The Haunted Queen Mary Ship

The RMS Queen Mary, once the pride of the Cunard Line and a floating palace carrying royalty and celebrities across the Atlantic, now rests permanently in Long Beach, California. But the ship refuses to rest quietly. With a history spanning nearly ninety years—including service as a troop transport in World War II—the Queen Mary has accumulated dozens of reported ghosts and hundreds of supernatural experiences. It is considered one of the most haunted locations in America.

History

The Queen Mary was launched in 1934 and entered service in 1936. She was one of the largest and most luxurious ocean liners of her era, setting speed records for Atlantic crossings. The ship carried passengers in three classes, from opulent first-class suites to crowded third-class berths.

During World War II, the Queen Mary was converted to a troop transport ship, painted grey and nicknamed “The Grey Ghost.” She transported over 765,000 troops during the war. In 1942, she accidentally struck and sank the HMS Curacoa, killing 338 sailors—the ship was under orders not to stop for any reason.

After the war, the Queen Mary returned to passenger service until 1967, when she was retired and sold to the City of Long Beach. She has been permanently moored there since, serving as a hotel and tourist attraction.

The Ghosts

The Queen Mary is reported to have dozens of ghosts. Among the most frequently reported:

A young girl named Jackie, who allegedly drowned in the second-class swimming pool, is seen playing near the pool area and leaving wet footprints.

A young woman in white, seen near the first-class swimming pool, is believed to have drowned there during the ship’s operational years.

John Pedder, a young crewman crushed to death by a watertight door in 1966 during a routine drill, is reportedly seen in the area of Door 13 where he died.

A “Lady in White” appears in the Queen’s Salon, dancing alone in the darkness.

Sailors from the Curacoa, killed in the wartime collision, have been reported in the bow area where the impact occurred.

Active Areas

Certain areas of the ship are particularly active:

The first-class swimming pool area, now empty and eerily lit, produces regular reports of apparitions, voices, and wet footprints with no source.

Door 13 in the engine room, where John Pedder died, produces sounds and sightings related to his death.

The bow, where the Curacoa collision occurred, generates sounds of voices and knocking attributed to the dead sailors.

The lower decks and former third-class areas produce reports of shadows, voices, and cold spots.

The Queen’s Salon, formerly a first-class lounge, hosts the dancing Lady in White.

Investigation

The Queen Mary has been investigated by numerous paranormal groups and featured on television programs. Investigators have documented:

Electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recordings capturing apparent responses to questions

Thermal anomalies and cold spots in specific locations

Electromagnetic fluctuations that correlate with reported activity

Photographs with unexplained anomalies

Personal experiences including being touched, pushed, or spoken to

The ship’s operators have embraced the haunted reputation, offering ghost tours and paranormal investigations as part of the Queen Mary experience.

Deaths Aboard

The ship’s haunted reputation relates partly to the many deaths that occurred during her operation:

Approximately 49 documented deaths during her years at sea, from natural causes to accidents

The 338 sailors killed in the Curacoa collision

Unknown numbers of deaths during wartime service, when the ship was overcrowded with troops

Possible additional deaths in first-class and other areas that were not formally documented

With such a history, believers suggest the Queen Mary has accumulated spiritual energy that manifests as the many ghosts reported.

Current Status

The Queen Mary continues to operate as a hotel and attraction, with overnight guests reporting unusual experiences regularly. The ghost tours are among the most popular activities.

Recent years have seen financial struggles that threatened the ship’s future, raising questions about what would happen to the spirits if the Queen Mary were ever removed from Long Beach.

Assessment

The Queen Mary represents one of the most intensively investigated haunted locations in the United States. The combination of documented history, confined space, and consistent reports makes it an unusual case.

Skeptics note that expectations play a role—visitors come expecting ghosts and interpret ambiguous experiences accordingly. The ship’s age, creaking sounds, and unusual acoustics could explain many reports.

Yet the volume of experiences, the consistency of certain ghost identities, and the specific correlation with historical events suggest something more than mere suggestion. Whether genuinely haunted or simply atmospherically spooky, the Queen Mary has earned her reputation as one of America’s most ghost-rich locations.