WikiMini

Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

Queen Mary's Dark Harbor
"Scary Mary" at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor
RMS Queen Mary
Opening dateOctober 1, 2010 (2010-10-01)
Ride statistics
Attraction typeAnnual Halloween event
ThemeHaunted attraction

Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is a yearly Halloween haunted attraction at the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.[1] During the fall season, the Queen Mary and its parking lot are converted to comprise mazes, "slider" street performances, a virtual reality horror experience, and circus performances. The event is populated by a variety of scare performers, led by "icons" such as Scary Mary, the Captain, Half Hatch Henry, and the Ringmaster.[2]

Queen Mary's Dark Harbor was predated by the annual Halloween event, entitled, "Shipwreck: Halloween Terror Fest."[3] In 2019, a sister location was developed in Orlando, Florida by the Epic Entertainment group, entitled, "Dark Horizons: Point of No Return." This event included three walk-through mazes (Ghost Ship, Murder Island, Vodou), various performances (fire-eating, aerialists, local DJs), themed food and bars, and wandering scare actors.[4][5]

Dark Harbor was developed by a team directed by David Wally, well known for directing projects such as the Westworld immersive activation at SXSW.[6] The Queen Mary has a long history of ghost stories and supposed hauntings, which served as the attraction's inspiration. The supposedly haunted Room B340, as one example, inspired a Dark Harbor maze.[7] Prioritizing greater audience immersion year over year,[8] the team added alternate paths, hidden passages, and secret bars.[9]

Dark Harbor ceased to exist following the COVID-19 pandemic, being temporarily replaced by Shaquille O'Neal's SHAQtoberfest. Dark Harbor reopened on September 20, 2024, under new management by the Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.[10]. The sister location of Dark Horizons was also cancelled in 2020, ending its one year run.[11]

Current Mazes

[edit]
Initial Year Maze Mascot Location Notes
2024 Breakout: Maximum Security Samuel the Savage Land (South Side) [12]
2016 Big Top Terror The Ringmaster Land (West Side) [12]
2017 Feast: The Final Cut The Butcher Ship (Stern) [12]
2024 Infirmary Dr. Edwin Masters, Graceful Gale Ship (Port Beam) [12]
2015 Lullaby Scary Mary Ship (Port Bow) [12]
2014 Voodoo: The Queen's Curse The Voodoo Priestess Unknown [12]

Attraction History

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Queen Mary Official Site: Dark Harbor". Archived from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  2. ^ California Haunted Houses
  3. ^ "Halloween Terror Fest Haunts the Queen Mary's Shipwreck". Signal Tribune. Signal Tribune. October 2006. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  4. ^ Toghia, Vicks (October 14, 2019). "Dark Horizon – Point of No Return – Orlando's First "Horror Nightclub"". HorrorBuzz. Gidney Creative LLC. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  5. ^ Addison, Brian (August 7, 2019). "Queen Mary's Dark Harbor to develop sister haunt 'Dark Horizon' in Florida". Long Beach Post. Long Beach Journalism Initiative. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  6. ^ Business Insider: Inside HBO's Westworld Experience at SXSW
  7. ^ Queen Mary: B340
  8. ^ NBC: Set Scary Sail for Dark Harbor
  9. ^ Business Wire: Legendary Dark Harbor
  10. ^ Evans, Melissa (April 30, 2024). "Dark Harbor will return to the Queen Mary this fall". Long Beach Post. Long Beach Journalism Initiative. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  11. ^ "Queen Mary's Dark Harbor and Dark Horizon Cancelled for 2020 Season". HorrorBuzz. HorrorBuzz. June 29, 2020. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Dark Harbor Halloween". Dark Harbor. The Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  13. ^ "Dark Harbor". QueenMary.com. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  14. ^ "Queen Mary Announces October Spookery". NBC Los Angeles. NBCUniversal Media. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  15. ^ MacDonald, Brady (October 20, 2010). "Review: Dark Harbor turns Queen Mary into a nautical nightmare". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  16. ^ "Mazes". Queen Mary Dark Harbor. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2011-10-22. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  17. ^ MacDonald, Brady (September 16, 2012). "Dark Harbor to turn Queen Mary into a nautical nightmare". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  18. ^ "Ghosts, Ghouls and Freaks Unite at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor". Orange County Register. October 4, 2013. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  19. ^ "Dark Harbor (2012)". Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  20. ^ "Dark Harbor". Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  21. ^ "Dark Harbor Mazes". Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  22. ^ "Dark Harbor". Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2016-12-13. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  23. ^ "Dark Harbor". Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2017-10-22. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  24. ^ "We rate Queen Mary's Dark Harbor mazes by how scary they are". Orange County Register. OC Register. October 3, 2018. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  25. ^ "Queen Mary's Dark Harbor Serves Up Strong Drinks and Ghoulish Fun". Theme Park Duo. Theme Park Duo. October 4, 2018. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  26. ^ "Dark Harbor Celebrates 10th Anniversary With $10 Ticket Deal". Parks & Cons. Parks & Cons. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  27. ^ "Queen Mary's Dark Harbor: A Decade of Seaside ares". Scare Zone. Scare Zone. September 15, 2019. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  28. ^ a b c d e "The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor Returns to Long Beach This Fall!". Park Journey. August 8, 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  29. ^ "Dark Harbor Mazes Announced for Queen Mary Halloween Events". Long Beach Post. Long Beach Journalism Initiative. July 29, 2024. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  30. ^ "Queen Mary's Dark Harbor rises once again for the 2025 Haunt Season". Inside Universal. Inside Universal. August 21, 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-23.