{"id":468781,"date":"2026-09-19T06:22:35","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T06:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/468781\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T06:22:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T06:22:35","slug":"queen-marys-dark-harbor-first-look-inside-new-shipwrecked-maze-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/468781\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor: First look inside new Shipwrecked maze \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new haunted maze coming to Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor tells the historic story of a tragic World War II naval accident when the Grey Ghost accidentally sliced its escort ship in half and sent hundreds of sailors to their icy deaths.<\/p>\n

Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact will be one of six mazes when Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor runs on select nights from Sept. 18 through Nov. 1 during the 13th season of the haunted event in Long Beach Harbor.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: Universal\u2019s Horror Nights 2026: All 8 mazes ranked from best to worst<\/a><\/p>\n

Dark Harbor Creative Director Amy Hollaman offered a tour of the Shipwrecked haunted house built by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment for the annual Halloween event.<\/p>\n

\"QueenQueen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor Creative Director Amy Hollaman outside the Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The new Shipwrecked maze draws inspiration from the historic true story while changing the sunken anti-aircraft cruiser into a submarine, according to Hollaman.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, we\u2019re gonna make it a horror story and take some liberties with it,\u201d Hollaman said.<\/p>\n

\"ConceptConcept art of the Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze at Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Courtesy of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment)
\nMaze Backstory<\/p>\n

The backstory of the new maze is set during World War II when the Queen Mary was known as the Grey Ghost and transporting soldiers during a blackout period at sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cA submarine starts to cross in the Queen\u2019s path,\u201d Hollaman said. \u201cThe ship has strict orders that it cannot stop because Hitler has a bounty out on her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The ship\u2019s commander makes the fateful decision to stay the course no matter the consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Queen Mary pierces directly through the submarine, splitting it in half and sending hundreds of sailors to their icy deaths in Davy Jones\u2019 locker,\u201d Hollaman said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The frozen zombie spirits of the soldiers rise up from the ocean depths to take revenge on the Queen Mary whenever the fog rolls into Dark Harbor.<\/p>\n

The Shipwrecked maze recreates the moment of impact and the immediate aftermath aboard the Queen Mary.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor haunted event and festival returns this year. (Photo by Steve McCrank \/ Daily Breeze)
\nInside the Maze<\/p>\n

The maze begins with visitors walking past the Queen Mary\u2019s massive propeller as they wind their way into the ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll pair a projection here that shows some of the zombies rising out of the water from the very propeller that cut many of those men in half,\u201d Hollaman said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Visitors will ascend three levels through the ship\u2019s stairwells and past war propaganda posters to reach the upper decks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll sound like the ship is active, that she\u2019s breathing,\u201d Hollaman said. \u201cYou\u2019ll hear what sounds like the engines as you\u2019re going through the actual aft steering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

An Officer\u2019s Briefing pre-show in the ship\u2019s command center will help set up the backstory for the maze.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe commander warns them they have to be ready for anything,\u201d Hollaman said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Video screens will show the submarine running alongside the Queen Mary and preparing to cross in front of the troop transport.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: First look inside new Unearthed maze at Knott\u2019s Scary Farm<\/a><\/p>\n

The marquee moment in the Shipwrecked maze takes place in the Brace for Impact room where visitors will experience a simulation of the submarine collision while standing atop a platform that slides forward and backward along with lighting and sound effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe commander informs us we are going to hit the submarine,\u201d Hollaman said. \u201cWe will not stop and you need to brace for impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The Blowout room will show the post-collision aftermath with a massive video screen simulating the explosion that opened a gaping hole in the side of the Queen Mary.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll look like this whole wall has been blown out with metal being bent everywhere as if the fire from the explosion hitting the submarine has opened this up,\u201d Hollaman said. \u201cYou see half of the submarine slipping into the water as the sailors are screaming and fighting for their lives in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The frozen zombie sailors from the sunken sub will enter the Queen Mary in the Permafrost room that will use water effects and ice-themed decor to represent a flooded section of the aft deck.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see the commander pop up again on surveillance screens and he tells you it\u2019s too late,\u201d Hollaman said. \u201cThey\u2019re all dead and they\u2019re coming for revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze during Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Visitors will encounter the frozen zombie sailors in blackout hallways lit only by flickering lights and electrical cracking effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re ruthless,\u201d Hollaman said. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to get you left and right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"QueenQueen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor Creative Director Amy Hollaman in the Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact haunted maze. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Visitors will weave through the baggage hold to reach the final scene where they once again glimpse the massive propeller from the beginning of the maze.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see the turbine where the soldiers are flying through it,\u201d Hollaman said.<\/p>\n

A few final scares await visitors just as they think it\u2019s over and head for the exit to the maze.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor returns with new characters and mazes this year. Photo by Brittany Murray, Press Telegram\/SCNG
\nHaunted History<\/p>\n

The Shipwrecked backstory is based on a historical tragedy during World War II that was kept secret until after the war.<\/p>\n

The Queen Mary was converted into a troopship in 1939, painted battleship grey and rechristened the Grey Ghost when the cruise ship served as a troop transport during World War II.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Scorpion Soviet submarine and Queen Mary cruise ship during the Dark Harbor haunted event in Long Beach Harbor. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The Queen Mary accidentally rammed and sank the British Royal Navy escort ship HMS Curacoa in 1942 while on a zigzaging course to evade German U-boats and bombers.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: Six Flags Fright Fest collaborates with Knott\u2019s Scary Farm on new Wolves Blood maze<\/a><\/p>\n

Under strict orders not to halt until the 15,000 U.S. troops on board reached Britain, the Queen Mary sliced the Curacoa in half and did not return to rescue survivors.<\/p>\n

More than 300 sailors died before British destroyers could respond to rescue survivors.<\/p>\n

\"AA fire dancers performs at the opening of the Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor in Long Beach on Thursday, Sep. 26, 2019. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze\/SCNG)
\nOther Mazes & Entertainment<\/p>\n

Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact will be one of three haunted mazes aboard the Queen Mary along with Lullaby: Teddy\u2019s Revenge and Infirmary: The Siren Song.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: SeaWorld takes on Universal and Six Flags in Halloween showdown<\/a><\/p>\n

The three mazes on land include Big Top Terror: Carnival of Chaos, Breakout: Maximum Security and Voodoo: The Queen\u2019s Curse.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of the stories of Dark Harbor are inspired by true stories or ghost stories from the Queen Mary,\u201d Hollaman said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor Halloween event in Long Beach. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)<\/p>\n

The Commander of the Grey Ghost joins a growing collection of Dark Harbor Universe characters that include psychic Lady Mabel, drowned child Scary Mary, lady in white Graceful Gale, murderer Samuel the Savage and the midway carnival Ringmaster.<\/p>\n

The Ringmaster\u2019s Halloween Carnival will feature sideshow performers, drag queens, escape rooms, games of chance, carnival rides and food and beverage stands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new haunted maze coming to Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor tells the historic story of a tragic World…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468782,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[2223,7,585,131,133,132,137,55422,420,136],"class_list":["post-468781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-amusement-parks","tag-california","tag-halloween","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-county","tag-queen-mary","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/468782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}