The 7 Most Terrifying And Updated Queen Mary Ghost Stories You Need To Know In 2025

Step aboard the RMS Queen Mary, and you are not just entering a historic ocean liner; you are boarding what many paranormal experts and ghost hunters consider the single most haunted place on Earth. This majestic ship, permanently docked in Long Beach, California, has a history steeped in luxury, wartime heroism, and tragic deaths, all contributing to its current reputation as a floating museum of the macabre.

As of December 2025, the legends surrounding the ship are more active and documented than ever, with new paranormal tours and investigations continually seeking evidence of the 150+ spirits said to reside within its steel hull. The Queen Mary’s dark past—spanning its service as a luxury liner and its terrifying transformation into the "Grey Ghost" troopship—provides a chilling backdrop for the most famous and active hauntings.

The Queen Mary: A Brief Biography of a Haunted Legend

The history of the RMS Queen Mary is a compelling narrative of transformation, which ultimately set the stage for its haunting reputation. Understanding its life is key to understanding its ghosts.

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• Launched: September 26, 1934, in Clydebank, Scotland.
• Maiden Voyage: May 27, 1936.
• Original Role: A luxurious transatlantic ocean liner, known for its speed, style, and carrying the world's elite.
• WWII Service: Commandeered in 1939 and stripped of its luxury fittings. It was painted a drab gray and nicknamed the "Grey Ghost" for its speed and stealth in transporting Allied troops.
• Wartime Feats: She was the largest and fastest troopship, once carrying a record 16,683 personnel on a single voyage.
• Tragedy at Sea: In 1942, while serving as a troopship, the Queen Mary accidentally collided with her escort, the HMS Curacoa, slicing the smaller ship in half and resulting in the loss of over 300 lives. This event is a major source of the ship's residual energy.
• Current Status: Retired from service in 1967 and permanently docked in Long Beach, California, where it operates as a hotel, museum, and premier haunted attraction.

The Most Notorious Hotspots and the Spirits Within

Paranormal investigators have identified over 150 unique spirits on the Queen Mary, but a few locations and their resident ghosts stand out for their consistent and terrifying activity. These are the spectral residents who fuel the legends.

1. Stateroom B340: The Most Haunted Room on Earth

Stateroom B340 is arguably the most infamous location on the entire ship, and one of the most notorious haunted rooms in the world.

• The Legend: The room was closed to guests for decades due to extreme, unexplained paranormal activity. The activity includes faucets turning on, sheets being ripped off beds, and objects flying across the room.
• The Haunting: Stories vary, but one of the most cited is the death of a passenger in the 1940s. Another legend involves a violent death that occurred in the room.
• The Update: The room was reopened to the public for overnight stays for a period, but due to its intensity, it is now often unavailable for general booking, serving instead as a key stop on the most exclusive ghost tours.

2. Door 13 in the Engine Room: The Crushed Fireman

The Engine Room is a maze of steel and pipes, and it is here that one of the most tragic and well-documented deaths occurred, leaving behind a persistent and aggressive spirit.

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• The Incident: In 1966, 18-year-old crewman John Pedder was crushed to death by a watertight door (Door 13) during a drill.
• The Haunting: Visitors and staff frequently report hearing phantom screams and the sound of crushing metal near Door 13. The most compelling evidence comes from investigators who have captured Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) recordings of a young man’s voice pleading for help.

3. The First-Class Swimming Pool: Little Jackie and the Woman in White

Once a magnificent luxury pool, this area is now a cold, empty chamber that acts as a major vortex of paranormal energy.

• Little Jackie: The spirit of a young girl named Jackie Korin is said to haunt the area. The story claims she drowned in the pool during one of the ship’s transatlantic crossings. Guests often report hearing a child’s laughter and seeing small, wet footprints around the pool’s edge.
• The Woman in White: The pool area is also a major sighting point for the famous "Woman in White." This elegant, ethereal figure is often seen near the changing rooms or the pool’s upper deck, believed to be a former first-class passenger.

The Grey Ghost’s Other Chilling Encounters

Beyond the main hotspots, the Queen Mary’s vast decks and corridors house a plethora of other unexplained phenomena, confirming its status as a magnet for paranormal activity.

4. The Queen’s Salon: The Piano Player

The Queen's Salon, once the ship's grand ballroom, is one of the most beautiful rooms on the ship, but it is also said to be haunted by a female spirit.

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• The Haunting: A woman in an evening gown is often seen near the grand piano. Though she is rarely seen playing, the sound of phantom music—specifically 1940s-era tunes—has been reported by staff and late-night guests.

5. The Aft Stairwell: The Officer’s Warning

The aft stairwell is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Officer William Eric Stark.

• The Story: Stark was an officer who, according to legend, was poisoned by a drink that contained a toxic mixture of gin and something else, leading to his death.
• The Activity: Visitors report seeing a man in a Cunard officer’s uniform, often in the stairwell or nearby corridors. His presence is often described as stern and watchful, sometimes even warning people away from certain areas.

6. The Isolation Ward: Residual Suffering

During its time as a troopship, the Queen Mary was a place of immense suffering, with makeshift hospitals and isolation wards dealing with the wounded and sick. The energy from this time is often cited as a major source of the ship's residual haunting.

• The Evidence: Paranormal investigators frequently report sudden drops in temperature, feelings of intense sadness, and the scent of antiseptic or old medical supplies in the lower decks and former medical areas.

7. The Ship’s Hull: The HMS Curacoa Victims

The largest tragedy associated with the Queen Mary is the 1942 collision with the HMS Curacoa, which resulted in hundreds of deaths. This event created a massive, traumatic energy signature that is felt throughout the ship.

• The Phenomenon: While no specific ghost is tied to the collision, many investigators believe the sudden, traumatic loss of life created an intense residual haunting—a replay of the event’s terror. On the lower decks, guests have reported hearing distant, muffled explosions and the sounds of men crying out in the deep hours of the night.

The Continuing Allure of the RMS Queen Mary

The Queen Mary’s transformation from a luxury liner to a wartime vessel and finally to a hotel and museum has layered its history with countless stories of joy, fear, and tragedy. It is this rich, complex history that makes the ship such a fertile ground for paranormal activity and a top destination for ghost hunters worldwide.

Whether you are a devoted skeptic or a seasoned ghost hunter, the sheer volume of documented phenomena—from EVPs and apparitions to physical interactions in places like Stateroom B340—makes the RMS Queen Mary a truly unique and terrifying experience. The chilling tales of John Pedder, Little Jackie, and the other spectral residents ensure that the "Grey Ghost" will continue to live up to its reputation as the world's most haunted ship for decades to come.