Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor (2024) Sets Sail into Frightfully Fun Waters
Shuttered since 2020 due to the pandemic, it’s been a long four years since spooky seasonal spirits have materialized aboard the Queen Mary. But we’re happy to say that the proverbial champagne bottle has once again been smashed against its historic bow with the successful, fun-filled return of the Dark Harbor haunt in Long Beach, California.
The event, which runs select nights through November 2, sees the carnivalesque return of a SoCal Halloween staple, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Back are the extensive and immersive aboard ship haunted mazes (three of them to be exact: “Lullaby”, “Infirmary”, and “Feast”), as are the equally impressive mazes dockside (“Big Top Terror” and “Breakout”). So too are the fire dancers, stilt walkers, snarky clowns (and dozens upon dozens of other roaming scare actors ready to pounce on unsuspecting revelers). Don’t forget about the columns of erupting fire, colorfully spooky food and beverage vendors, and the main stage lorded over by DJs spinning dance music (often spooky) ready to pump up the crowd.
While Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is under new ownership and has expanded in scope, it thankfully feels just right. It’s like that old party friend you haven’t seen in a while, who fortunately still hasn’t lost their lust to paint the town red.
New for Dark Harbor 2024 is a significant expansion of its carnival rides dockside, a haunted theatrical experience aboard ship titled “Lady Mabel: The Summoning of Samuel”, and a bevy of haunted speakeasies hidden within the mazes themselves (we recommend the VIP package for easy access).
The speakeasies, particularly those found within “Infirmary” and “Breakout”, are not to be missed. The first lies in a section of the ship generally unseen, where catwalks jut and crisscross 36’ below the water line. The second resides within a free-standing Gothic chapel and comes with a satisfyingly spooky graveyard, in which you may sit to enjoy your cocktails (or mocktails, as both are served).
To buy tickets (and you get a lot of Halloween bang for your buck), head on over the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor at www.darkharborhalloween.com, and you can follow them on Instagram here.
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