A new haunted maze coming to Queen Mary’s 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.
Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact will be one of six mazes when Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor runs on select nights from Sept. 18 through Nov. 1 during the 13th season of the haunted event in Long Beach Harbor.
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Dark Harbor Creative Director Amy Hollaman offered a tour of the Shipwrecked haunted house built by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment for the annual Halloween event.
The new Shipwrecked maze draws inspiration from the historic true story while changing the sunken anti-aircraft cruiser into a submarine, according to Hollaman.
“Of course, we’re gonna make it a horror story and take some liberties with it,” Hollaman said.
Maze Backstory
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.
“A submarine starts to cross in the Queen’s path,” Hollaman said. “The ship has strict orders that it cannot stop because Hitler has a bounty out on her.”
The ship’s commander makes the fateful decision to stay the course no matter the consequences.
“The Queen Mary pierces directly through the submarine, splitting it in half and sending hundreds of sailors to their icy deaths in Davy Jones’ locker,” Hollaman said.
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.
The Shipwrecked maze recreates the moment of impact and the immediate aftermath aboard the Queen Mary.
Inside the Maze
The maze begins with visitors walking past the Queen Mary’s massive propeller as they wind their way into the ship.
“We’ll 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,” Hollaman said.
Visitors will ascend three levels through the ship’s stairwells and past war propaganda posters to reach the upper decks.
“It’ll sound like the ship is active, that she’s breathing,” Hollaman said. “You’ll hear what sounds like the engines as you’re going through the actual aft steering.”
An Officer’s Briefing pre-show in the ship’s command center will help set up the backstory for the maze.
“The commander warns them they have to be ready for anything,” Hollaman said.
Video screens will show the submarine running alongside the Queen Mary and preparing to cross in front of the troop transport.
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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.
“The commander informs us we are going to hit the submarine,” Hollaman said. “We will not stop and you need to brace for impact.”
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.
“It’ll 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,” Hollaman said. “You see half of the submarine slipping into the water as the sailors are screaming and fighting for their lives in the water.”
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.
“We see the commander pop up again on surveillance screens and he tells you it’s too late,” Hollaman said. “They’re all dead and they’re coming for revenge.”
Visitors will encounter the frozen zombie sailors in blackout hallways lit only by flickering lights and electrical cracking effects.
“They’re ruthless,” Hollaman said. “They’re trying to get you left and right.”
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.
“You see the turbine where the soldiers are flying through it,” Hollaman said.
A few final scares await visitors just as they think it’s over and head for the exit to the maze.
Haunted History
The Shipwrecked backstory is based on a historical tragedy during World War II that was kept secret until after the war.
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.
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.
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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.
More than 300 sailors died before British destroyers could respond to rescue survivors.
Other Mazes & Entertainment
Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact will be one of three haunted mazes aboard the Queen Mary along with Lullaby: Teddy’s Revenge and Infirmary: The Siren Song.
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The three mazes on land include Big Top Terror: Carnival of Chaos, Breakout: Maximum Security and Voodoo: The Queen’s Curse.
“All of the stories of Dark Harbor are inspired by true stories or ghost stories from the Queen Mary,” Hollaman said.
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.
The Ringmaster’s Halloween Carnival will feature sideshow performers, drag queens, escape rooms, games of chance, carnival rides and food and beverage stands.