Titanic Memorial

The Titanic Memorial is a statue of a partially nude man draped in a cloth and standing on top of a pedestal with outstretched arms. The base of the statue has two inscriptions noting that it honors the men who sacrificed their lives so the women and children could have spaces in the limited lifeboats.

Although this memorial commemorates the men who died, it was conceived, designed, and funded by women. The Women’s Titanic Memorial Committee raised money for its construction. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney won the women-only design contest for the memorial. She later founded the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Don’t forget to check out the lovely inscription on the back of the Titanic Memorial.

The Titanic Memorial was originally located near the Potomac River, but the construction of the Kennedy Center resulted in its removal. After sitting in a warehouse for several years, it was relocated to the current location in the southwest waterfront neighborhood.

Every year the Men’s Titanic Society meets at the memorial on April 14 to honor those who died with a champagne toast and small ceremony. This is exactly as terrific as it sounds. In 2017, the Men’s Titanic Society arrived around 11:40 pm, the time the Titanic hit the iceberg. A group of about 30 people, a mix of the Men’s Titanic Society, their partners, and a handful of locals who live in the neighborhood, were in attendance. Most of the men wore tuxes while the women wore evening gowns, some in a style appropriate to the time period of the Titanic. After some brief words about those who died in the sinking, the song “Nearer, My God, to Thee” was played. It is widely believed (though undetermined) that this was the last song played by the Titanic’s band as the ship was sinking. After the song, the group held a champagne toast. To conclude the ceremony, the ladies dropped white roses into the water. To my exceeding delight, one of the ladies offered me a rose to participate in the ceremony.

In 2018, the Men’s Titanic Society did not arrive for the ceremony until around 12:30 am (on April 15). The men took turns describing the sacrifice of those on board the Titanic, marking each comment with cheers of “Hear, hear!” and champagne toast.

For the past few years, a group of men from a boys’ school in Virginia have attended the ceremony. While waiting, they sing and pray loudly (to the complaint of those who live in the neighborhood), take up the entire space around the Titanic Memorial, drink, smoke, and generally make night less enjoyable for anyone else attending. It’s unfortunate that one group detracts from the experience and undermines the commemoration ceremony.

With the exception of the annual commemoration ceremony, which is now among my top favorite adventures, I wouldn’t recommend adventurers make a special trip to check out the Titanic Memorial. It’s a nice memorial with an interesting history that is worth seeing if you’re in the area, though.

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Address

4th and P Streets SW

Metro Station

• Waterfront (GR)

Directions

At the intersection of 4th and P Streets SW, walk west (towards the Washington Channel) from P Street SW on the sidewalk. When you get close to the water, the memorial will be on your left.

Cost

Free

Hours

Open 24 hours but best in the daylight

Annual commemoration ceremony on April 14 around 11:30 pm to 12:30 am.

Length of Adventure

10 minutes to visit the memorial

40 minutes for the annual ceremony

Website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_Memorial_(Washington,_D.C.)