Long Beach, California is home to a famous ship that brings about hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. Although it holds a riveting history, another aspect lures some guests in; the paranormal. 

History:

Queen Mary’s official first voyage at sea was from England to France, to New York in 1936. Queen Mary provided travel for troops in World War II and faster speeds than other boats on the water. The ship was retired at a dock in 1967 and turned into a famous tourist hotel. There are approximately fifty-five documented deaths, including crew-members. Unfortunately, deaths were not easy to keep track of at that time, so this number is higher. As with many forms of transportation, many fatal accidents occurred on the Queen Mary. J Peddler, a fireman, was crushed to death during a safety drill by a watertight door in 1966. The senior second officer, W.E Stark,  unintentionally drank poison, believing it to be gin. He laughed off the situation and ended up dying two days later when the poison fully reached his system. Other deaths have been rumored, such as a little girl drowning in the pool.  The Queen Mary also accidentally cut through the HMS Curacoa, killing 300 people onboard the Curacoa. Troops aboard were moving the ship in a zig-zag pattern to avoid submarine attacks, not realizing the Curacoa also thought it had the right-of-way. 

Haunts:

With the deaths mentioned previously, it’s no surprise that rumors have flown around about this ship being haunted. JJ Pedler, the man crushed by the door, is said to haunt the doorway regularly. W.E. Stark is said to still roam about the boat, looking for the gin he thought he was drinking. There are a notable amount of reports by the ship’s pool. Some claim to see water footprints on the pavement when no one is there, or disembodied laughter. However, the hauntings didn’t start recently. A woman staying in room B340 in 1966 claimed to have her covers thrown off of her bed and woke up to a man staring at her. She thought this man was a real person and screamed, but before security got there he disappeared. This man is thought to be Walter J. Adamson, a man who died in that room in 1948. Her story was not the only one from room B340. Cleaning staff have reported water running in the sink when the room was vacant or sheets were thrown about and had to consistently clean up the mess. There was no damage to the sink and it was not broken in any way, shape, or form. Guests who stay today report lights flickering from the bathroom. It seems that this man most likely died in the bathroom, since most of the activity is there, however that is an educated guess. Three women all had the same account of their frightening experience in the Mauritania Room. Someone was sitting in a chair, not moving or speaking. They approached this person, asking for a response, and nothing was said. Horrifyingly, the apparition became faint and disappeared. As mentioned above, the pool seems to be a hotspot for paranormal activity. Most of the ghosts allegedly seen here are thought to be children. Although the deaths have been vaguely documented, some believe a young girl drowned in the pool. 

The Queen Mary is a living piece of history regardless of what paranormal wonders it holds. The ship made 1,000 transatlantic journeys and became a means of transportation during WW2. The Queen Mary is definitely worth a visit, for its fascinating history and possible paranormal guests. 

Works Cited:

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/queen-mary

How Many People Died Onboard The Queen Mary? – Crew and Passenger List

https://www.marineinsight.com/maritime-history/is-the-queen-mary-ship-really-haunted/