First-Time at Dark Harbor

A First-Timer

I wasn’t sure what to expect at The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, as I had never attended any Halloween-related scare attractions or festivals. I enjoy Halloween a lot, and going to Dark Harbor would be my first impression of the scares and frights that terrorize every October. At least I wouldn’t be alone for the adventure. I attended with friends, and we were first-timers at Dark Harbor! We all knew we would have a blast from the moment we got there.

Upon arriving, my friends and I all felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. The mazes delivered plenty of surprises, with memorable moments like a scare actor joking about us screaming too early into the maze. While my excitement for taking cool photos kept fear at bay, I recognized how easily anyone could get spooked or surprised. It would be ironic to be scared of the things you so desperately want to capture in great photos. Sharing these moments with friends made for an unforgettable experience.

Journey to the Ship

We all got there in the same car, which was probably the best idea. There are mainly two parking passes, one at $25 and the other $40. If we all got there separately, that’s more spent individually. Get there in the same car, and you could split the bill! We took a shuttle from the lot to the ship, but the drop-off was still about 2000 feet from the security entrance. That was my first reminder that we would walk quite a bit throughout the event. The same shuttle would eventually take us back.

After passing security and being told to get “piss-drunk” and have a good time, you enter the Village Graveyard, a small walkthrough section serving as a quick photo op with some props in the cemetery.

Spotlight: Q&A with Jami

As soon as I entered the event, my attention was captured by the main stage fire show at the ShipYard. I spoke with one of the performers, Jami Thorne, about her craft and what it’s like to perform at such a unique event.

Q: What first drew you to fire performance? “I’ve been dancing for almost all my life but started dabbling with fire dance about...10 years ago. My main love is hula hoop dance... Most of what I discovered on my own were ‘beautiful accidents,’ and that is why I fell in love with the art form. The practice itself became a movement meditation as one trick started to transition into the next. That is what we call flow. When I dance with fire I feel a balance of power and elegance.”

Q: You mentioned Dark Harbor is very different. How does the “fear factor” theme change your performance? “The primary focus of the event is to be scary giving it the fear factor. Usually... clients want you to be pretty with the fire, but Dark Harbor embraces the dark and fierce side. This event was very fun because you embody something entirely different. It was a blast to have an incredible professional makeup artist working on us... I really enjoyed having more character work with these shows.”

Q: Was this your first year, and how did you land such an iconic gig? “This was my first year... I was connected through one of their long-time fire dancers who’s seen my work before. She’d seen my work before and felt I’d be a strong fit. I’ve built my name in the community over several years performing with and alongside many of the other fire artists who’ve graced the harbor.”

Jami also shared her personal philosophy on her art, noting that performing is about more than just the fire.

“For me, performing is about transformation – stepping into an energy that moves people. Whether it’s fear, awe, or wonder, I love creating moments that make the audience feel something real. Being part of Dark Harbor gave me space to bring that edge of beauty and danger together.”

Monsters & Mayhem

Before going through the scary areas, getting the Fast Fright pass is a must! The regular ticket is $59.99, and the Fast Fright pass is $25, which allows you to wait about one-third as long for mazes and to get in. Looking back, it was definitely worth it. With the pass, I never felt like we waited too long for a maze. The dedicated Fast Fright lines were also much shorter than the regular lines. I attribute our ability to visit all the mazes with plenty of downtime for other activities to the Fast Fright pass.

Even without Fast Fright, there’s no wait time for getting scared from the roaming haunters, often matching maze themes. Standout costumes included the Queen Mary captain with a smoke-emitting face and a detailed ringmaster on stilts. As someone eager for photos, I noticed the impressive costume details. Actors creatively startled guests, even as we ate, leading to laughs and unexpected moments. The unpredictable encounters, such as sparks flying or sudden scares, added excitement throughout the night.

In the crowd, I mostly saw guests in their 20s and 30s, groups of friends, couples, and not so much family groups. I was surprised to see children, about 10 years old, with their parents. The kids did not appear frightened, yet I’m not sure if the kids themselves wanted to be in a place with walking boogeymen. The crowd itself did not feel overcrowded. There were probably a few thousand attendants, but nothing concerning.

There were plenty of attractions beyond the mazes, with hourly shows keeping things lively. At Big Top Terror, a fire performance featured a ringmaster juggling flaming props and even setting his hat on fire, a highlight over ten minutes long. The variety of performances throughout the venue ensured a constant level of excitement and anticipation for what was to come.

The Mazes

A highlight of everyone’s night was the mazes; the best part is that we visited all of them. Of the six mazes, half are located inside the Queen Mary, and the other half is outdoors. Going inside a scary maze in a famously “haunted” ocean liner is thrilling. I wondered the entire time what sections are authentically the ship herself and which are just props for the maze.

Voodoo: The Queen’s Curse was my favorite maze for its unique personality and immersive story, with detailed props that created a convincing Creole voodoo swamp feel. Like a well-designed dark ride, the maze and its surrounding Voodoo area felt complete, transporting us to new worlds and standing out among all the attractions. The same could be said for the themed Voodoo area surrounding the maze. The floor is covered in dirt and is enclosed by themed buildings, mostly for food or entertainment. The area and maze felt the most complete in the entire venue.

Food, Rides, & Photo Ops

At the heart of the venue, literally, was the food court. You can walk shop to shop to see what they have, but looking at the map gives you a clearer picture, plenty of food variety, including desserts and drinks. I had a slice of pizza for $12, and it did the job. Someone in my group got a refreshing lemonade mix, and I wish I had gotten some dessert.

There are plenty of activities and additional things to do, such as the rides, but we decided not to go on them. There are four rides: a carousel, swings, Zero Gravity, and The Zipper. A pass to go on the rides as many times as you want is $19.99. Another thing we considered trying was axe-throwing and a gel blaster shooting range, which you can experience together for $9 with the Double Trouble Combo. We skipped these activities by choice, not because we ran out of time, but it gives us more reasons to come back another time.

The “Survivor’s” Report

Nearing the last two hours of our stay, my feet and back were absolutely killing me. We were there for a total of 5 hours, and the only time we sat down was to eat, watch a show at the Big Top Terror area, and watch a show inside the ship.

Seating is all I thought about in the last two hours. There is seating available in some areas, such as the food area, and taking a break is necessary for other purposes. We didn’t want to miss out on our first visit to Dark Harbor, so we were attraction-jumping as much as possible.

Final Verdict

Ultimately, we all had a great time and look forward to visiting next year. I want to try new things we missed out on this year, such as the shootout, and try out the other foods. Knowing that the Fast Fright pass is worth it, I can squeeze in more into the night. We spent the last two hours of the night at the closing concert, where the haunters raved and created a good time for everyone. I’d recommend going at least once, even if visiting a scary attraction isn’t your thing. Happy Halloween!

For any inquiries or further information, please contact Jose Cervantes at JoseC.Press@pm.me.