SeeCalifornia.com

One of the best places to take a date (or travel solo) this Halloween is the Haunted Queen Mary. It’s undeniable that ghosts have been seen & experienced at the historic ship berthed in the Long Beach harbor. But the events management team of Delaware North Corp. has created an entire Halloween attraction containing five mazes with terrorizing special effects and a story about the She-Deamon that has taken residence within the massive collection both in and outside the ship. The special effects and hundreds of actors guarantee to provide thrills and hair-raising  screams!

The launch of the 2010 event the first week in October was nothing less than spectacular. Thunder roared and lightning flashed in the Long Beach sky  as a thick, foggy cloud hung over the harbor and Queen Mary ship. The air was so heavy you could cut it with a knife. Then came the screams as giant flames of fire rose into the night sky from a maze filled with creatures of the darkness. 

Entering the harbor of the damned requires passage through a 220-foot maze of cargo containers wherein 160 monsters reside in the crevices and around corners. At the fog-shrouded gauntlets there’s enough entertainment to sink a ship. Bands perform in the center court of this huge venue where you can drink, eat, and head back for another thrill if you haven’t had enough of a scare. It’s a full evening of entertainment.  Inside the Queen Mary are three adventures–Containment (where unstable and unfit passengers were kept). Hellfire and Submerged.

Dates: The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor 2011 will be open October 7-9; 14-16; 20-23; and 27-31 from 7 p.m. to midnight. Ticket and group discounts start as low as $20 online at www.queenmary.com/dark-harbor. ‘Fast Fright’ front-of-the-line passes are available in limited quantities online and at the door, and well worth the additional $20 upgrade for busy nights. Additionally, a special Dark Harbor dinner menu will be available for purchase online. Purchase includes a ‘fangtastic’ three-course meal aboard the ship at the Promenade Café and early entry to Dark Harbor.

Hotel packages start at $240 and include a one night stay for two plus two Dark Harbor Fast Fright passes, valet park and two Dark Harbor t-shirts. queenmary.com