Southern California is full of all sorts of frightful events to do during the Halloween season: Universal Halloween Horror nights, Fright Fest, Haunted Hayride, Del Mar’s The Scream Zone and Reign of Terror in Thousand Oaks. Each comes with their own brand of scary, which thousands of people go to each year. But if you’re looking for a something a little different with a really creepy vibe, I suggest you buy tickets to Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. Absolutely one of the best haunts I’ve ever done and one I will repeat each year from here on out.
The Queen Mary is the Cunard Line ocean liner launched in 1934: spending many years as cruise ship and even for a time was a troopship that carried Australian and New Zealand soldiers to the United Kingdom. It’s now retired as a hotel in Long Beach, California. You can visit the museums, eat the fine dining or stay for a long weekend in style. But for the last 10 years during the season, late September to the end of October, the Queen Mary herself, along with its parking lot, are converted into Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. A horror experience consisting with haunted mazes, street performers, a virtual reality experience, circus performances and all the food one can eat.
The Queen Mary has had its fair share of scares and a long history of ghost stories and supposed hauntings, which inspires some of the mazes during the event. For example, room B340 claimed to be the most haunted room on the ship, and that is a theme for one of the mazes. And it’s a good one too. There’s a vibe everywhere. Can’t explain it but being on such an old ship does help give you all the creeps.
Over the last 10 years the haunt has been given positive acclaim and has become one of the better haunt experiences you can do. The event is led by many “Dark Harbor icons”. These characters kick off the event and walk amongst the guests to give them more scares: Captain Half Hatch Henry, The Ringmaster, The Iron Master, Graceful Gale, Scary Mary and the Voodoo Priestess. Each is great in their own way and really add to the immersion of being trapped on a boat where every dark corner has something waiting for you.
Instead of being just another standard haunt, Dark Harbor went more in the direction of a “choose your own adventure” style, allowing you as the guest to develop alternate paths, find secret bars and hidden passages. This is a new kind of experience and should be embraced by other big haunts.
One of the best parts of the night was finding the right scare actor, getting the wooden coins that allow you to find “secret bars” hidden within certain mazes. The coin has a clue on it: a word or symbol you must find. Once you locate the clue, you then must figure out where the bar is, in a dark maze where tons of scare actors are trying to get you. So you pound on doors, look for secret hallways, etc. Once you find them, they take your coin as payment and you go on in and have a seat and watch the terror outside from behind two-way glass, or on a video fed and enjoy some tasty shots. Each secret maze has its own special drinks for the night.
The vibe of the old ship is an incredible feeling you’re not going to feel anywhere else. You can hear the creeks in the ship, the smell of age and history surround you as you walk through the darkness. The creators of the haunt really know how to use the space, using the ship to their advantage: long dark corridors with only one light, small spaces, and rooms that seem to go on endlessly throughout the whole ship. I spoke to a worker who has been there for three years and he said even he still gets lost, or they find new areas no one’s seen before.
And outside the ship is just as fantastic. That’s where the Ringmaster has set up the circus area: filled with creepy performers, a big top maze and all the creepy clowns you can shake a stick at. There are two stages with unique performances for guests to enjoy: fire dancers, contortionists, ring dancers and magicians. Even the clowns have their own slider stunt show.
Being so close to the water also adds its own flare to the event. Tons of fog is being pumped into the haunt the whole time, but with the addition of real fog and mist coming off the water it’s a look to be seen. The wind is chilly and just gives one more layer to the creepy vibe making the haunt experience that much more exciting.
Hands down Dark Harbor is worth doing. Pay a little extra for the upgraded pass onto the mazes, it’s worth it and you won’t be disappointed. The energy level is up by everyone there and it really makes a difference in the overall vibe. This is a haunt worth doing.
