The RMS Queen Mary, now a floating hotel and museum docked in Long Beach, California, has long captured the imaginations of both history buffs and paranormal enthusiasts. Launched in 1934 as one of the most opulent transatlantic ocean liners of its time, the Queen Mary now holds a different reputation: one of America’s most haunted locations. Visitors and paranormal investigators have reported numerous ghost sightings, strange sounds, and eerie occurrences over the years. Whether one is drawn to the ship for its rich history or its purported hauntings, the Queen Mary offers an intriguing combination of both.
Originally constructed by the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, the RMS Queen Mary was a flagship for the Cunard-White Star Line. She was intended to be a symbol of British ingenuity, engineering, and luxury. Named after Queen Mary, wife of King George V, the ship was designed to compete with other luxury liners, such as the SS Normandie, during the early 20th century.
Upon her maiden voyage in May 1936, the Queen Mary became the largest and fastest passenger ship of her time. Her elegant art-deco design and sophisticated amenities made her popular among the elite. The ship boasted five dining areas, two swimming pools, a grand ballroom, and even a small hospital, a testament to the ship’s dedication to passenger comfort. Over the next few years, she was favored by celebrities, dignitaries, and even members of the British Royal Family.
However, World War II would change the fate of the Queen Mary. In 1940, she was requisitioned by the British government and converted into a troopship, repainted gray, and stripped of her luxurious fittings. Dubbed “The Grey Ghost” due to her stealthy appearance and incredible speed, the ship played a vital role in the war effort, transporting over 800,000 troops. She also set a record by carrying more than 16,000 soldiers in a single voyage, a testament to her size and capacity.
After the war, the Queen Mary was refurbished and returned to passenger service in 1947, continuing to traverse the Atlantic for another two decades. However, with the rise of air travel in the 1960s, the demand for transatlantic voyages decreased, and the Queen Mary was retired in 1967. That same year, she was permanently docked in Long Beach, California, where she now serves as a hotel, museum, and conference center.
Since being docked in Long Beach, the RMS Queen Mary has garnered a reputation for being haunted. Countless visitors and employees have reported strange happenings aboard the ship, leading to its recognition as one of the most haunted places in America. Many of the ship’s so-called ghostly residents are believed to be connected to tragic events that occurred during her service years, including wartime mishaps and accidents.
One of the ship’s most infamous haunted locations is the first-class swimming pool. Though the pool has long since been drained and is no longer in use, many visitors and paranormal investigators claim to have seen ghostly apparitions of women in vintage swimsuits walking around the area. Some have even reported seeing wet footprints leading from the pool, despite the absence of water.
Two particularly well-known spirits are associated with the pool: the spirit of a young girl named Jackie, who is said to have drowned there, and a mysterious woman in a 1930s-style dress. Audio recordings have allegedly captured Jackie’s voice calling out for help, and some claim to have seen her playing by the poolside.
Stateroom B340 is perhaps the most notorious haunted location aboard the Queen Mary. The room has been the site of numerous eerie experiences, with guests and staff reporting sudden temperature drops, mysterious knocking, and even the sensation of being touched by unseen hands. According to ship legend, a man was murdered in this room, and his restless spirit continues to haunt it. Over the years, so many strange events occurred in B340 that the room was eventually closed to the public for a time. It has since been reopened, with special “paranormal activity” packages available for those brave enough to stay there.
The Queen Mary’s engine room, located deep within the ship, has also been a hotspot for paranormal activity. One particularly tragic accident in the engine room has led to ongoing ghost sightings. During the ship’s service years, a young sailor was crushed to death by Door 13, a heavy watertight door. Since that time, multiple visitors have reported seeing the spirit of a man dressed in blue overalls roaming the engine room. Some claim to have felt cold gusts of air or seen shadowy figures around the massive door where the accident occurred.
The Queen’s Salon, formerly the first-class lounge, is another area of the ship said to be haunted. Visitors have reported seeing a woman dressed in white floating across the room before vanishing into thin air. The identity of this “Lady in White” is unknown, but her ghost has been seen numerous times by staff and guests alike. Some believe she may have been a former passenger who died tragically aboard the ship.
Given the Queen Mary’s history as a troopship during World War II, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the spirits of soldiers are said to linger on the ship. During the war, the Queen Mary collided with the HMS Curacoa, a British cruiser, resulting in the loss of over 300 sailors. While there are no confirmed reports that the spirits of these sailors haunt the ship, many visitors have heard the sounds of boots marching in unison in the halls late at night.
The Queen Mary’s reputation as a haunted ship has attracted the attention of numerous paranormal investigators and television shows, including *Ghost Hunters*, *Most Haunted*, and *Celebrity Ghost Stories*. These teams have recorded countless hours of footage aboard the ship, documenting unexplainable phenomena, from strange voices and footsteps to moving objects and apparitions.
Many psychics and paranormal experts who have visited the ship claim that it is a veritable “hotspot” for supernatural activity. Some believe that the ship’s unique history, especially its time spent as a troopship during World War II, may have left behind residual energy, leading to an increased likelihood of ghostly encounters. Others suggest that the Queen Mary’s tragic accidents and loss of life have created a lingering connection to the spiritual world.
Today, the Queen Mary stands as a popular tourist destination, attracting history enthusiasts, ghost hunters, and those simply curious about its lore. The ship offers daily tours that highlight both its rich history and its paranormal reputation. Special haunted tours, such as the “Ghosts & Legends” tour, take visitors to the ship’s most famous haunted locations, offering a glimpse into the eerie stories associated with the vessel.
For those seeking a more immersive experience, the Queen Mary also offers overnight stays in some of its cabins, including the infamous Stateroom B340. Guests often report strange occurrences during their stays, from flickering lights to unexplained sounds in the middle of the night.
