Queen Mary's Dark Harbor
Queen Mary's Dark Harbor was 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.
| Queen Mary's Dark Harbor | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) "Scary Mary" at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor | |
| RMS Queen Mary | |
| Opening date | October 7, 2009 |
| Closing date | November 2, 2019 |
| Replaced by | Shaqtoberfest |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Annual Halloween event |
| Theme | Haunted attraction |
Dark Harbor was 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 replaced by Shaqtoberfest.[7]
References
- 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
- Martin, Hugo (June 21, 2022). "'Shaqtoberfest' coming to the Queen Mary in Long Beach this fall". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 14, 2023.