The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor returns for its 13th season, opening September 18 and running select nights through November 1. Tickets start at $50.99 on select nights. This fall, the world’s most haunted vessel summons guests back into the fog with six terrifying mazes, including the all-new Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact and reimagined versions of Lullaby, Infirmary, and Big Top Terror. Across the ship and surrounding harbor, guests will encounter Dark Harbor’s infamous spirits, live entertainment, hidden secret speakeasies, carnival rides, games, themed bars and devilish bites.

Produced by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, a leading producer and operator of immersive experiences, Dark Harbor brings the haunted history of the Queen Mary to life through maritime disasters, restless spirits and the characters that have long defined the event.

“Dark Harbor’s 13th season is an exciting milestone, and we’re celebrating by introducing new ways for guests to experience the haunted history of the Queen Mary,” said Star Romano, General Manager of Dark Harbor. “This year’s new mazes, rides, secret speakeasies and theatrical encounters expand the stories and experiences that make Dark Harbor unlike any other Halloween event.”

Mazes at Dark Harbor include:

• Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact — New for 2026! During a blackout voyage, a single command sealed the fate of hundreds. Step aboard the Queen Mary and relive the ship’s most chilling collision as drowned sailors return from the depths to haunt the vessel that left them behind. As the ship descends into chaos, guests will navigate flooding corridors, shattered hulls and restless souls demanding revenge.
• Lullaby: Teddy’s Revenge — Reimagined for 2026! In the depths of the Queen Mary’s first-class swimming pool, the sinisterly playful ghost of Scary Mary rises to accost passengers and guide them toward a watery abyss. The vortex leads to a chilling underworld where guests must listen carefully or risk hearing their final lullaby.
• Infirmary: The Siren Song — Reimagined for 2026! The wicked spirits of sadistic surgeon Dr. Edwin Masters and his accomplice Graceful Gale torment the living with ghastly echoes of their gruesome procedures. While the spectacle of the doctor’s specialized surgeries dazzles spectators in the operating theater, a revolt builds below in the third-class corridors.
• Big Top Terror: Carnival of Chaos — Reimagined for 2026! Step right up and uncover the terrors lurking in the shadows of a Halloween carnival built as a deadly labyrinth of jack-o’-lanterns. Discover the tale of the Pumpkin Carver, witness death-defying stunts and avoid the Ringmaster’s Henchies at all costs.
• Voodoo: The Queen’s Curse A ruthless Priestess rises from a decayed bayou to seize the Queen Mary’s power by commanding Loa, raising the dead and marking anyone who strays too close. She has spent years stalking the ship, binding pirates to her will and building an army to storm Long Beach.
• Breakout! Maximum Security The mystery of the infamous stateroom B340 continues. Samuel the Savage has been arrested, dragged off the ship and thrown into a prison cell, but the rusted shackles inside this seaside village jail may not be strong enough to contain him.

Beyond the mazes, Dark Harbor’s 2026 lineup unleashes new rides, haunting theatrical experiences, twisted carnival games and more. The new Alien Abduction ride traps guests inside a spinning spacecraft filled with eerie sounds and immersive lighting, while Blacklight Bumper Cars brings neon mayhem to an arena inspired by Dark Harbor’s infamous legends. Returning rides include Sinister Swings and the Rampage Double Wheel, with an Unlimited Carnival Rides add-on also available.

The darkness continues aboard the Queen Mary with new and reimagined theatrical experiences. Lady Mabel Presents: Scary Mary’s Dark Séance invites guests to join an intimate attempt to contact Scary Mary before the paranormal investigation spirals into a terrifying encounter. In the reimagined Gale’s Requiem, guests descend into the belly of the ship following Infirmary to witness a haunting confrontation between Graceful Gale and Dr. Edwin Masters.

Throughout the carnival, guests can test their luck and skill at the Ringmaster’s Games of Chance, including the Wheel of Misfortune, Head Hunter, Ring of Ruin and Big Top Axe Alley. They can also race against the clock in Five-Minute Escape Games or take a break from the frights with the S’mores Package.

Lady Mabel returns with five secret speakeasies throughout Dark Harbor, including four new bars and a one returning favorite. Guests can unlock access with a valid VIP badge or one of Lady Mabel’s mystic tokens. Lady Mabel’s Foresight Four Pack includes a group astrology reading and four tokens, while individual tokens will be available for purchase at the event, subject to availability. Aboard the Queen Mary, Spirits of Dark Harbor explores the paranormal encounters and ghost sightings that inspired the event’s stories and characters, complete with cocktails and mocktails from the Spirits Bar.

Live entertainment unfolds throughout the night at Ringmaster’s Halloween Carnival and the ShipYard, with sideshow performers, fire performers, drag queens and nightly sets from DJ KILLtrina. Each evening also features the Maiden Voyage Launch Party at 8:08 p.m. and the Final Voyage dance party beginning one hour before the festival closes.

Dark Harbor’s themed food and beverage lineup includes standout offerings from Big Top Smokehouse, Voodoo Fries, Diablo’s Tacos, and Freak Show Funnel Cake, along with monster ice cream shakes and more. Guests can also visit themed bars located throughout the event.

Guests looking for an upgraded experience can also book an RIP Guided Tour, which includes early entry, a personal guide, one-time immediate entry into all six mazes, Evil Express access, admission to Lady Mabel’s Speakeasies, select additional experiences and a discount on Dark Harbor merchandise.

For more information and event updates, visit www.darkharborhalloween.com and follow Dark Harbor on Facebook and Instagram. The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is located at 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802.

Where can you delve into a world where gelatinous creatures glow or come in various shades of the rainbow? The Aquarium of the Pacific is celebrating the beauty, diversity, and soul-soothing qualities of hundreds of sea jellies from around the world in a new exhibit this summer. Jelly Dreamscapes will open on May 23, 2026, and continue through April 30, 2027. Guests will be able to witness one of the most diverse collections of sea jellies in the United States and learn about how Aquarium staff provides state-of-the-art animal care for these remarkable gelatinous creatures.

Visitors will be able to drift through the newly reimagined Pacific Visions gallery to get up-close with sea jellies amidst meditative lighting and dream-like soundscapes. Guests of all ages will be able to learn more about colorful sea jellies, sea nettles with free-flowing tentacles, and ctenophores that glow underwater, plus the opportunity to touch moon jellies at the Aquarium’s outdoor touch lab on Harbor Terrace.

Sea jellies seen at the Aquarium represent those found in coastal habitats and in the deep sea in geographic regions that include North America, Japan, Fiji, and beyond. In addition, guests can discover the diversity of sea jellies in a new film that will play throughout the day in the Aquarium’s Great Hall. As guests explore Jelly Dreamscapes, they can learn how Aquarium staff have successfully cultured numerous sea jelly species.

These ethereal creatures have existed for more than 500 million years and have adapted to every ocean environment on Earth. Sea jellies are not fish, but invertebrates – animals without backbones. They are composed of protein, mineral salts, and ninety-five percent water. While they have no heart, brain, or gills, they have an umbrella-like body with a network of sensory nerve cells, tentacles, and oral arms. Depending on the species, a sea jelly may have up to 1,200 tentacles.

Due to the groundbreaking work of its animal care staff, the Aquarium is able to propagate and raise over forty species of sea jellies in spaces specially designed for each stage of their life cycle. Staff members culture or grow the nutritious food that sea jellies need to thrive, tailoring each species’ diet to mirror what they eat in the wild, and feeding them three to four times a day. These efforts are all part of the Aquarium’s commitment to sustainable aquaculture, or the cultivation of aquatic species, and providing state-of-the-art care to all of its animals.

“Our animal care staff monitors habitat lighting, water temperature, salinity, pH, and more to ensure that these delicate creatures are appropriately cared for,” said Nate Jaros, vice president of animal care, fish and invertebrates. “They work hard behind the scenes to meet each species’ specific needs.”  

Some sea jellies are also an indicator species whose presence can inform on if ocean water is healthy or balanced. The nerves in their external layer form a nerve net, which can detect changes in water chemistry. Sea jellies are also eaten by many kinds of fish and sea turtles, making them important for a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

As an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited organization, the Aquarium of the Pacific meets and exceeds the rigorous standards of care set for its animals, including sea jellies. The Aquarium participates in AZA’s Aquatic Invertebrate Taxon Advisory Group to help further knowledge about these gelatinous creatures and other invertebrates.

Credit: The Aquarium of the Pacific.