We Tried It: I Spent a Spooky Night Aboard the Queen Mary — One of the Most Haunted Hotels in America

Mar. 15, 2025

For years I’ve been trying to find a way to marry my love for the paranormal with my day job interviewing celebrities for PEOPLE.

Yes, I’m well aware it’s not the norm, but I regularly go on ghost hunts with two of my closest mom friends, Liz Beedle and Emily Penke, who happen to be sisters. We met when we were all kindergarten parents and along the way, we realized we shared a genuine curiosity. Now we’re known asthe Ghost Momson social media and we try our best to carve out time in between our kiddos’ soccer games and activities to investigatespooky sites around the country.

The main deck of The Queen Mary.Courtesy Julie Jordan

Courtesy Julie Jordan

So what better way to indulge our passion than to stay at hotels and B&Bs known for being haunted for PEOPLE’sWe Tried Itseries? The list of places with hauntings is surprisingly long butThe Queen Maryin Long Beach, Calif., was one of the first we wanted to check out.

The Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif.Courtesy Julie Jordan

Walking into the massive ship, you immediately pick up a Titanic meetsThe Shiningtype vibe. The décor is timeless, and you can almost imagine setting sail during its heyday. We checked in and wandered down the very long hallways (in one, you can see all the way from bow to stern) to our room on the B deck.

We had requested the most notoriously haunted room, B340, but it was being renovated for overnight stays when we visited. (It’s now available for booking again).

The legend of the room runs the gamut of everything paranormal. Whatisknown is that in the 1940s, a passenger died in the room. A woman who later stayed in it, claimed the covers were pulled off of her in the middle of the night and she saw a man standing at the foot of the bed. When she yelled for the steward, the man apparently disappeared.

One of the hallways runs bow to stern.Courtesy Julie Jordan

We’d been up late the night before so decided to take a quick nap before we went to dinner on the main deck atChelsea Chowder House & Bar. We always set up some equipment when we sleep because you never know when something might happen. We placed a motion detector in front of the door and another on the opposite side of the room near the window.

Former employee lockers.Courtesy Julie Jordan

We then turned on an app that scans radio frequencies at a high rate (it is believed voices of spirits can be heard through the white noise). It was a little unnerving to hear “to be ready” when we asked if there was anything we needed to know for the night ahead.

Old stairwells leading down into the bowels of the ship.Courtesy Julie Jordan

At dinner we asked our server, who had worked there for 20 years, if he had ever experienced anything paranormal. He told us about a young girl they call Jackie, who is often spotted running around the ship. Her legs have even been seen dangling from the bench behind a piano only for the staff to walk around and find it empty.

The dining room at the Chelsea restaurant.Courtesy Julie Jordan

During our meal, I saw what looked like the shadow of a shorter person behind the frosted glass door of an adjacent room. It moved to the right and appeared to walk away. Our server told us the room was locked with no other way in or out. When we poked our heads inside, no one was there.

Afterwards, we met up with Rebecca Knight, who leadsThe Grey Ghost Projecttour. For three hours, we were taken around and given access to areas usually restricted to guests. She brings a gear case and sets up various tools that participants can use to try and entice the spirits.

Rebecca Knight leads The Grey Ghost Project paranormal tours.Courtesy The Grey Ghost Project

Courtesy The Grey Ghost Project

Even though it was relatively quiet during the tour, Rebecca’s knowledge of the ship and its ghost stories was extraordinary. She clearly cares about its history and those who might still be dwelling on it.

The abandoned first-class pool.Courtesy Julie Jordan

In the bow and the grand ballroom, we did an experiment where we took turns putting on noise-canceling headphones while listening to a piece of equipment that also scans radio stations. At one point, Liz asked, “How old are you?” and even though Emily could not hear the question, she heard a voice say “90” through the static.

Listening for voices in the grand ballroom.Courtesy Julie Jordan

The engine and boiler rooms felt sad and heavy.

In 1966, the watertight doors were ordered to be closed and an 18-year-old crew member was crushed in the door of Hatch 13. People now report the sound of someone running behind them and whistling. Others have seen an apparition of a bearded man who looks like the crew member. As we were walking past the door, Emily stopped because she heard a clear cough behind her, but we were alone.

The engine room of The Queen Mary.Courtesy Julie Jordan

Ghost Moms Emily, Julie and Liz after a long night.Courtesy Julie Jordan

Early morning travel and sleep-deprived mom-ing when we get back home is just a small price we’ll happily pay for these trips together—and this adventure did not disappoint.

source: people.com