At dusk, the Queen Mary rises through a wall of fog off the Long Beach coast, her decks glowing red beneath the weight of ghosts. Dark Harbor, one of California’s most storied Halloween events, has returned for its 17th season, and this year’s theme, “Summoned by the Seas“, feels less like a tagline and more like a warning.
You can hear it before you see it—the low hum of generators, the crash of waves against steel, the distant laughter that doesn’t sound entirely human.
Running select nights through November 2, the event transforms the retired British ocean liner into a labyrinth of sound, story, and shadow. Produced by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, the world’s largest Halloween-themed entertainment company, Dark Harbor doesn’t settle for jump scares—it crafts an atmosphere. The air is heavy, the steel sweats, and every corridor reminds you that the ship’s haunted reputation isn’t marketing—it’s legacy.
Tickets start at $45.99, but what you’re really buying is passage into a place where maritime history and myth have fused into something alive.
The Ship’s New Nightmares
This year’s lineup dives deeper into the Queen’s grim folklore. New maze “Voodoo: The Queen’s Curse” reimagines the vessel as a decayed bayou, where a priestess rises from the deep to claim dominion over the dead. “Breakout: Maximum Security” traps guests in a seaside prison collapsing under the rage of Samuel the Savage, a figure said to haunt the ship’s stateroom B340. And in “Feast: The Final Cut,” the ship’s galley becomes a cannibal’s kitchen—a fever dream of smoke, blood, and cold laughter echoing off rusted walls.
Returning horrors sharpen their edges. “Big Top Terror” invites guests to a cursed circus ruled by a genderless ringmaster; “Infirmary” sinks deeper into madness as Dr. Masters and Graceful Gale blur the line between healer and executioner; and “Lullaby” resurrects the tragic Scary Mary, whose ghost still ripples through the first-class pool. The sets breathe. The ship groans. The experience feels cinematic because it’s built on reality—the Queen Mary’s iron hull holds decades of real stories, and it’s that truth that gives the fear its weight.
Life Beyond the Screams
Between the mazes, Dark Harbor shifts gears into a festival of the macabre. There are haunted speakeasies tucked between cargo holds, fire-lit courtyards filled with laughter and cocktails, and the echo of live music drifting through the fog. Guests toast marshmallows at S’mores Stations, hurl axes at Anchor Axe Throwing, and fire off rounds in the Pirate’s Plunder Shootout.
Those chasing the supernatural can seek out Lady Mabel’s Foresight Four Pack, a secret path of speakeasies unlocked through astrology readings and mystic tokens, or risk The Summoning of Samuel, a séance performance that flirts with the line between illusion and invocation.
For those who prefer their horror with a touch of luxury, RIP Tours grant early boarding, priority access, and deck-side lounges with sea views. VIP guests can reserve Creepy Cabanas or Captain’s Double Cabanas, complete with bottle service and a private visit from the Captain himself—undead and unmistakable.
The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach. Now Open Through November 2, 2025 Tickets: Start at $45.99 (season passes available) darkharborhalloween.com
