The RMS Queen Mary is known to be one of the most haunted locations in America. While several other ships are also known to be haunted, such as the USS Olympia, the Star of India, and the Titanic Museum, the Queen Mary is said to have by far the most paranormal activity of any of them.
It is currently docked in Long Beach, California and is also a hotel where guests can stay overnight if they dare. There have been many paranormal claims aboard the ship which include seeing apparitions, hearing voices, smelling cigar smoke, and so on…
From being a luxury ocean liner carrying elite passengers, to a war ship transporting military personnel, to now a hotel and major tourist attraction, the Queen Mary is full of historic information and is definitely one place you’ll want to visit and explore if you’re ever in California. While it may now sit still in the water, there is certainly paranormal activity stirring up inside of this famous ship, which we’re going to detail today.
10. The Luxury Ocean Liner
The Queen Mary took its first voyage on May 27, 1936 out of Southampton, England. It operated as a luxury ocean liner with five dining areas and lounges, two cocktail bars and swimming pools, a grand ballroom, a squash court, and a small hospital.
It was the true definition of class, elegance and style that the rich and famous very much enjoyed traveling on. In fact, it is said to have carried several Hollywood celebrities such as Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Bob Hope. It also carried Winston Churchill, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The Queen Mary took some time off as a luxury ocean liner during the Second World War, but after the war had ended, it went back to its original form, transporting civilian passengers across the Atlantic which it did so for two more decades.
9. The War Ship During WWII
When the Second World War began, the Queen Mary went from a luxury ocean liner to a ship that carried many military troops. It was stripped of its elegant conveniences and was painted a camouflage grey color for its purpose as a war ship. In fact, the ship was nicknamed the “Grey Ghost” because of the way it looked after being renovated into a war vessel. It was also the biggest and the fastest moving ship and it carried as many as 16,000 troops at one time and traveled at 30 knots.
At the end of the war, it took about ten months to restore it back to its original luxurious looks and on July 21, 1947, the Queen Mary began transporting non-military civilian passengers across the Atlantic Ocean once again.
It is estimated that between being an upper-class ocean liner, as well as a war ship, the Queen Mary carried around 810,000 military personnel during the war, along with another 2.2 million regular passengers.
8. Tragedies Onboard the Queen Mary
In addition to being a beautiful ship with a great amount of history, it is also listed as one of the most haunted places in America. And perhaps it’s because of the several deaths that occurred on the ship.
It is said that at least 49 people died on the ship while it served as a luxury cruise liner, along with countless other military personnel who passed away during the war. One report was that of a man who was crushed to death by a door in the engine room. Several children are also said to have also passed away by drowning in the pool. There have also been documented murders that took place aboard the Queen Mary many years ago.
7. Hotel And Tourist Attraction
After the ship was retired for good in 1967, the Queen Mary now rests in Long Beach and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. It is now a hotel that people can stay in, and is also used as a venue for special events.
Visitors who wish to stay the night can choose from 347 original staterooms and suites. These rooms have original 1930s artwork, along with original wood paneling from all over the world, so it gives guests an insight as to what it was like traveling on the luxurious ship in the early 1900s.
Guests can also experience guided tours, shows, and exhibits, along with a fitness center, spa, and several shops and boutiques. It is estimated that 50 million people have visited the Queen Mary since her retirement.
6. The Boiler Room And Shaft Area
Two of most active locations on the ship for paranormal activity are the boiler room and shaft area. Of the estimated 49 people who died on the ship while it served as a luxury cruise liner, one of them was John Pedder, also known as “Half Hatch Harry.” The 18-year-old crewman was crushed to death by door #13, which is located in the shaft alley. People have seen his greasy hand prints around the location where he supposedly haunts.
Another man named John Henry’s ghost has been seen in the boiler room, where he tragically died and where his remains were found. People have seen his ghostly apparition going between the boiler room and the green room.
An additional sighting is that of a man nicknamed “Grumpy the Growling Ghost.” Nobody knows who this man was when he was alive, but what is known is that he likes to growl at visitors. While it is said that he likes spending time in a room under the stairs close to the first-class swimming pool, he has also been seen in the boiler room.
5. The Haunted Suite B-340
One of the most haunted rooms aboard the Queen Mary is Suite B-340. In fact, the entire B Deck is where the majority of the paranormal claims have been reported. It is said that a crew member was murdered in that exact room. The suite, which was used for lower-level passengers, is quite basic with simple designs and basic furniture in the room, along with two tiny portholes.
There have been many reports of paranormal activity in that room and a lot of the claims have even been recorded in the ship’s log book. In fact, there were so many complaints of paranormal activity in that room that it became off limits to guests and nobody was allowed to stay in that suite. Some of the claims included faucets turning off and on, the toilet flushing on its own, and hearing footsteps.
However, after receiving many requests from guests to stay in that haunted room, the staff decided to re-open it for overnight stays but with a hefty price of $499 per night. Guests who stay in that room also receive ghost hunting equipment, along with a Ouija board, crystal ball, and tarot cards.
4. The Second-Class Pool Area
There have been reports of several children seen in the ship’s second-class pool area, which has now been turned into the Royal Theatre. One of those children was named Jacqueline Torin, who was around five or six-years-old when she tragically drowned in the ship’s pool. The area has had many reports of people hearing the little girl splashing in the water and calling out for her parents. She has even been said to intelligently respond to questions that visitors ask her. Another popular claim is that of a young girl who has often been seen playing hide and seek with guests.
Some believe that Jackie had a friend named Sarah, who also drowned in the exact same pool in 1949. Several people have reported hearing the girls singing. It is said, however, that Sarah is very protective of Jackie and she sometimes lashes out at guests in a temperamental and sometimes aggressive manner. One man claimed that he was slapped by Sarah one night, although it is said that once she gets use to people she can be quite friendly.
Another report is that of a girl named Dana, who was murdered along with her entire family in room B-474. People have seen Dana’s ghost, along with the other spirits of children, in the second-class pool area/Royal Theatre.
3. Other Famous Ghosts Aboard The Queen Mary
There have been many entities seen on this ship, but there are some that are witnessed more often than others. Here are two of their stories…
The Woman In White
There have been many claims of people witnessing a ghostly woman who is dressed in a white evening gown and who is believed to have been a first-class passenger. She is seen floating at the first-class lounge called the Queen’s Salon. The young beautiful woman has also been seen dancing when no music was playing. However, the piano that is now located in the piano bar near the hotel lobby had been originally in the lounge where her spirit is often seen.
Captain Treasure Jones
Captain John Treasure Jones was the final captain of the Queen Mary, having sailed the ocean liner from 1965 until 1967. He lived a long life after the retirement of the ship and he passed away in 1993 at 87 years of age. His spirit, however, is said to have come back to the ship and people often report smelling his cigar smoke in the captain’s quarters.
2. More Haunted Claims Aboard The Ship
There is no lack of paranormal activity that happens aboard the Queen Mary and it certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the most haunted locations. Many believe that the ghosts have attached themselves to their personal items that still remain on the ship and also to the many pieces of antique furniture that is found all throughout the ocean liner.
Both guests and staff members have seen full body transparent apparitions aboard the ship in different locations. In addition to ghostly apparitions, there have also been claims of shadow figures, as well as light blue balls of light (also known as orbs).
1. The Ship Offers Ghost Tours
With countless paranormal claims aboard the Queen Mary, the famously haunted location also offers guided ghost tours. However, these tours are more like a Hollywood movie with special effects.
For the last several years, the ship offers what’s called the “Ghosts and Legends Tour” that invites visitors to explore the haunted vessel. But what makes this ghost tour different from others is that they create special effects to make the tour more frightening – as if the most haunted ship in the world isn’t already scary enough. Some of the special effects that people can experience during the tours are dim lighting, spooky sound effects, and objects that appear to move on their own. They even have a see-through 3-D screen that projects ghostly apparitions. It is said that it cost them millions of dollars in high-tech equipment to create the special effects seen on the tours.
It’s a little surprising that they would have to add special effects to an already haunted place, but the added spooky features has definitely paid off for them. Just in the year 2014, they made around $15 million from their hotel room rentals as well as special events that took place there.