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

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

Yes, I know it’s not common, but I regularly go ghost hunting with two of my closest friends, Liz Beedle and Emily Penke, who happen to be sisters. We met when we were all kindergarten parents and along the way realized that we shared a genuine curiosity. We are now known as Ghost Moms on social media and try to carve out time between our kids’ soccer games and activities to explore spooky sites around the country.

Queen Mary main deck.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

So what better way to indulge our passion than by staying at hotels and guesthouses known to be haunted thanks to PEOPLE’s We Tried It series? The list of haunted places is surprisingly long, but The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California was one of the first we wanted to check out.

Now a floating hotel, attraction and event and wedding venue, the cruise ship, which was permanently docked in December 1967, has become an icon in Southern California. It’s impressive when you drive up, let alone walk past it to the hotel entrance where the elevator takes you to the lobby.

Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

Entering the massive ship, you immediately pick up Titanic encounters Radiation type of vibe. The decor is timeless and you can almost imagine you are setting sail in its heyday. We checked in and wandered down very long corridors (one of which you can see all the way from bow to stern) to our room on B deck.

We requested the most notorious haunted room, B340, but it was being renovated for the night when we visited. (It is now available for booking again).

The Legend of the Room covers the whole range of all things paranormal. What is it is known that in the 1940s a passenger died in the room. A woman who later stayed in it claimed that her covers were removed in the middle of the night and that she saw a man standing at the foot of the bed. When she called for the flight attendant, the man had apparently disappeared.

One of the corridors leads from the bow to the stern.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

Over the years, guests and housewives have reported that the bathroom faucet turns itself on and off and that knocking sounds can be heard on the walls. The room was a little down the hall from ours and we kept well apart.

We were up late the night before so we decided to take a quick nap before heading out to dinner on the main deck at Chelsea Chowder House & Bar. We always set up some equipment while 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.

Closets of former employees.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

Not less than five minutes after we closed our eyes, the one near the door was moved by some invisible force. I will tell you here that it doesn’t have to be pitch black to be terrified. Even with the lights on, it’s impossible not to feel a certain amount of dread if he’s making something known. Luckily, we were already in our beds and everyone knows it’s under the covers always the best place to face everything terrible.

We then turned on an app that scans radio frequencies at high speed (the voices of ghosts are believed to be heard through white noise). It was a little unnerving to hear “be prepared” when we asked if there was anything we needed to know about the night ahead.

Old stairs leading down into the bowels of the ship.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

While we were listening, the motion detector near the window went off, again for no apparent reason. As soon as our heartbeats calmed down, I walked over and put my hands in front of the sensor. All the hairs on both my arms immediately stood up.

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 called Jackie, who we often see running around the ship. Her legs were even seen dangling from the bench behind the piano only for staff to walk around to find it empty.

The dining room at the Chelsea restaurant.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

During our meal I saw what appeared to be the shadow of a short person behind the frosted glass door of the next room. He moved to the right and seemed to be leaving. Our server told us that the room was locked and there was no other entrance or exit. When we peeked inside, no one was there.

Afterwards we met with Rebecca Knight, who runs The Gray Ghost Project tour. For three hours they guided us and gave us access to areas that are usually restricted to guests. She brings out a box of gear and sets out various tools for the participants to use to try and lure the spirits.

Rebecca Knight runs The Gray Ghost Project paranormal tours.

Courtesy of The Gray Ghost Project

Although it was relatively quiet during the tour, Rebecca’s knowledge of the ship and its ghost stories was outstanding. She clearly cares about her history and those who may still be dealing with it.

Now abandoned, the first-class pool with its decrepit fountain, mosaic tiles and mother-of-pearl ceiling was one of the scariest places we were allowed to see. Although it is no longer in use due to state code issues, it has become one of the hotspots for spooky activity. Apparitions of young women, as well as boys and girls were briefly spotted by the guests before they vanished into thin air.

Abandoned first class swimming pool.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

In the bow and grand ballroom, we did an experiment where we alternated wearing noise canceling headphones while listening to a piece of equipment that also scans for radio stations. At one point Liz asked, “How old are you?” and though Emily couldn’t hear the question, she heard a voice say “90” through the distraction.

Listening to the voices in the great ballroom.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

The engine room and boiler room were sad and heavy.

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

Queen Mary Engine House.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

We said goodbye to Rebecca and made the long way back to our room. The corridors were calm and quiet. We called it a night a little after midnight, but of course included a few gadgets.

All was well until 6:20 a.m. when music started playing on the motion detector next to the closet. After that, we didn’t need our alarm clocks anymore. Nothing will wake you up faster than a terrifying adrenaline rush. We even opened the closet door but didn’t see anything that could start it.

Emily, Julie and Liz are being lured by the ghosts after a long night.

Courtesy of Julie Jordan

An early morning commute and a sleep-deprived mom when we get home is just a small price we’re happy to pay for these trips together—and this adventure did not disappoint.

If you are a history buff, love cruises and ships, or maybe even intrigued idea ghosts, you should definitely check out Queen Mary.

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Source: HIS Education