One of the most iconic haunts in southern California has returned. Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is back for 2026 and with it, all of the maritime monsters that we have come to know and love. There are five returning mazes this year and one new addition to the walkthrough roster. That is in addition to the jam packed offerings including multiple shows, carnival rides, seemingly endless festival food options, and Photo ops.
In this article we will give you our take on the event that is now enjoying its 13th year. We will give y0u some tips, we will cover ticket options, and we will even let you know what we think is a – DO NOT MISS.
Entering the venue we cross under the arches of the DH Village Cemetery.
We round the corner and arrive at Lady Mabel’s Astrology Reading and Token Pick up. You see, one of the gimmicks at Dark Harbor are the hidden speakeasies in every one of the 6 mazes. In order to gain entry to any of them you will need a token. These are distributed, one per person, at Lady Mabel’s.
MAZES
The Queen Mary is at once a unique and remarkably difficult venue to stage a haunt event. It’s a historical landmark that cannot be significantly altered, there is limited space on shore for more haunt, not to mention parking, yet somehow they make it work. The storied ship provides location for three of the mazes, with the other three nearby on shore.
Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact – Do Not Miss
Based on an actual event from the Queen Mary’s history we have Shipwrecked: Brace For Impact. It was October 2, 1942 and the luxury liner had been stripped of all opulence, painted grey, and renamed the Grey Ghost. While transporting troops through dangerous waters near Ireland the Grey Ghost collided with its escort ship, the HMS Curacoa, slicing the boat in half, sending 300 sailors to an icy, watery grave.
We traverse the winding queue up and down multiple sets of stairs and finally come face to face with a new character known as The Commander. It is here that we are enlisted into service with a fun show scene, then sent off into the maze. Shipwrecked makes interesting use of the existing passageways and switches a few things up admirably. Mix that with use of new projections and a capable cast and you have a satisfying experience.
Overall, I thought that Shipwrecked was a step above the other two mazes on the ship and definitely one to check out.
Lullaby: Teddy’s Revenge
Lullaby: Teddy’s Revenge offers an interesting new bit of lore to the Scary Mary storyline by turning the poor little ghost’s Teddy Bear into a murderous monster bent on finding new playmates for Mary. As you may know Mary is the character said to have drowned in the ship’s first class pool. This time though, her stuffed animal takes centerstage.
As before with any of the Lullaby mazes the main centerpiece is a chance to set eyes on the notoriously haunted first class pool. Although in recent years it is merely a quick look at a very far distance. I have to hand it to the team for once again divining a new path through a structure like The Queen Mary. It can’t be easy. And while I really appreciated the addition of a murderous teddy bear, I don’t feel like it did enough to make this feel like a refresh.
Still, very enjoyable and of course, nice and creepy.
Infirmary: The Siren Song
EDITOR’S NOTE: For some reason, bot video and stills that we captured for this maze disappeared. We do apologize.
Infirmary: Siren’s song is the next, and most disappointing, iteration of the Infirmary maze. Of course we begin in the ship’s sickbay where a maniacal doctor isn’t so much practicing surgery as he is mangling patients. However, this time, we are haunted by the vocal stylings of Graceful Gail from deep within the ship. She is in on it somehow but we are never really sure how. Will the patients finally overpower the doctor?
Frankly Infirmary is, by far, the biggest letdown among the mazes. We have a storyline that makes little to no sense whatsoever. Why is there a surgery theatre ON the ship? While it is said that Graceful Gail is conspiring with the doctor to commit atrocities, we are never really sure how she plays into the mix aside from driving them insane with torch songs.
While the attraction does feature some interesting use of projections toward the end, it’s just not that great. This maze is about half as long as any of the other ones at the event so, consider that before committing to the line.
Big Top Terror: Carnival of Chaos
Big Top Terror returns to Dark Harbor as the anchor of the Halloween Carnival section. With it we have the iconic Ringmaster character presiding over the mayhem. We enter the circus once again only to dive headlong into complete chaos. The Ringmaster is nowhere to be found and the clowns have taken over.
While very similar to previous years, the 2026 version leans in on a disorienting lighting design that I found grating. The clowns are, essentially everywhere. I mean this is there space, so, I get it. But the style of scare isn’t so much menacing or even threatening, but impish. We have had the playful scare era and that was fun. When are we going to get back to honest to goodness frightening clowns?
I have never been the biggest fan of clowns. Initially they scared me, now I am just tired of them.
Voodoo: The Queen’s Curse – Do Not Miss
Situated in the Voodoo Bayou area is Voodoo: The Queen’s Curse. It might be the best maze at Dark Harbor. We enter the maze in a dimly lit potion shop and make our way around sacrificial alters and leering zombies on our way to the swamps where the real terror is. We have the iconic Voodoo Priestess of course presiding over the scares, but I have to say that it’s her minions that gave me the biggest surprises. One of the few great jump scares of the 2026 season came from this maze and I am forever grateful.
Breakout: Maximum Security – Do Not Miss
Inspired by the lore of the haunted room B340 and the menacing Samuel The Savage we have Breakout: Maximum Security. Here we witness the story of Samuel who, after being convicted of murder aboard the ship, is sentenced to prison. Naturally we wind our way through the courtroom to the jail cells, and ultimately weare confronted with the monsters that created Samuel himself.
On our visit the cast was wildly energetic and ferocious. Nobody seemed to stop moving as they skulked around the maze ready to pounce on the next victim. I am hoping that the cast here can maintain the energy because this was a lot of fun.
Gail’s Requiem
As visitors exit Lullaby, they may notice a sign for Gail’s Requiem. For an additional $13-$20 depending on the night, guests have a chance to go to the very heart of the ship, stories below the surface of the water. For $13 it’s a worthwhile experience.
An attending led us to a stairwell where we made our way down into the experience.
Passing yet another “bar” we go further into the ship and find Graceful Gale serenading Dr. Edwin Masters. It’s definitely a creepy experience being down here, only made more theatrical by the creepy performance.
Halloween Carnival
If you need a break from dark passageways and blind corners, Dark Harbor features a festive, if macabre Halloween carnival section. There is actually a respectable amount of rides here, four in total. The new Alien Abduction is basically one of those flying saucer spinners, and Blacklight Bumper Cars ads to the fun. Returning rides include Sinister Swings and the Rampage Double Wheel. There is also an option to buy unlimited carnival rides
TICKETS
Once again we need to stress this: BUY YOUR TICKETS AND PARKING AHEAD ONLINE. Prices range from $47.99 to $75.99 depending on the night. They also offer Season Pass options, some of which include Fast Fright or Evil Express options to shorten wait times for the mazes.
Our biggest bit of advice is to plan as much as you can ahead of time and BUY YOUR TICKETS AND PARKING AHEAD. There are myriad options, add-ons, and combinations of ways to enjoy your time at Dark Harbor. It really just boils down to what night you are going, and exactly what you think you might want to do.
I will, however, call out a few things that just are not worth the money. While finding a secret bar in a maze is cool, they are hardly interesting. Lady Mabel’s Speakeasy Foresight Four Pack is a relative waste of money. at $15 for access to four of the speakeasies, it’s just not worth it, and obviously doesn’t cover the price of any drinks once inside. Don’t do Gail’s Requiem for anything more that $15, if that. It’s neat, but not $20 neat. Finally, the The Lookout Lounge & Tacos is something to skip as well. For $20 you get access to an admittedly cool overlook area of the event, and three soft tacos. There is a bar there, but anything you want is extra.
The Verdict
There is no arguing the fact that this is one of the world’s most unique haunts steeped both in history and hauntings. the mazes range from good to great with the exception of Infirmary which is a disappointment. The talent on the street runs rampant with unbridled energy and remarkable skill. Make SURE to catch the slider show and you will be blown away.
Chart your course well ahead of time and you it will be smooth sailing to spooky waters.
