October 2nd marked the opening day of Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor located at The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway Long Beach, CA 90802 All Park Access was there to join in the horror. With two new mazes and a new icon we knew we were in for a treat. What’s unique about Dark Harbor among the many haunts in SoCal is that the ship has a vast history of paranormal encounters. Guests get to walk through the pitch-black corridors of the ship as they confront the legends of the past like Graceful Gale in her new maze Soulmate. What we love about Dark Harbor is that they aren’t afraid to take a chance; their makeup is practical but effective and they use scare tactics that are refreshing and downright terrifying. Nothing is scarier than the mystery of what is lurking for you in the shadows and Dark Harbor isn’t afraid to throw you into the darkest hallways of the ship. Her is our review of this year’s event:

Circus

The theming is our favorite part of this maze. With twists, turns, secret rooms and a mirror maze that leads you to nowhere we enjoyed every moment of Circus. The talent isn’t afraid to interact with you, which makes the maze one of the more interactive at Dark Harbor this year. Circus is back with a new twist and it was even better than our experience last year.

Soulmate

This was by far our favorite maze of the event. With the cohesive storyline, elaborate and intricate sets and creativity of the talent we were blown away. Gale was our favorite spirit to be featured last year and she fits perfectly in a maze of her own. As you learn her story you are lead through the ship going through pitch-black rooms, navigating through velvet curtains, and dancing in a grand ballroom. We hope this maze will return next year because it was just as beautiful as it was scary.

B340

In B340 you literally go through Samuel the Savage’s dark and twisted mind. This allows for a ton of creativity in the maze for the sets and the talent. The use of lighting and darkness is really effective here as we travel through this nightmare. The maze left us wanting more and we hope to learn about Room B340 next year.

Submerged

This is a returning maze from last year’s event. One of our favorite parts of this maze was that it was reversed from last years layout and guests entered through the poolroom where Scary Mary is searching for a playmate. The theme of water and drowning is used throughout this maze in the ship and its extremely effective. Scary Mary’s innocence is what makes her so terrifying, she wants some company but she has no problem trapping you to join her in the afterlife. With the new spin on the maze we enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

Voodoo Village

The theming for this maze last year was not our favorite but the Voodoo Priestess claimed the land and we were very impressed. The New Orleans flavor in this maze is spooky and filled with dark humor. From walking in a swamp, to witnessing human sacrifices and talking to a lost drunk girl after a Mardi Gras party, this maze does not fail to entertain. The use of voodoo symbols and artifacts scattered throughout the rooms really sealed the setting. This new twist on an old location was a perfect theme for the mazes location and to seal the theme you hear jazz music following you from room to room.  We went on this maze the most times on opening night and it just kept getting better. This is why Dark Harbor proves to be one of our favorite events every year.

DeadRise

Deadrise is back and bigger it felt longer this year! Really a great maze!

We truly love attending this event and it is a must for any haunt fan living in Los Angeles. Make sure to arrive early as the wait time can add up on the busier nights but either way it’s worth the wait. Dark Harbor is open select nights from October 2nd to November 2nd. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.queenmary.com/dark-harbor.

Dark Harbor is open select nights from October 2nd to November 2nd. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.queenmary.com/dark-harbor.

Dates: Oct. 2-4; 9-12; 16-19, 23-26 and Oct. 29 – Nov. 2.

Hours: 7 p.m. to midnight.

Phone: 562-435-3511

Here are some pics below