Haunted Pub Crawl Near Me in Long Beach: Queen Mary's Observation Bar

A haunted pub crawl near me in Long Beach has one stop no land-based bar can match: the Observation Bar aboard the Queen Mary, docked at 1126 Queens Highway. The Art Deco lounge sits at the forward end of the Promenade Deck, in what was the ship's first-class lounge, and looks out over the harbor and the downtown skyline. The liner sailed its maiden voyage on May 27, 1936, and its own website describes the ship as rumored to be haunted.

You do not need a full sightseeing ticket just to drink. The FAQ says restaurant admission costs $15 at the entrance and that the ticket can be applied to your restaurant bill, which makes the Observation Bar a cheap way onto a historic liner after dark. Once aboard, follow the signs to the Promenade Deck, Forward. The ship also sells an Off-Hours Admission for $15, valid daily between 6:30 and 10 in the morning and from 6 to 10 at night.

The room itself is the reason to come. The official page calls it an Art Deco gem with panoramic water and skyline views, and the curved bar faces a wall of forward windows that once looked over the bow toward the Atlantic. Polished wood, chrome and period lighting have survived the ship's conversion from ocean liner to hotel and attraction. Arrive before sunset and grab a window seat while the harbor lights come on across the water.

The cocktail list leans into the ghost stories. The Grey Ghost mixes Horse Soldier bourbon with black walnut bitters, and the Lady in White combines Codigo tequila, lime, cream of coconut, Cointreau and grenadine, plus what the menu calls a little bit of magic. Both names point to legends told aboard. Whiskey drinkers can order the Boiler Room, built on WhistlePig 10-year rye, while the Queen Colada adds ube syrup to the classic tropical drink.

Food is shareable bar fare rather than a full dinner. The menu lists a charcuterie board and a flatbread called The Queen Mary's 3 Stacks, named after the ship's three red-and-black funnels. Pair either with a pour of LBC Hazy IPA, a draft from Long Beach itself. If you want a sit-down meal, the ship has other restaurants, but on a crawl the Observation Bar's snacks are enough to keep the next few rounds steady.

The ghost lore centers on a few names. American Ghost Stories describes John Pedder, a crew member crushed by a watertight door in 1966, who is said to appear near door number 13. The same site tells of a young woman in a white evening gown who dances alone in the space that was once the first-class lounge. The ship's own gift shop copy mentions Jackie, a giggling child spirit linked to the pool, and Time Out adds rumors of a vortex.

If the stories hook you, book a tour before or after your drink. Current pricing, posted as of September 7, 2026, lists the Paranormal Ship Walk at $75 for ages 13 and up and the Graveyard Tour at $85 for ages 16 and up, held on Friday and Saturday nights. Legacy Tours, which include the gentler Haunted Encounters walk of about an hour, cost $55 for all ages, and General Admission runs $45 for adults.

October is the ship's busiest month. Queen Mary's Dark Harbor runs on select nights from September 18 to November 1, and the ship notes that on October 17 day visitors should park at the Pike Parking Garage at 65 Cedar Ave instead. Spookeasy Mondays, from September 28 to October 19, open the hidden N.o3 speakeasy, and The Shining screens on October 19. Visit on a weekday without Dark Harbor if you want a quiet window seat.

Hours are generous for a ship. The Observation Bar opens Monday through Thursday from 4 pm to 10:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 11:30 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 10:30 pm. Weekly entertainment keeps the room lively: Meet Me at The Mary brings live music on Tuesdays from 4 to 8 pm, karaoke takes over Wednesdays from 6 to 10 pm, jazz and blues play on Thursdays, and Friday Night Live closes the week.

The history behind the bar is long. Construction began in 1930 in Clydebank, Scotland, and the liner carried passengers across the Atlantic until it retired from the sea in 1967. The city of Long Beach took over operations in 2021, and managing director Steve Caloca now oversees a year of events marking the ship's 90th anniversary in 2026. Drinking in the old first-class lounge during that anniversary year adds to the sense of occasion.

Make the ship a mini crawl of its own. The Chelsea, on the Promenade Deck's port side, opens its bar at noon, and the N.o3 speakeasy shares its location and changing password on Instagram, according to Time Out. Between drinks, walk the deck outside the Observation Bar's windows, where the bow points toward downtown. Off the ship, Shoreline Village sits across the harbor, reachable on the free Passport bus or the AquaBus water taxi.

A few house rules help. Have your $15 restaurant admission ready at the entrance, and remember that on October 17 day visitors are sent to the Pike Parking Garage instead of the ship's lot. The Observation Bar's weekday opening at 4 pm means golden-hour window seats are easiest to get Monday through Thursday, before the live music sets begin. You must be 21 to order alcohol, so carry ID even if you only plan to stay for one round.

Practical notes: the Queen Mary is at 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802. Keep your parking ticket so the bar can validate it, and leave time to walk from the lot to the entrance and up to the Promenade Deck, Forward. Overnight guests in the ship's hotel pay $39 per night to park. The free Passport bus is the easiest ride back to downtown Long Beach after the last round.

The Observation Bar suits crawlers who want atmosphere more than volume: couples, history fans and anyone curious about ghost stories but not keen on jump scares. It also works for a group starting a Long Beach night, since the $15 admission comes back as bar credit. Order a Lady in White, ask the bartender which spirit sightings they have heard about, then step out on deck and look at the harbor from the old first-class end of the ship.