telegraphs illuminate the human stories of the crew and passengers, detailing their hopes for a new life in America and their final messages home.
The venue itself holds deep historical resonance. The White Star Line building was the operational heart of the company, and it was here that officials once read out the names of the survivors and the dead to families gathered outside.
“To bring these items back to 30 James Street is to complete a circle that began over a century ago,” says the exhibition’s lead curator. “This isn’t just a display of objects; it is a homecoming. Seeing these artefacts within the same wood-paneled rooms where J. Bruce Ismay and Thomas Andrews discussed the ship’s blueprints creates a powerful, almost electric atmosphere.”
Due to anticipated global interest and the limited capacity of the historic building, tickets are expected to sell quickly. Organisers are encouraging early booking for what is expected to be one of the most significant maritime exhibitions ever staged in Liverpool.
