Event Report: Dark Harbor 2018
Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is back this year with maritime vengeance, and we were there this past Friday, September 28th to take a swim in its bloody waters. Read on to see what lurks in the bowels of the eighty-one-year-old ship which houses this long-running SoCal fright fest.
Taking place on the dock and aboard the 1,000-foot-plus, three-stack, Art Deco steamer RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, the 2018 rendition of Dark Harbor offers up six fright mazes, stage shows and more, all delivered within an engagingly fun, carnival-like atmosphere.
With three mazes located inside the vessel, we first ventured into “Feast,” and if cannibals are your cup of tea, you’ll be more than satisfied by what the “Chef” is preparing in the galley (it’s basically you). Unlike Halloween Horror Nights, Dark Harbor doesn’t license outside intellectual properties, instead relying on the imaginations of their own creative directors, and in this case, to good effect. It, as do the other mazes aboard, take full advantage of the labyrinthine nature of the Queen Mary below decks. And also like the other mazes aboard the ship, “Feast” is long. Prepare yourself for many twists and turns.
The mazes “B340” and “Lullaby” were up next. Also aboard ship, the journey into “Samuel the Savage’s” psyche in the former seems to have suffered from last year, with a confusing narrative containing spinning crosses, costumes and makeup for a handful of scare actors seemingly inspired by The Conjuring universe, an out-of-place pseudo-techno score, and a path not entirely discernible, as evidenced by our group having lost its way three quarters of the way through. Off the beaten path and somewhere within the bowels of the ship (itself actually quite remarkable experience), we eventually made our way to an exit, and to the next maze, “Lullaby.”
Relatively unchanged from 2017, the descent into the world of “Scary Mary” opens this year with a tableau entirely rich in atmosphere and period score. The production design is on point as well, as are the scare actors, committing entirely to their roles (this continues to be a strong point of the attraction overall).
Following and on the dock, “Deadrise” was next, with the fan favorite DH character of “The Captain” returning for some undead aquatic fun. This maze possesses some creepily engaging laser and fog effects, and at times is entirely and enjoyably disorienting. Following, we journeyed into the maze “Circus,” which houses carnival performers seemingly straight out of Tod Browning’s classic film Freaks. It’s a fun maze and one for me of nostalgia (as it captures in vibe the feeling of those traveling carnival haunted houses once so prevalent), although its level of production design seems to have unfortunately slid from years past.
Where’s Sparky the Skeleton?
Unintentionally saving the best for last, we finished the night by trekking through the maze “Intrepid,” which focuses on the DH character of “The Iron Master.” Receiving a first act (and mind-blowing) refresh from years previous, “Intrepid” opens with visitors stepping into the car of a speeding vintage steam train, and follows with an eye-popping tableau comprised on a bombed-out Gothic church amidst falling snow (yes, it’s literally snowing). Truly awe-inspiring, the detail and extensiveness of “Intrepid” make is easily the best of 2018.
With several new bars (some hidden) throughout the attraction and plentiful food stations, dozens of roving magicians and monsters, aerialists, and fire performers in addition to the mazes, Dark Harbor is evocative of a traveling carnival on steroids, and that’s just one more reason, in addition to the amazingly affordable ticket prices, that you should visit.
Dark Harbor runs 7:00 pm to midnight through November 2. General admission starts at just $24 online, with Fast Fright upgrades, VIP R.I.P. Lounge access, and historic hotel packages available (we recommend staying the night on the Queen Mary). For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit Dark Harbor online and engage with them on social media using #DarkHarbor2018
Writer’s note: my thanks to Tori Elder for arranging our visit.
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