This Haunted Ship Hosts Murder Mystery Dinners After Dark

Quick Facts: The Queen Mary

• The Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach, California, about 25 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles.

• The ship is a floating hotel with historic staterooms, suites, restaurants, bars, tours, and events.

• The Queen Mary is famously rumored to be haunted, with daily Haunted Encounters tours available.

• Murder on the High Seas is offered on July 10, July 25, and August 2.

• The murder mystery is an interactive comedy musical dinner show set during the ship’s final great cruise.

• Clueless gets a 30th anniversary screening on July 13 as part of Movies on the Mary.

• Back to the Future screens on deck July 16, followed by more summer movie nights through August.

• Guests can make it a full overnight stay, which is either fun or deeply brave, depending on their ghost tolerance.

Why the Queen Mary Is More Than a Hotel

The Queen Mary isn’t the kind of hotel where you check in, toss your bag on the bed, and forget where you are. This is a retired ocean liner with a real transatlantic past, a wartime chapter, a permanent home in Long Beach, and enough ghost lore to keep the internet busy forever.

The ship made its maiden voyage in 1936 and retired from active service in 1967. Since then, it’s become one of Southern California’s most unusual attractions: part hotel, part museum, part event venue, and part haunted landmark.

That’s the real travel hook here. You’re not just booking a room near Long Beach. You’re sleeping inside a piece of floating history with narrow corridors, old woodwork, portholes, Art Deco details, and the kind of atmosphere that makes even normal sounds feel suspicious.

The Murder Mystery Is the Main Event

The best upcoming event for anyone who likes their travel with a little theatrical chaos is Murder on the High Seas: A Murder Mystery Comedy Dinner Show. The setup is very Queen Mary: it’s 1967, the ship is sailing from Southampton on its final great cruise, and everything’s glamorous until someone inconveniently gets murdered.

Travelers have three chances to catch the show this summer, with performances scheduled for July 10, July 25, and August 2. The interactive dinner takes place in the Show Room on Sun Deck Aft, where guests get a multi-course meal, live music, suspicious characters, clues between courses, and the chance to question suspects as the mystery unfolds.

This isn’t a silent sit-and-watch situation. The Queen Mary describes it as an interactive comedy musical, which means guests are encouraged to shout out theories, sing along, and generally become part of the mayhem. A haunted ship hosting a murder mystery dinner is almost too obvious, but honestly, that’s exactly why it works.

Lean Into the Haunted Side

The Queen Mary has been called haunted so many times that even skeptics have to admit the branding is excellent. The ship offers Haunted Encounters, a daily paranormal-themed tour that gives visitors an introduction to its ghost stories without going full nightmare fuel.

For people who want something darker, the ship also offers after-hours paranormal experiences, including the Paranormal Ship Walk and Graveyard Tours. Those venture into less public areas of the vessel and focus more heavily on the legends, stories, and allegedly restless residents aboard.

The important thing is that you don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy this. The ship is old, atmospheric, creaky, and enormous. That does a lot of the work on its own. Add a guide telling stories in a dim corridor, and suddenly everyone gets a little more open-minded.

There Are Movie Nights Too

The Queen Mary’s summer and fall calendar also includes a full lineup of movie nights, with most screenings held inside the ship’s private theater and select films shown outside on deck. It’s an easy add-on to an overnight stay, especially if ghost tours aren’t quite your thing.

Upcoming screenings include:

• Clueless: July 13

• Back to the Future: July 16

• Spirited Away: July 21

• High School Musical: July 27

• High School Musical 2: August 3

• High School Musical 3: August 10

• Jaws: August 13

• Practical Magic: September 7

• Hocus Pocus: October 5

• Coco: November 2

The lineup has a little bit of everything, from Cher Horowitz and Studio Ghibli to three straight weeks of High School Musical. Then there’s Jaws, screening outside on the deck of a historic ocean liner beside the actual water, which feels either brilliantly themed or mildly threatening.

By fall, the schedule shifts into full spooky-season mode with Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus. Both feel especially appropriate aboard a ship famous for its ghost stories, so bring a jacket for the waterfront breeze and maybe save the solo hallway exploring for daylight.

Make It a Whole Spooky Overnight

The smartest way to do the Queen Mary is to stay overnight if your budget and nerves allow it. The ship has historic staterooms and suites with vintage details, waterfront views, and enough built-in ambiance that a regular hotel room will feel boring afterward.

A good plan would be to arrive in the afternoon, explore the ship, do dinner or drinks, catch an event, and then stay aboard instead of driving back across Los Angeles at night. That’s especially true if you’re coming from out of town or pairing it with a Long Beach weekend.

Long Beach also makes this easier than it sounds. The ship is close to the waterfront, the Aquarium of the Pacific, downtown restaurants, and harbor attractions, so you can build a full weekend around it without needing to spend the whole time chasing ghosts. Unless that’s the point, in which case, carry on.

Who This Is Best For

This is a great pick for travelers who like unusual hotels, haunted history, immersive events, old Hollywood energy, or anything that feels more memorable than another standard beach weekend. It’s also a smart Southern California idea for locals who want something that feels like a getaway without dealing with airport security.

Couples could make it a weird little date night. Friend groups could do the murder mystery and drinks. Families with older kids or teens could lean into the movie nights, tours, and ship history. Younger kids may enjoy the ship itself, but some of the spookier programming is better for older guests.

The Queen Mary works because it doesn’t have to choose one lane. It can be historic, haunted, campy, elegant, and a little absurd all at once. That’s a lot more interesting than another hotel lobby with beige chairs.

The Queen Mary is one of those places that understands its own legend. It’s got the history, the ghost stories, the waterfront setting, and now the kind of event calendar that makes staying aboard feel like more than a novelty. Go for the murder mystery, stay for the Art Deco corridors, and maybe don’t think too hard about every noise you hear after midnight. Some hotels offer turndown service. This one offers plot.

*Images Courtesy of Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions: The Queen Mary

Where is the Queen Mary located?

The Queen Mary is permanently docked at 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach, California, about 25 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles.

Can you stay overnight on the Queen Mary?

Yes. The Queen Mary operates as a hotel with historic staterooms and suites aboard the ship.

Is the Queen Mary really haunted?

The Queen Mary is famously rumored to be haunted and offers several paranormal-themed tours. Whether you believe the stories or not, the ship absolutely has the atmosphere for them.

What is Murder on the High Seas?

Murder on the High Seas is an interactive murder mystery comedy dinner show aboard the Queen Mary. Guests eat dinner, follow clues, question suspects, and help solve the crime.

When is Murder on the High Seas?

The murder mystery dinner show is offered on July 10, July 25, and August 2.

What movie events are coming up on the Queen Mary?

Upcoming movie events include Clueless on July 13, Back to the Future on July 16, Spirited Away on July 21, High School Musical on July 27, and Jaws on August 13.

Are there ghost tours on the Queen Mary?

Yes. The ship offers Haunted Encounters daily, along with more intense paranormal experiences such as the Paranormal Ship Walk and Graveyard Tours.

Is the Queen Mary good for a weekend trip?

Yes. It works well as a Long Beach weekend trip, especially if you combine an overnight stay with a tour, dinner, drinks, or one of the ship’s seasonal events.