queen mary, dark harbor, scariest places LA, dark harbor tickets

As far as LA is concerned, Halloween is about way more then just the traditional tricks and treats. Come October, LA is brimming with the most outrageous haunted theme parks, clubs, studios, hayrides, mansions and ships. Yep, that's right, even ships!

The historic Queen Mary, the resilient sister ship to the infamous Titanic, has called Southern California her home since 1967. This creeky, CREEPY and literally haunted ship has been named one of Time magazine’s Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America and is arguably one of the scariest places in LA. Among the undead are a sailor who died in the ship’s engine room, a “lady in white,” and a number of children who are said to have drowned in the ship’s pool and every October they come out to Dark Harbor to play… I have goosebumps just thinking about it!

Here are some tips to help ensure you have a wickedly scary (and fun!) time:

Tickets: Buy them online before hand or else you will find yourself paying more money at the box office and waiting in an hour+ line on top of the actual line to get into the park. We also highly recommend purchasing the Fast Fright Pass as the average line was 60 minutes long..! We will take our own advice next time.

Parking: We parked (and had a d’lish dinner) at Shoreline Village ($8 all night) and took the free red bus, known as The Passport, which dropped us off right in front of the Queen Mary. You can also park at the Long Beach Aquarium and take the Passport from there. Parking at the Queen Mary lot is $20 and was full by 9pm.

Arrival Time: We arrived with our friends to the Park at 9:30pm. If you don’t purchase the Fast Fright Pass we recommend arriving at 8pm to ensure that you have enough time to have your pants scared off by the majority of the ghastly ghosts hanging around these parts , but if you do purchase the Fast Fright Pass 9:30 would be just perfect.

Food and Drinks: They have lots of frighteningly appetizing food options, from hamburgers to gelato and even a hookah bar! Just be ready to fork over some serious cash, a bottle of soda/water is $5. We always recommend bringing your own water bottle anyway 🙂

Miscellaneous: Don’t bring a carabiner or anything that could be used as a weapon, they will confiscate it before you enter the park. Feel free to dress up, put on scary make up and have a blast! You won’t be the only one doing it!

Over all, it was a great time. We absolutely recommend going on the 3 haunted exhibits on the actual Queen Mary, those were by far the best, most impressive scares!

Stay tuned for our post on LA’s Haunted Hayride through Griffith Park and more, as we set out to find the scariest place in LA!

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