The Fog Report - Queen Mary's Dark Harbor: Summoned By The Seas

As October continues to fly by, this humble explorer feels like there’s still a lot to catch up to. With so many spooky events and shows to take in around SoCal and so little time, I find myself gravitating back to old haunts even as I try to keep up with new ones, hoping to strike a balance each season. Because the ship’s horn has blared, a coastal fog has rolled in, and I find myself trudging back to Long Beach’s waterfront to see what’s taking place at Dark Harbor this year.

Don’t get the wrong idea, of course. This is something I do happily. But I should warn that this article might run a little shorter this year, as Summoned By The Seas is not much different than last year’s The Spirits Rise. Now in its second year since Thirteenth Floor pulled the original event from its watery grave, I’m not surprised that it feels like baby steps are still being taken as they figure out what works and what doesn’t, and I’ll do my best to remain fair.

So, what’s been summoned by the seas this year?

The Event

The tide has brought the expected macabre cacophony back to the historic RMS Queen Mary, and the ocean liner is as beautiful as ever even 90 years after her initial launch. Her background presence is a constant reminder what Dark Harbor owes her - a storied, timeless giant lending atmosphere and credence to what I might generously call a county fair. Those who have read my previous reports on Dark Harbor know that I’m not the biggest fan of this kind of vibe, especially with the continued prevalence of upcharge fare all around, but that’s just me. It doesn’t feel as spooky to run into a roaming monster when a DJ is blasting something in the background and crowds are lining up to buy deep-fried food or a beer from a popup venue, though I will commend the talent for having to navigate this difficult environment and still managing to scare people.

One fun aspect is the inclusion of certain theme nights, a factor of Dark Harbor I didn’t note last year. The night I went was the beginning of their Pride Nights, which to me is a friendly reminder that the real horror community is inclusive and proud of it. The celebration was accented by rainbow balloons and Pride flags popping up around the grounds and punctuated by a drag show on the Shipyard stage. I’ve previously been on a Dia de Los Muertos night at the end of the 2019 season, and I’m glad to know they’re bringing that kind of energy back, especially since the event bills itself as a Halloween festival. That adds an element of fun to the whole thing.

Unfortunately, this season marks the sad loss of the seaside port village, torn down earlier this year after having been long abandoned and condemned. The weathered buildings always served as a good backdrop for Dark Harbor and often played host to some of my favorite mazes in the past, namely Intrepid. Dark Harbor still manages to bring in the village graveyard as the winding path one takes to get from the entry gate to the Shipyard and is much-needed injection of haunting immersion before the party kicks off. There’s also the excellent Voodoo Bayou area, an eerie shantytown that is surprisingly quiet by comparison and a good place to chill with a drink (provided you can find an open table). Beyond these, though, most of Dark Harbor is there for the lively shindig and eschews a supernatural world for creative use of dozens of shipping containers - which, being so close the Port of Long Beach, they have in ready supply.

The secret speakeasies are thankfully still present and remain a fan-favorite aspect. While I only discovered two last year, there’s at least four this year, and perhaps more depending on the night or which mazes have them open. Finding them is not terribly difficult if you keep an eye out for Lady Mabel’s mythical signs, standing out as markers within the mazes. You’ll still need a token to get in, but this year I allowed myself to splurge a little and purchased a Foresight Four Pack, which nets you a fun little reading and hint from Lady Mabel herself and a set of four tokens. I won’t spoil the surprise, but the two speakeasies I managed to visit this year were worth it, including my return trip to the Fathom 6 Bar in the old boiler rooms of the Queen Mary; sadly the drinks offered there were not as good as last year’s, but that might depend on which bar you find.

The Mazes

A good sign that things are improving is that Summoned by The Seas adds an additional maze, bringing the total to a cool 6. The quality of all remains high, and my ranking always boils down to personal preference, but I feel like there’s something lacking with them this year compared to last overall, and so far none have hit the same way the mazes in 2019 did. Some strange choices this year leave me a little wanting, even with the mazes aboard the ship, which I’ll get into as we go.

6 - Feast: The Final Cut

Marked as the final year for this weird trilogy-that-doesn’t-feel-like-a-trilogy, this mid-quel(?) maze supposedly helps finish the story of the Butcher’s rise to Chef. In practice, it just feels like a rehash of last year’s maze with one or two new details that don’t really give this premise more meat, pun intended. The framing throws me off, and even if you don’t care about the oddity that is the story, I’m kind of done with cannibalism as a gimmick in most mazes - it’s tired and played out, and I’m ready for something else to take its place and use the footprint for a better concept.

5 - Breakout: Maximum Security

The absence of the port village really hit Breakout hard, as I remember enjoying last year’s double-feature with On the Run much more. Even so, the maze still gets its prison escape theme across as you follow in Samuel the Savage’s footsteps through the prison and its nearby environs, dodging security guards and hostile inmates alike. There’s a religious trauma sub-theme going on with scary nuns and other iconography once you reach what I think is a prison chapel, and after that the maze gets a little more abstract, probably illustrating Samuel’s torment by his demons. There’s also a good couple of sections in here that are genuinely disorienting, from a well-used laser swamp to a foggy shipping container corridor (remember: shipping containers are everywhere) with a perplexing strobe effect.

4 - Big Top Terror

Everything I said about this maze last year still holds true. It’s still a lot of fun, but the talent within is what really holds it up. These clowns don’t slouch when it comes to their gags, and help the overall experience feel wicked and whimsical, a nice Halloween pastiche.

3 - Infirmary

The second year of Dr. Masters’ and Graceful Gale’s medical malpractice makes a few changes, some good and some not-so-good in my eyes. This year implies that many of the elite first-class passengers were in on the experiments - or at least liked to watch Dr. Masters perform in an operating theater - and that Graceful Gale had more of a role than anticipated as she gleefully joined her surgeon paramour in dissecting and torturing their third-class victims. My main issue comes from the fact that the latter half of the maze, my favorite portion set during Gale’s Halloween party, is now the finale and the maze is significantly shorter, cutting things off just as it was getting good. I realize in hindsight this really helped elevate the maze beyond another rote medical horror, and to truncate the end of the experience makes it lose something special. It still holds up, I just find that the debut year was better overall.

2 - Voodoo: The Queen’s Curse

Dark Harbor’s newest maze puts the Voodoo Priestess back in the spotlight. Having arrived with an army of undead sailors, the Priestess seeks to take command of the Queen Mary and its supernatural power. Voodoo comes in strong for an off-ship maze, beginning among the potion shops of the Bayou area, delving into a foggy walkway through a dark swamp and its scattered huts, and wrapping up in the repurposed barn from On the Run utilized to a much better impact. With impressive use of lighting and fog, Voodoo feels so much bigger than its outdoor space would suggest, and has the perfect tone, atmosphere and pacing for its theme. It reminds me of a smaller version of Knott’s Scary Farm’s own Voodoo maze from years ago, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s a fantastic addition to the Dark Harbor maze lineup!

1 - Lullaby

The longest and most tense maze, Scary Mary’s haunt is still the best one on the ship. The slow and steady journey is punctuated this year by many more appearances of Mary in unexpected places, including some additional projection effects to make her presence is even more ghostly. Some may see it as sparse or empty, but at least when I went every scare felt earned after a buildup, and with the length of the meandering path through the vessel’s bleak corridors and over the “collapsing” bridge to the boiler room, you’re getting a lot of superb immersion into the unsettling environs of the actual Queen Mary, a huge plus in my book.

Final Thoughts

Last year I wrote about feeling optimistic for Dark Harbor’s future, and this year proved some of that to be true. Summoned By The Seas is only marginally different from The Spirits Rise, for better or for worse, which doesn’t give me as much to elaborate on in this report. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But the addition of the amazingly-done Voodoo is a sign that things are slowly but surely becoming shipshape, and I hope Thirteenth Floor is able to keep charting a course that brings Dark Harbor more success. As always, my hat’s off to the people that design, build and occupy Dark Harbor for the season.

If you should decide to visit before the event wraps up, let me know what you thought of it and what you experienced! I’d be very curious to see how our experiences might differ. Just beware of the parking situation (it really hasn’t gotten much better) and go on a weeknight to avoid giving yourself a headache if you can; otherwise, Lady Mabel might see a lot of long lines in your future.

Thank you again for your time and attention, intrepid readers. I’ve got at least one more stop on my October tour, and I need to refill my lantern. Bon voyage, and I’ll see you in the fog.

Dark Harbor runs select nights through November 2nd. Tickets can be found here.

The Fog Report - Queen Mary's Dark Harbor: The Spirits Rise

Welcome back to the Fog Report, intrepid readers! Sometimes a lantern just isn’t enough to cut through the October murk, you know? Sometimes you need the help of a foghorn - perhaps one you might hear blasting from the peak of an archaic and haunted luxury liner. Fortunately for us, this October marks the return of an old favorite after a 5-year absence. The Queen is back, and so are its myriad spirits in Dark Harbor: The Spirits Rise.

In truth, the Queen Mary has been through a lot these last few years and is seeing a revival beyond just Dark Harbor. In brief for those not in the know (or anyone who would like a refresher - it has been awhile since I wrote my first Fog Report on it), she was a legitimate top-of-the-line Cunard ocean liner with an impressive, haunting history that now permanently resides in Long Beach. Having nearly been run into the ground by its original private company owners who were content to let it wallow in rust and neglect, the ship has been taken over by the city itself and genuine effort has been put into restoring and promoting this unique landmark. Several community events and temporary venues have appeared over the last year or so as public interest returns to the ship, anything from weekly live music at the Observation Bar to a Poe-themed theatrical speakeasy I attended earlier this year.

That uptick makes it feel only natural for Dark Harbor to also rise from a watery grave, this time under the management of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment, the folks behind Halloween attractions like the LA Haunted Hayride and Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns. For the past two years they’ve put on Shaqtoberfest at the Queen Mary, which I did not attend myself but was a mixed bag from what I heard. Dubious thematic ties between the ship and Shaq aside, I was holding out hope for a proper resurrection of Dark Harbor at some point. And those hopes were realized this year.

So, how was it? Did it manage to stir up any old ghosts for me?

The Event

A lot of what made classic Dark Harbor enjoyable is still here and still rings true in this newest iteration. The parking lot and port village areas are utilized for the bulk of the space, with occasional dips into the ship itself for a maze, bar or show. Five mazes are the main draw - three on the ship, two on land - while the rest is a mix of live performance, wandering monsters, fairground rides and carnival food.

Things kick off at 8:08pm properly with the Maiden Voyage showcase, the introduction that brings out all of the ship’s iconic characters. The gang’s all here, along with at least one new face and a couple of returning figures from Dark Harbor history, and it’s a delight to see them again. Once the monsters have been unleashed, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to bump into them as you wander the grounds… unless they come after you first! Talent is absolutely on point this year, doing what they can despite the often loud and distracting festival vibe around them.

Atmosphere-wise, Dark Harbor skews more toward that same party energy I noted in 2019, with the marked improvement that the majority of pumped music I heard was more electro-swing than pop hits; way more fitting for the ship’s heritage if you’re going to put in some jams. Choice bits and pieces of decor were recycled from Shaqtoberfest, but nothing that didn’t fit with the spooky ambience of a haunted harborside town or demented circus. I actually want to give big ups to the entry to Dark Harbor, which like in previous years wends through the village section with heavy theming and even grants a little peek toward the Breakout maze as a hint of things to come.

There’s a lot to do for the discerning patron, but keep in mind that most of those things are upcharge attractions, which is my biggest nitpick. While there’s always been extra cost content at Dark Harbor, The Spirits Rise felt particularly egregious in that respect. The now-abundant carnival rides, the private cabanas, Fast Fright, VIP packages, a Pirate shooting gallery and the like are all there and all with varying fees attached. It can absolutely be enjoyed as-is and I certainly did, but it seemed like there was a lot of little bits and pieces that were intended to try and coax a few extra dollars out. As long as you’re prepared for that, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue, and I don’t begrudge Dark Harbor for this; it just lends that added county fair effect that I think is more of a detriment to what is otherwise a very solid Halloween attraction, and the ubiquity of it felt a little overwhelming.

In that sense, my recommendation is to pay a visit to the Spirits of Dark Harbor, located on the ship. Visiting is free, and it’s a nice quiet(ish) escape from the cacophony of the outdoor spaces where one can take in ambiance and a drink. What I enjoy so much about this place are the informational placards set up that give insight into which myths and legends of the Queen Mary inspired Dark Harbor’s own ghostly creations, and transparent nods like that to the ship’s storied past tell me that the folks running this iteration of Dark Harbor haven’t forgotten their roots.

It’s also here you can get tickets to see The Summoning of Samuel, a 10-minute immersive theatrical show where medium Lady Mabel will attempt to conjure the spirit of Samuel the Savage and everything goes exactly as you expect. Though short, it is suitably intense if you’re looking for something with more thrills, making effective use of its space with bouts of strategic darkness and unsettling sound with surprise scares. At $10 a ticket, I’d say it’s something to seriously consider

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I forgot to mention that the “secret bars” are back, albeit in a more reduced form. There are two this year that I found, and tokens cannot be simply attained from monsters anymore, sadly. Charming as the idea was, it inevitably led to much of the talent being straight-up harassed for tokens in previous years, something The Spirits Rise has taken note of. Now you can acquire tokens (again, for a fee) earlier in the night, and a lucky few might acquire some through other mysterious means. Luckily for yours truly, a friend of mine I attended with happened to have acquired four tokens, getting us both into the secret bars; big thanks to Sandy for the opportunity!

Finding the bars hidden in the mazes is half the fun, so I won’t spoil it for you. What I will say is there’s one on land and one on the ship, with the latter being my old favorite Fathom 6 Bar. You’ll end up way down in the dank bowels of the ship, hearing the distant screams of those passing through Lullaby. The Witch’s Heart they serve there is quite good.

The Mazes

Dark Harbor: The Spirits Rise dredges up five mazes to experience, which is where the event is most put to the test against its preceding displays. Three are spiritual returns of past mazes in name and concept, while two are new themes. Besides the obvious advantage of the location in the case of the ship’s mazes, I think there’s a quality to the storytelling and the design that plays to the strengths of Dark Harbor’s lore, even with the newest pieces. These are where the legends of the icon characters can be told, and to varying degrees they work. I can already see some areas where there’s room for improvement, but for making a comeback after a 5-year hiatus, I appreciate the effort that went into them.

I can say with some confidence that the mazes at Dark Harbor make up for their quantity by being very long mazes, with plenty of twists and turns, ups and downs - especially aboard the ship. The term “maze” never felt more applicable to me than with Dark Harbor, as I legitimately feel like I’m lost in the metal depths of the liner and am surprised where we often end up. Accessibility could be an issue here, but I noticed at least in the landlocked mazes, consideration has been made for ADA compliance.

As always, my personal ranking of each maze is as follows. I stress that I don’t think any of the mazes are bad; the numbers are just pure preference.

5 - Feast

In a strange move, this version of Feast is a prequel to 2019’s maze of the same name. Going back in time from the distribution center once again, we see the Butcher as he hacks and cuts his way through the ranks to become the Chef we knew him as back then (or know he will be someday?). Tired of the attitude and disdain of the first-class passengers, the Butcher takes to discreetly killing and preparing them into dishes that the unknowing diners rave about.

I’ve written before how the cannibal theme is a very trite, but something about 2019’s Feast made it stand out more than this one. I think a lot of it has to do with the different footprint - the original maze eventually found you ending up in the boiler room and in the territory of Half-Hatch Henry, while this maze just meanders through dark and fetid corridors heaped with gory cooking motifs and complete with, in one bloody section, a literal fetid stench that I’m not sure is intentional or not that reminded me of a stale unplugged refrigerator. Otherwise, it is pretty much the same idea, without much present to make it feel like a prequel in my mind; even stranger is that the maze ends with a sign explaining that this is a prequel and that the story will continue next year, meaning it is literally spelled out for you!

4 - Big Top Terror

Set in the back of the Ringmaster’s Halloween Carnival, the Big Top Terror is one’s anticipated spectacle of circus sideshows and sinister clowns. It’s got the now-iconic ball pit, a mirror maze within a gigantic pumpkin, spinning tunnel and other funhouse gags with blacklight scenery to boot. Unfortunately, the maze lacks something that was present in 2019’s Circus - a certain feeling of traveling sideshow from a bygone era that doesn’t hit the same in this one, save for a few sections. I get the distinct feeling a lot of leftover props from Shaqtoberfest went into Big Top Terror as well, though there are earnest attempts to tie the pumpkin patch section in with the notion of this being a Halloween carnival.

That said, this ranks higher than Feast because the carnies and clowns in the maze manage to do the double-duty of being both startling and funny, where every jump is met with cackling mirth from both myself and the scarer. There’s no lack of monsters here, and they do a fantastic job being fun to engage with.

3 - Breakout and On the Run

The sequel to B340, Breakout (and On the Run, apparently) continues the story of Samuel the Savage, the murderous passenger who seemingly lost his life in the infamous stateroom. As it turns out, rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated, as Samuel has popped up in a prison in a seaside village. But they haven’t built a box yet that can hold ol’ Samuel; he and his fellow inmates have busted out and are wrecking havoc on the town. It also seems like Samuel brought his demons with him, since the place seems to be overrun with ghastly entities and undead creatures of a more Gothic bent.

This might be the longest maze of the lot, and that’s a good thing. It’s billed as a double maze (hence the additional On the Run title) though I just assumed it was one, and it’s hard to tell thematically where one ends and the other begins, which might just be splitting hairs but I digress. While I still dearly miss Intrepid which once occupied this spot, Breakout uses its location well, with the old-town buildings as a superb backdrop for this largely outdoor trail in the majority of the maze. It peters out a little for me in the back end once you get into what seems to be a nautical scrapyard and partitioned barn, but it kept my interest all through. It’s got a great manic energy to its cast, whether its frantic security guards, sinister inmates, eerie villagers or Samuel himself. If this returns next year, I’ll be very interested to see how it evolves.

2 - Infirmary

This all-new maze brings us into the realm of the Surgeon, the newest icon in the Dark Harbor mythos. Dr. Edwin Masters performed horrific surgical experiments on sick third-class passengers with impunity, but he didn’t work alone: his partner in crime was Graceful Gale, who helped lure patients into his clutches. Whether or not Dr. Masters was helping Gale try and build the “perfect man” in Soulmate remains unclear, but theirs seemed to be a match made in Hell until one fateful Halloween night, when the souls of everyone they had wronged returned to crash Gale’s first-class party.

Infirmary makes a spectacular debut and more than earns its place as a classic. From beginning to end it has an unsettling, disorienting feel as you wander deeper and deeper into the Surgeon’s demented workspace and see the results of his malpractice. It would not surprise me if the Medical Pavilion of BioShock was an inspiration for this maze, and that association is a welcome one. Great sets and scares in the grimier first parts eventually give way to climbing stairs to mingle with what’s left of the rich and influential at Gale’s Halloween party, complete with vintage All Hallows decorations and masquerade masks, giving the maze a superb narrative flow that I really appreciate. Plus, it’s just good to see Gale in a maze again, as her wandering spirit definitely needed a place to call home.

1 - Lullaby

Scary Mary is here to remind everyone why there should always be a life guard on duty. The tragedy of her drowning in the pool permeates this maze as you explore dingy, ethereal hallways rippling with soft aquatic lighting and dense shadows where you just know Mary is hiding. You find her several times throughout the maze, including barring the way to the actual first-class pool for a neat peek into the genuine inspiration.

While not terribly different from the past, Lullaby excels at quiet tension more than the rest. Long, unsettling passages through the dark and seemingly empty pool locker rooms with barely-discernible static figures tucked into corners give this maze a truly haunting atmosphere. This feels like walking through a ghost story, and it once again culminates in an distinctly unsettling set piece where you’re standing at the bottom of a pool while above you floating bodies seem suspended from a foggy surface. It’s chilling enough on its own, but because of that seeming emptiness each scare is suitably built up, and you never know when someone is going to jump out and capitalize on it. It’s very effective.

Oh yes, and the collapsing bridge from B340 makes a triumphant return here. Don’t miss it!

Final Thoughts

I didn’t think that after I wrote about Dark Harbor in 2019 it would be a half-decade before I could visit again, but I don’t imagine anyone is surprised in hindsight. It’s refreshing to see and experience, still hitting the soul of what Dark Harbor has always offered thanks to its location and vivid real-world history. Props to the maze designers and builders for coming out swinging, and the monsters for bringing such sinister immersion within and happy distraction from the street fair without.

So yes, I had a wonderful time and am optimistic about the future of the event. I’m understanding that there’s a lot of growing pains and adjustments for The Spirits Rise, which is off to a great start but still falls short of the peak it hit back in 2018 and 19; that’s to be expected, and was what I carried with me as I visited. This might be a excellent year to attend if you’ve never been before. And if you are familiar with what came before, take it from me: things are looking up.

Honestly I’m just grateful I get to return to this version of the Queen Mary and look forward to seeing what comes up next year - knock on wood. Thank you for joining me on this voyage if you made it this far. Be prepared to disembark, just mind the gangway and you should be fine. Be on the lookout for my next report a little later this season, and I’ll see you in the fog.

Dark Harbor runs select nights through November 2nd. Tickets can be found here.

The Fog Report - Queen Mary's Dark Harbor 2019

Welcome to the first proper edition of the Fog Report, intrepid readers! For this journey into the artificial mists, I’m starting with a little hometown pride. Smell that brine in the air? That’s our next destination.

While I may not live there anymore, I am a native of Long Beach, CA and still dwell in close proximity. Not only is it one of the biggest ports in the United States, but also home to a decent bit of preserved history. Plenty of buildings found downtown still carry their Art Deco trappings, and historic sites abound.

Yet one of the most significant storied places in Long Beach is not even from the city originally. Permadocked in Long Beach Harbor, the Queen Mary is a former ocean liner, launched in 1934 as a luxurious passenger ship, turned into a troop transport during World War II, and back to its original purpose for another two decades before retiring in 1967 to Long Beach; today it is a floating hotel, museum and tourist attraction you just know carries numerous ghosts.

And it does. It’s been called one of the most haunted places in America, with documented spirit sightings and unusual phenomena reported regularly. The stories behind the haunting are what inspired Dark Harbor, the ship’s seasonal Halloween offering. Now in its 10th year, the event plays on the myths and legends of the ship in order to create a cohesive, underlying theme, utilizing the Queen Mary both figuratively and physically to create the thrills and chills. This is easily the biggest strength of Dark Harbor, which doesn’t shy away from its source material and has created many of its own iconic characters loosely based on genuine history and possibly-genuine phantoms that call the vessel home.

This year I was invited out to be a part of the media gathering for opening night, and am glad to say right away that the last ten years have been good to Dark Harbor, which has improved and changed in its run to become a proper SoCal haunt icon in its own right. So, what does it have to offer?

The Event

Dark Harbor takes place chiefly on the grounds the Queen Mary is docked beside, where a sinister carnival has set up. Passage onto the ship itself is mainly through three of its six mazes, while the rest of the time between is spent in the pseudo-fairground outside. You’ll find your general concession stands, the occasional outdoor bar and a series of rentable cabanas for relaxing in while you watch things go by. There’s live shows and performances throughout the night - anything from fire-eaters to acrobats to aerialists - and the option to ride the Sinister Swings, a ride relocated to Dark Harbor from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Also offered is the 4-D Panic Experience which I was unable to take part in but have heard promising things about.

There’s a definite party atmosphere to most of the event, and one that for me is hit-or-miss. Your mileage may vary, but I personally am not a big fan of the kind of modern fair mood that comes with some of the spectacle here. The loud pop music that blares sometimes from various corners is the most egregious and irritating thing, detracting from the sense that this is some wicked cavalcade. There are plenty of spooky props scattered around, and the roaming monsters - most of which seem to be demented carnies - are out doing grade-A work keeping folks on their toes. All of that is fine and makes sense with the theme established; I just wish there was a slightly more committed approach to making it feel like a dark carnival rather than a “Woo! Party!!” place. Maybe that’s just me being a stickler for ambiance.

That said, I’ll never begrudge the more tongue-in-cheek aspects of the event, especially when it comes to the interactions with the ghouls and creatures stalking the area. They all seem to be having a good time, and that makes me happy. The midway is also a place to bump into many of the event’s icons, including the Captain, the Ringmaster and (my personal favorite) Graceful Gale. They’re surprisingly approachable for a group of undead, and are not shy about joking around with guests or posing for pictures. For me, interaction trumps most things, and all of these characters all stay so delightfully in-character; Hell, the talent at Dark Harbor as a whole is phenomenal, and I want to commend the scareactors for killing it that night.

Oh, and before I forget: one of the fun aspects of Dark Harbor has been the concept of the “secret bar.” Hidden in the various mazes of Dark Harbor are four themed bars that require knowing where they are and/or getting an access token, usually from one of the monsters. This is double-edged only in that, in the latter case, people will often come up to various monsters and just demand tokens, when the expectation is really to play with them and earn a token through interaction: last year, for example, I was given a token by a clown called Puddles without me even knowing that was a thing, just because she was fun and I played along with her antics. I’m not sure how it’s done this year, but to anyone who is going on a bar quest, please remember to be considerate to the ghouls, okay?

I did manage to find the new Fathom 6 Bar almost by accident, which is the newest venue. It’s worth finding just so you can say you stood in the very belly of the ship, where the decay and corrosion are real and very ominous. But I’m not gonna tell you where it is… You’ll have to discover it yourself! It’s not about the destination, etc, etc.

The Mazes

The real draw of Dark Harbor is naturally the six haunted mazes. If I gripe a little about the lack of immersion during the main event, then know that it’s well made up for here. Using the ship’s rich history as a backdrop, each makes creative use of its location and setting - especially the three that wind their way through the dark interior of the Queen Mary herself. The corridors and stairwells, metal walls and portholes, and even the occasional section that puts you through the inner-workings of the liner, among the now-silent engines and machinery, goes a long way toward showcasing how unique the experience is. This was a real ship, and it lends credence to the scareactors hiding in the shadows. Furthermore, each maze has a definitive storyline and character tied to it, a concept I love in any themed attraction with its own IP.

I’ll break down each maze here, from my least to my most favorite. This is strictly my personal preference, as I am glad to say there wasn’t a dud in the bunch. I’ll similarly try to avoid putting in too many spoilers, but it bears mentioning a few of the highlights in each maze for me.

6. Rogue

The newest maze at Dark Harbor, Rogue makes its debut this year having taken over the old footprint (and many of the old setpieces) of DeadRise. This makes some sense because both mazes - represented by the Captain - are based on lore from the time when the Queen Mary was a troopship. The story behind this one is that you are re-experiencing a fateful night in 1942 when the ship was nearly capsized by a rogue wave. While the ship ultimately survived, the Captain did not, and this maze is a ghastly echo of the last moments of his life - possibly warped to show what would have happened if the ship did go belly-up ala The Poseidon Adventure.

I think this one will grow on me as time goes on. There’s some neat beats in Rogue, from a scene where the living Captain tries to steer the ship through a projected stormy sea to a recreation of a Queen Mary lobby room that is upside-down. I think the reason this is so low on this list is because the theme is inherently kind of hard to pull off. The scares mainly come from the shouting of ghostly soldiers, constantly ordering you to keep moving, take cover, get below, etc. There’s a manic energy to the maze which I’m not necessarily a fan of, but again, it’s not like the maze doesn’t work. I look forward to seeing future iterations of this in the coming seasons, if it sticks around.

5. Circus

At the heart of the midway is the Ringmaster’s circus tent, where her nightmarish misfits, freaks and oddballs wait for you in a disturbing funhouse. This one is the closest to actually being a maze, sending you through a hall of mirrors and along branching paths, through a spinning tunnel and even a ball pit. Come to think of it, there’s balls everywhere in this maze, though I think that’s mainly from guests dislodging them from the pit (intentionally or not) and scattering them through.

While the Circus and its Ringmaster don’t necessarily have ties to the ship’s history, they’ve been a part of Dark Harbor long enough that they’re established lore for the event, and at this point it would be stranger if both weren’t present. This is probably my favorite iteration of the maze so far, as in past years it was usually at the bottom of my list. It succeeds in embracing the disorienting quality of funhouse gags, and the carnies inhabiting do a great job both hitting on the scares and camping it up.

(And if you meet the bearded lady, feel free to say hi. She’s an old friend of Midnight Marinara’s.)

4. Feast

As tired as it might seem for some people - myself included - cannibalism can still be a good theme for a maze if done correctly. Here the dark and fetid kitchens of the ship are ruled by Chef, the ghost of a vicious cook who was thrown into his own oven after it was revealed he’d been poisoning passengers and serving their remains in his dishes. Entering through the Queen Mary’s distribution center, you soon find yourself surrounded by Chef’s loyal undead staff and the bodies of those who made the cut for the menu.

There’s a lot of up and down in this one, so prepare for some exercise. It’s also very claustrophobic and warm in the tight corridors, which kind of naturally lends to the Grindhouse atmosphere with all the bloody bits. This year they managed to rework the maze’s footprint so that you’ll eventually end up down the boiler room and pass through Hatch 13, a watertight door that crushed a man to death in 1966. It’s considered one of the more active haunted spots on the vessel, and the reworking allows for another icon, Half-Hatch Henry, to be a part of this maze, right at the source that inspired his character. Overall, Feast continues to improve as an experience, though I do miss Soulmate, the maze that once occupied Feast’s area and was the home of Graceful Gale and her machinations.

3. B340

Named after the Queen Mary’s most haunted cabin, B340 tells the (totally fictional) story of Samuel the Savage, a demented passenger who went on a murderous rampage during a voyage and was locked in B340 until they could make port. Somewhere in the interim though, Samuel vanished, leaving nothing but a bloody mess in the room he’d been sealed in. As the maze progresses, you follow a detective’s doomed trail and discover what drove Samuel to commit his crimes.

There’s been a lot of variations of this maze over the years, and I feel it maintains the same level of creepiness and intensity throughout. More visceral than haunting, it has a surreal tone with moments where it seems like you’re seeing twisted visions of Samuel’s past and the various grotesque demons that haunted him. This one is chock full of cool moments and creative scares, my favorite being a walk across a catwalk over a very real drop into a darkened boiler room, where it feels like the bridge is collapsing underneath you.

2. Lullaby

Scary Mary lurks here, based loosely on the sightings of ghosts near the first-class pool. Mary is said to have drowned in the pool in 1952, and her lonesome spirit lingers on in death, looking for new playmates. This year, the story seems to center on a wannabe paranormal investigator having conjured Mary back from beyond. You’ll venture toward the pool where she drowned, encountering her and her victims along the way.

Lullaby is a much quieter, more subtle maze with superb gloomy atmosphere. What parts aren’t dark are lit in watery blues and greens, and scares come from unexpected places. Gone is the overarching theme of toys and games, and instead there’s more emphasis on the buildup and the horror; weird as this might sound for a maze, it has great pacing. While you don’t actually go to the pool like you did in previous years, I’ll just say Lullaby finds a new and interesting way to get the pool theme across at its finale.

1. Intrepid

The most effective of the off-ship mazes, Intrepid makes excellent use of the preexisting port village area near the entrance to Dark Harbor, using both its exterior and interior. The story centers on the Iron Master, the immortal and damned architect who designed the Queen Mary and was bound to an iron Hell after making a deal with a sea witch to preserve the ship’s legacy. Your journey begins on a ghost train and carries you to Edinburgh, Scotland, where a funeral procession, a foggy swamp and plague-filled catacombs await.

This has been my favorite maze since it got reworked last year, and it remains the most entertaining and genuinely spooky of the haunts for me due to its varied locations and great use of atmosphere. The production value of this maze is high, considering it doesn’t have the foreboding interiors of the ship to work with, and I think it translates well as a supernatural journey through the Iron Master’s tale, ending with him appearing in all his macabre glory. This one is well worth a visit.

Also, any maze that has plague doctors in it is going be a high pick on my list. Call me biased, but plague doctors are always cool.

Tips for the Event

If you’re planning on going to Dark Harbor, here’s a few kernels of wisdom from someone that has attended this event a few times and still only kinda knows what they’re doing. Take them as you will.

• The biggest complaint I hear about Dark Harbor every year is the parking situation, which is known to cause traffic backups approaching the venue. What I’ve personally done to avoid this is park downtown, generally near the Aquarium of the Pacific/Shoreline Village, and make use of the Passport bus to get to the Queen Mary. These buses are free, and from the area I mentioned it only takes maybe 10 minutes to make the trip. They also run until 1 AM, so you can stay for the bulk of the night before heading back.

• Hit the mazes on the ship first, as they tend to fill up quickly for general admission. There is a slight upcharge for Fast Fright which is definitely worth it if you go on a weekend, but during a weeknight or Sunday crowds don’t get too bad and you should be able to hit all the mazes if you plan accordingly. Of the outdoor mazes, Circus tends to back up, so save it until later in the evening or hit it right away.

• Less of a tip and more of a rule: remember to be polite and respectful to the crew and the monsters. The number of stories I’ve heard about rude and belligerent guests harassing the Dark Harbor staff is way higher than it should be. I shouldn’t have to spell it out, but it bears repeating.

Final Thoughts

Dark Harbor has come a long way in 10 years, and its fascinating to see how much it enhances itself every year. It’s quickly become something I look forward to each Halloween season, and for me ranks among the best that SoCal has to offer. Nothing quite tops the way Dark Harbor utilizes its “ghost ship” location for maximum impact, and the talent behind-the-scenes should be commended for the work they’ve done making the mazes tie in with the ship’s myriad tales. The actors always impress, from the icon characters to the street monsters, maze lurkers and performers during the shows, and I hope they continue to be given room to play in this haunted space. All in all, it’s well worth a sojourn if you happen to be in the area around this time of year.

Thank you for joining me on the start of my Halloween odyssey. Have fun, stay safe, and I’ll see you in the fog.

Dark Harbor runs for 23 nights from September 26th through November 2nd. Tickets can be found here. Special thanks to to Dark Harbor and Victori Solutions for inviting me to the media event.