The virtual reality Titanic experience that was supposed to open earlier this spring in the Old Town neighborhood has yet to steam out of the harbor.
It doesn’t appear to be an iceberg-like obstacle, but “Titanic: A Voyage Through Time” doesn’t yet have the public place amusement license it needs to open, according to the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
That’s because the planned exhibition location, at 108 W. Germania Pl., is too close to the Latin School of Chicago, 59 W. North Blvd.
“There is a prohibition against the issuance of a PPA license to a location that is within 200 feet of a school unless a distance reduction is granted,” according to a statement from Business Affairs. “The applicant’s location is located within 200 feet of the Latin School. The applicant has applied for a distance reduction. BACP is currently working with the applicant, school, and Alderman’s office to agree on a plan of operation to address any concerns.”
An exact timeframe for when the issue might be resolved remains unclear.
Fever, the company that operates “Titanic,” said in a statement this week: “Fever is fully committed to bringing ‘Titanic: A Voyage Through Time’ to Chicago and our fans. Like many large-scale immersive productions, we have encountered unforeseen challenges that require additional time to resolve to our standards. We are working diligently to confirm a new opening date and will communicate directly with all ticket holders as soon as that is finalized. In the meantime, our 24/7 customer support team is available at hello@feverup.com to assist with reschedules, or any questions. We appreciate our guests’ patience and their enthusiasm for this one-of-a-kind experience.”
Fever will offer refunds for those who seek them, a publicist for the company told the Sun-Times.
The “Titanic” experience location sits within Ald. Brian Hopkins’ ward (2nd). Angelica Alcocer, Hopkins’ director of business affairs, said Wednesday that the issue appears to be close to being resolved.
“From what I can tell, that license will be issued fairly soon,” Alcocer said.
A ticket for the 45-minute adventure starts at $24.99 for adults and $19.99 for students, seniors and children 10 and up. (The VR headsets aren’t designed for little kids.) For more information, go to titanicexperiencevr.com/chicago. The experience is presented in English and Spanish.