Exploration Place Presents Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission
May 28, 2026
Wichita, Kansas – This summer, Exploration Place invites visitors to dive into one of the greatest untold stories of the 20th century with Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission — a groundbreaking exhibition that goes beyond the ship’s discovery to reveal the cutting-edge technology, daring innovation and enduring spirit of exploration that made it possible. More than a story of history uncovered, Finding Titanic celebrates the vision and ingenuity that transformed deep-sea exploration and continues to inspire new generations of scientists, engineers and dreamers to look beneath the surface and beyond the possible.
“We’re all geared up for an incredible summer at Exploration Place,” said Adam Smith, president and CEO. “With the Adventure Playscape now open and Finding Titanic arriving this week, we’re pairing a one-of-a-kind outdoor destination with everything that makes this place extraordinary inside — the dome, the science shows and the hands-on exhibits.”
Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission runs May 22 – Sept. 7 at Exploration Place. It is free for members and included with admission.
In 1985, the U.S. Navy enlisted oceanographer and naval officer Robert Ballard for a top-secret assignment: locate the wreckage of two Cold War–era nuclear submarines, the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion. To conceal the mission’s true purpose, Ballard publicly announced he was searching for the RMS Titanic.
“The deep sea is the Earth’s largest museum. There are millions of shipwrecks and untold chapters of human history still down there waiting to be discovered,” said Dr. Robert Ballard, oceanographer and President of Ocean Exploration Trust.
Now, for the first time, the full story surfaces. Featuring declassified materials, never-before-seen footage, and authentic artifacts, Finding Titanic places visitors inside a high-stakes operation where technology, perseverance and curiosity converged to make history.
Produced by Flying Fish, a leading creator of touring exhibitions, and developed in close collaboration with Dr. Ballard and his Ocean Exploration Trust, Finding Titanic immerses visitors in the drama, technology and imagination behind one of the most extraordinary achievements in modern exploration.
Exhibition Highlights:
• Enter the Mission: Step inside a top-secret operation where the stakes were as high as the pressure on the ocean floor.
• Explore the Tools: From deep-water robots to Ballard’s original jumpsuit, see the authentic technology that made the mission possible.
