The (Mis)adventures of Jyl: The Queen Mary

Jyl visits a spot that hosted the Stoker Awards a few years ago… the haunted ship forever moored in CA, THE RMS QUEEN MARY

Happy Monday, misadventurers! Sunday afternoon, I took a little break from writing and watched a documentary on “Yacht Rock.” No, this is not a review. But it got me thinking about boats. So, meet me in the Cave of Chaos, I am taking you on a trip to one of the most famous haunted ships, the Queen Mary!

Docked in Long Beach, California, the RMS Queen Mary is a retired British ocean liner that has become one of the most famously haunted places in the US, because apparently retirement doesn’t mean rest, especially if you’re a ghost ship. This old beauty started her career in the 1930s, gliding across the Atlantic in luxury, shuttling rich people and the occasional movie star between Europe and America. During World War II, she ditched the glamour for grit, painted grey and transformed into a troopship, earning the nickname the “Grey Ghost.” She hauled thousands of soldiers across dangerous waters, once even accidentally slicing through a smaller ship—killing over 300 people in an incident that was very much not part of the travel itinerary.

After the war, she went back to being fancy until planes ruined everything in the 1960s by being faster, cheaper, and not constantly seasick inducing. The Queen Mary was retired and eventually bought by the city of Long Beach in 1967, where she’s been chilling (literally and figuratively) ever since. But instead of fading quietly into history, the Queen Mary became a supernatural hotspot. Because if there’s one thing ghosts love, it’s a place with a dramatic past, creaky corridors, and a convenient location.

The hauntings are plentiful and weird. People claim to hear children laughing—or crying, depending on the day—from the now-drained first-class swimming pool. Visitors report seeing wet footprints appear from nowhere and ghostly women in 1930s bathing suits just casually floating around, probably annoyed the pool is out of order.

Then there’s Cabin B340, which is basically a paranormal frat house. Guests who dared to stay overnight reported everything from flickering lights and angry whispers to bed covers being yanked off in the middle of the night. One guy claimed a ghost flushed the toilet over and over again, which is annoying in life and, frankly, rude in death.

Engine Room 13 is another favorite among the dead. That’s where a young crewman was reportedly crushed by a watertight door. People have seen shadowy figures lurking in the corner, and sudden drops in temperature that can’t be blamed on California’s air conditioning.

And sure, skeptics say it’s just creaky pipes and overactive imaginations, but let’s be real: you don’t end up with a decades-old floating hotel, a history full of accidental deaths, and a pool full of ghost kids without raising a few spiritual eyebrows.

Today, the Queen Mary plays host to ghost tours, Halloween horror events, and paranormal investigations. Whether you believe in ghosts or just really like art deco, old ships, and creepy vibes, she’s a must-see. Just maybe don’t use the bathroom in B340—you don’t want to fight a ghost over toilet paper.

Jyl Glenn is a writer, editor, formatter, anthologist, poet, and a medical-legal writer and consultant. Her lifelong love affair with horror began at a very early age when she was left unattended on the weekend Poltergeist debuted on HBO. And then she figured out she could read any horror book she liked as long as she hung out at the public library, even if the librarian deemed it not to be age appropriate. Jyl was born and raised in New York and now lives in Tulsa with her dog. She loves creepy art, dark poetry, and pink dinosaurs. When she isn’t dabbling in the macabre—she’s most likely asleep.