Dark Harbor: A Haunting Aboard The Queen Mary

Emily Manthei

The ocean holds many great mysteries, and the ships, which pass the mesmerizing expansion of the waters, keep their own secrets across the miles, the decades and the depths. A ship which holds many of such secrets is the nearly 80-year-old “Queen Mary.” Part “Titanic,” part “Pirates of the Caribbean,” all chilling holiday-at-sea. The legends of “Queen Mary’s” many voyages come to life at Dark Harbor this October, when the ship is transformed into a haunted vessel filled with monsters, mazes and dearly departed passengers from the past.

MAZES AND THE MIDWAY

Upon entering the event, the Monster Midway arises before the ship, an eerie carnival atmosphere where ghoulish, costumed characters slither up and slink away before you’ve had time to scream. A live music stage featuring gothic, rock and metal bands provide rotating entertainment, emceed by “The Ringmaster,” a character who also serves to introduce the stories of the characters features in Dark Harbor. Several mazes  – returning favorites, “Deadrise” and “Circus,” along with the brand new “Voodoo Village” – steal your screams around the harbor section, and food, drinks, and carnival rides complete the space.

Aboard the active paranormal areas of the “Queen Mary” herself, you’ll find new mazes, Soulmate and B340, each starring characters created for the event but inspired by stories from the actual ship. A guided ghost hunt called Encounters haunts the center of the ship, exiting strategically at the RIP Lounge, a VIP guest area on-deck, overlooking the Monster Midway.

CREEPY CHARACTERS

Dark Harbor’s presiding character, “The Captain,” is inspired by the WWII-era captain of the “Queen Mary,” which was transformed into a troopship for the war. His fierce visage appears as if it’s just been rescued from the deep, with moss and seaweed emerging from his pores as he presides over the maze of sunken WWII escort ship “Deadrise.” 

“Half Hatch Henry” is inspired by a foolhardy passenger who was crushed at the threshold of a watertight hatch door in 1966.

Master of the B340 maze is “Samuel the Savage,” inspired by a third-class passenger who went mad at sea in 1948. He was confined to his room after a murderous rampage on board and found there, ripped apart along with the room several days later.

A frequent first-class passenger in the 1930s, “Graceful Gale” was a charming dance partner who vanished before docking at her final destination in 1939. Her character presides over the Soulmate maze, in which she cuts out the hearts of men she will later reassemble to make an eternal companion.

Finally, “Scary Mary” is based on a girl who drowned in the ship’s poolroom in 1952. The Submerged maze recalls this terrible accident, where maze-runners are tasked with escaping a sinking ship.

TO SCARE OR BE SCARED

While the promotional material warns that this event is “not for children under 13” and booze bars sneak up on patrons as fast as ghost-child, “Scary Mary,” it’s a bit hard to figure out the event’s intended audience. The stories of Dark Harbor’s characters recall ghostly legends reminiscent of “The Shining” and TV’s “American Horror Story” or “Park 666” – definitely adult-themed horror. The execution seems more costume like than atmospheric, especially considering the truly vintage atmosphere of the Art Deco “Queen Mary,” which could have been exploited to a much greater effect. The VIP guests invited to Dark Harbor’s opening were a similarly confused lineup, ranging from teenage Internet wunderkinds to gothic old-timers like Trent Reznor. If you’re looking for heart-racing screams while wandering through spook-infused mazes, Dark Harbor provides a classier alternative to haunted houses like Knotts Scary Farm. However, for stomach-churning creeps and a more sophisticated psychological horror, you’ll have to stay home and pull out “Rosemary’s Baby” again.

Dark Harbor runs Oct. 3 – Nov. 2 at the Port of Long Beach.