The Ghosts and Legends tour has been a fixture aboard the Queen Mary since the year 2000. After 16 years, it was decided a makeover of the tour was direly needed. I remember the original tour. It was fun, a bit cheesy, but certainly not frightening. To say that the tour was simply revamped would be a grave injustice. Over the course of a year, careful thought, planning, and over 3 million dollars were invested to truly reincarnate and reinvent the tour.
Hollywood Grade Special Effects Added to the Ghosts and Legends Tour
This is not the tour you may remember from the past. Hollywood grade special effects and sounds were added to make the experience truly frightening. Holographic ghosts float overhead. Fountains spill water like the ship was sinking and all of this is choreographed to a soundtrack straight out of a horror movie. The tour group was provided with flashlights to guide their way into the dark corners of the ship. You may not want to fully rely on them for illumination.
Real Ghosts of the Queen Mary Included
In addition to the ambiance, the ship’s history was integrated into the script. The Queen Mary consistently rates as one of the top 10 most haunted places in the United States. Over 200 souls were lost on or as a result of the Queen Mary. In fact, three in particular are, now permanent ghosts and haunt the new attraction, assuming you are unlucky enough to see them. They include Jackie, a young girl who drowned in the Queen Mary’s pool, an infamous crewman who was crushed by door #13 in the engine room, and the Lady in White who is known to haunt the Observation Bar to this date. These are some of vignettes also found on Dark Harbor, which runs during Halloween.
Nothing Can Recreate the Authentic Queen Mary
The most terrifying part of the tour is that it leads through some of the scariest and most decrepit areas of the ship itself. No amount of Hollywood magic or money could reproduce the unique atmosphere of Queen Mary’s boiler room. During the tour, I heard others stating how impressed they were with the design of the boiler room, not realizing that it was untouched, at least not by human hands. The musty smell will stay with you long after the tour ends. The boiler room is certainly one of the scariest places you may ever visit.
Details of the Ghosts and Legends Tour
If you have a fear of dark dank places, this may not be the tour for you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for an immersive experience aboard an authentically haunted ship, I would highly recommend giving the tour another look. The renovation added a flash and wow factor that doesn’t detract from the authenticity of the surroundings. There may be other ghost tours, but none can replicate the history that is all around you when touring on the Queen Mary.
Related Post: Ghost Touring in Haunted San Diego
TICKET INFORMATION:
Location – Long Beach Harbor, California
Hours: Regular Hours MON – SUN 1PM – 8PM, (Tours are approximately 30 minutes)
Pricing: $10 Per Person (ADD-ON) Purchase a Queen Mary Passport to add the Ghost and Legends Tour.
Parking: $18/day, $20/overnight, $22/valet parking
Spencer Smith
Spencer works as a senior software engineer by day. He is a self proclaimed adrenaline junkie. Serving as the president of a local caving group, he enjoys exploring caves, rappelling down waterfalls, cliff jumping and generally anything that involves adventure and danger. He loves to travel but appreciates the beauty of Southern California (and his wife) above all else.
Christina Smith
Spencer’s better half (most of the time) serves as a Guest Ambassador at the Safari Park in San Diego. She also enjoys caving, canyoneering, hiking, and adventure. She is an avid horror movie fan and frequents horror movie festivals. She is an animal lover and is active in protecting all endangered species (especially the lemurs in Madagascar).
Disclaimer: Although our experience was complimentary, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own.
