The Ghosts of the RMS Queen Mary

The RMS Queen Mary was one of the greatest ocean liners ever built, a symbol of art deco elegance that carried the wealthy across the Atlantic and served as a troop transport during World War II. Since 1967, the ship has been permanently docked in Long Beach, California, serving as a hotel and tourist attraction. According to countless visitors and staff members, she also serves as home to dozens of ghosts from her decades at sea.

The Ship

The Queen Mary was built in Clydebank, Scotland, and launched in 1934. She was the flagship of the Cunard Line, competing with French and German liners for the lucrative transatlantic passenger trade. During World War II, she was converted to carry troops, her luxury fittings stripped away and her gray-painted hull earning her the nickname “Grey Ghost.”

After the war, she returned to civilian service until 1967, when the age of jet travel made ocean liners economically obsolete. The city of Long Beach purchased her for conversion into a hotel, restaurant, and tourist attraction.

The Deaths

Over her three decades at sea, the Queen Mary witnessed numerous deaths. Some were natural—elderly passengers dying in their cabins. Others were accidental—crewmen killed in machinery, workers falling from heights. At least one was a murder.

During her wartime service, the Queen Mary accidentally sliced through the HMS Curacoa while sailing in a zigzag pattern to evade submarines. The light cruiser sank rapidly, killing 338 of her crew. The Queen Mary was under orders not to stop for survivors.

These deaths, and others, have allegedly left their marks on the ship.

The First Class Swimming Pool

The first-class swimming pool, now empty and eerily lit, is one of the most active areas of the ship. Visitors report seeing apparitions of women in 1930s swimsuits, hearing splashing in the empty pool, and encountering wet footprints on the deck.

Two women are said to have drowned in the pool during the ship’s operating years. Their spirits allegedly remain, still swimming in waters that no longer exist.

Door 13

In the engine room, Door 13 is said to be haunted by at least two spirits. An eighteen-year-old crewman named John Pedder was crushed by this watertight door during a drill in 1966. Another young man was reportedly crushed by a similar door during the 1930s.

Visitors and crew report hearing knocking sounds around the door, seeing shadowy figures, and feeling sudden drops in temperature. Some claim to have seen Pedder’s apparition, still wearing his boiler suit.

The Children

Perhaps the most poignant ghosts are the children reportedly encountered in various areas of the ship. A girl named Jackie has been reported in the pool area, asking visitors to play with her. Another child is said to run through the halls of the third-class areas.

The historical record is unclear about child deaths aboard the Queen Mary, but the reports of these young ghosts persist.

The Lady in White

A woman in a white evening gown has been seen in the main salon (now called the Queen’s Salon). She appears to be dancing alone before vanishing. Her identity is unknown, but some speculate she may be a passenger who died during the ship’s years of service.

Investigation

The Queen Mary has been investigated by numerous paranormal research groups and featured on television programs including “Ghost Hunters,” “Ghost Adventures,” and “Most Haunted.” Investigators have reported capturing EVP recordings, photographing apparitions, and experiencing unexplained phenomena.

The ship offers ghost tours and “haunted stateroom” experiences for visitors who want to spend the night in reportedly active areas. Staff members have their own collection of stories about experiences during their shifts.

Assessment

The Queen Mary combines several elements that make compelling haunted locations: a long history, documented deaths, evocative environments, and an atmosphere of faded grandeur. Whether her ghosts are real or the product of imagination and suggestion, they have become part of the ship’s identity.

Tens of thousands of visitors have reported experiences aboard the Queen Mary. Whether those experiences represent genuine supernatural activity or the power of expectation in an evocative setting, the ship remains one of the most-visited allegedly haunted locations in America.

The Grey Ghost earned her nickname running through submarine-infested waters. She may have earned her reputation as a ghost ship in a different way entirely.