Queen Mary's Dark Harbor
| Queen Mary's Dark Harbor | |
|---|---|
.jpg) "Scary Mary" at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor | |
| RMS Queen Mary | |
| Opening date | October 7, 2009 |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Annual Halloween event |
| Theme | Haunted attraction |
Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is a yearly Halloween haunt at the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.[1] During the season, running from late September to the end of October, the Queen Mary itself, along with its parking lot, are converted to be part of the experience. This comprises mazes, "slider" street performances, a virtual reality horror experience, circus performance, and other entertainment forms.
Dark Harbor is developed by a team directed by David Wally, well known for developing other projects such as the Westworld immersive activation at SXSW.[2] The Queen Mary has a long history of ghost stories and supposed hauntings, which inspired Dark Harbor. For example, room B340, claimed to be haunted, inspired a Dark Harbor maze.[3]
The haunt was populated by a variety of scare performers, led by specific "Dark Harbor icons". These include the Captain, Half Hatch Henry, and the Ringmaster.[4] Over the years, Dark Harbor went more in the direction of a "choose your own adventure" haunt, allowing for the development of alternate paths, secret bars, and hidden passages. The goal of this was immersion.[5] Guests can stay overnight on the ship, even during the haunt.[6] Dark Harbor ceased to exist following the COVID-19 pandemic, being temporarily replaced by SHAQtoberfest. Dark Harbor is set to reopen on September 20, 2024, under new management by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.
Current Mazes
[edit]| Initial Year | Maze | Mascot | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Lullaby | Scary Mary | Ship (Port Bow) | [7] |
| ??? | Infirmary | Dr. Edwin Masters, Graceful Gale | Ship (Port Beam) | [7] |
| 2017 | Feast | The Butcher | Ship (Stern) | [7] |
| 2016 | Big Top Terror | The Ringmaster | Land (West Side) | [7] |
| ??? | Breakout and on the Run | Samuel the Savage | Land (South Side) | [7] |
Attraction History
[edit]| Queen Mary's Dark Harbor Attraction History | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Year | Mazes | Shows | Experiences | Notes |
| 1 | 2009 |
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| 2 | 2010 |
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| 3 | 2011 |
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[9] |
| 4 | 2012 |
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[10] |
| 5 | 2013 |
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[11] [12] |
| 6 | 2014 |
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[13] |
| 7 | 2015 |
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[14] |
| 8 | 2016 |
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[15] |
| 9 | 2017 |
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[16] |
| 10 | 2018 |
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| 11 | 2019 |
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| 2020 | Canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2021 | Did not return | [17] | |||
| 2022 | Did not return | [17] | |||
| 2023 | Did not return | [17] | |||
| 12 | 2024 |
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[7] [17] |
| 13 | 2025 | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
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See also
[edit]- RMS Queen Mary.
- Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, Halloween event by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.
- Knott's Scary Farm, Halloween event at Knott's Berry Farm.
- Six Flags Fright Fest, Halloween events at Six Flags parks, formerly known as Six Flags (1961-2024) parks.
- Six Flag's Halloween Haunts, Halloween events at Six Flags parks, formerly known as Cedar Fair parks.
- Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Halloween event at Universal parks.
- Howl-O-Scream, Halloween event by United Parks & Resorts at various locations, including Busch Gardens and SeaWorld.
- Haunted Attraction Genre.
See also
[edit]- Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, the first horror–themed experience from Universal Destinations & Experiences
- Dark Universe, a Universal Monsters–themed land at Universal Epic Universe
- Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show, a Universal Monsters–themed live show at Universal Studios Florida
- Knott's Scary Farm, Halloween event at Knott's Berry Farm.
- Queen Mary's Dark Harbor, Halloween event at the RMS Queen Mary.
- Six Flags Fright Fest, Halloween events at Six Flags parks, formerly known as Six Flags (1961–2024) parks.
- Six Flag's Halloween Haunts, Halloween events at Six Flags parks, formerly known as Cedar Fair parks.
- Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, Halloween event by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.
- Howl-O-Scream, Halloween event by United Parks & Resorts at various locations, including Busch Gardens and SeaWorld.
- Haunted Attraction Genre.
References
[edit]- ^ Queen Mary Official Site: Dark Harbor
- ^ Business Insider: Inside HBO's Westworld Experience at SXSW
- ^ Queen Mary: B340
- ^ California Haunted Houses
- ^ Business Wire: Legendary Dark Harbor
- ^ NBC: Set Scary Sail for Dark Harbor
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Dark Harbor". QueenMary.com. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Mazes". Queen Mary Dark Harbor. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2011-10-22. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Dark Harbor Mazes (2019)". Queen Mary. Queen Mary. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
{{cite web}}:|archive-url=is malformed: flag (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Ghosts, Ghouls and Freaks Unite at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor". Orange County Register. October 4, 2013. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ^ "Dark Harbor (2012)". Queen Mary. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Dark Harbor". Queen Mary. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Dark Harbor Mazes". Queen Mary. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Dark Harbor". Queen Mary. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2016-12-13. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Dark Harbor". Queen Mary. Queen Mary. Archived from the original on 2017-10-22. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ 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.