Unexplained flooding forces temporary closure of Volo Museum’s Titanic exhibit

Director: ‘This is the first flood to happen in this building in 40 years’

Water eerily creeps up the replica sloped decks, mimicking the pitch of the Titanic's deck during its final moments, in a hauntingly realistic scene at the Volo Museum's Titanic exhibit.

VOLO – Volo Museum, renowned for its historical exhibits and classic car collection, also is famous for its paranormal activity. For decades, many visitors, employees and residents of the property have experienced unusual and unexplainable occurrences.

The most recent incident is no exception. The museum’s popular Titanic exhibit, just over a year old, unexpectedly was flooded amid severe thunderstorms.

“This is the first flood to happen in this building in 40 years,” museum director Brian Grams said in a news release. “We thoroughly inspected everything and there were no broken pipes, roof leaks or any other obvious points of entry for such large amounts of water. Even the perimeter of the building, with a concrete floor, was dry with no evidence of cracks or holes. The flood is a total mystery.”

The source of the mysterious flooding was captured on security footage.

“Watching the water rush in on the footage eerily resembled scenes from the Titanic movie,” marketing director Jim Wojdyla said in the release. “What really gave me goose bumps was watching the flood start from under that car that inspired our entire exhibit.”

The car is a 1912 Renault French concept car. Only two vehicles were produced. One of them was the only car on the Titanic and now rests at the bottom of the ocean. Its sister car is the only other one in existence and is in Volo Museum’s Titanic Exhibit.

Finding the $6 million exhibit underwater prompted immediate action to prevent damage to the valuable displays and artifacts, including luggage and fashion items from the Titanic era. Museum staff meticulously dismantled and reassembled the exhibit to ensure the preservation of its historic contents.

The Titanic exhibit was set to reopen June 26.

The unexplained flooding adds to the Volo Museum’s reputation as a hotspot for paranormal activity, which previously attracted the attention of the Discovery Channel’s “Ghost Hunters.” During their episode filmed at Volo Museum, investigators experienced many supernatural phenomena, even capturing footage of an incident.

The Volo Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the museum and Titanic exhibit, visitors can explore Jurassic Gardens. All attractions can be accessed with a Platinum Pass priced at $49.90 for adults, $39.90 for children and $47.90 for seniors and military personnel. Children younger than 4 enjoy free admission to all attractions. For those interested in visiting only the Titanic exhibit, admission is $19.95.

For more details and all ticketing options, visit volofun.com.

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