TICKETS for Southampton’s £15m Titanic themed SeaCity Museum sold out on its first full day.

An estimated 1,600 people passed through the doors today eager to see inside the museum and experience the state of the art interactive exhibitions.

Queues were forming from early in morning.

SeaCity was officially opened on Tuesday to mark the 100th anniversary of the White Star liner’s departure from Southampton on its ill fated maiden voyage to New York.

More than 500 crew from the city were among the 1,517 who perished when it hit an iceberg and sank on April 15.

The opening afternoon of the museum was a sell-out with 400 people from around the world pre-booking their tickets.

SeaCity tells the story of Southampton’s crew on the Titanic, and the impact the tragedy had on families in the city.

The museum also features a major maritime led exhibition which tells the stories of people who have arrived and departed in the city since pre-historic times.

The museum was funded with a £4.6m heritage lottery grant. The council has provided the balance while a fundraising drive for £5m has been launched.

Council chiefs hope it will attract more than 150,000 people a year. Invitations to visit the museum for free have been sent to nearly 100,000 households in Southampton.