What to Know
- The Queen Mary has been a Long Beach landmark since 1967; the retired Cunard-White Star ocean liner crossed the Atlantic hundreds of times, starting in 1936, and served as a troopship in World War II
- The ship shuttered in March 2020; the City of Long Beach resumed control of the vessel from Urban Commons in 2021, with a commitment to address the many repairs needed to her hull and elsewhere
- "Select elements" of the Queen Mary will be open to the public starting on Dec. 15, 2022; first-come, first-served reservations may be made online
When facing any challenge, be it large or small, we do sometimes wonder if we will sink or float.
And, if things are especially auspicious, if we will sail into a brighter future.
That last option is always the option we want, of course, in pretty much every case we face, and in the case of the Queen Mary?
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The "sail forward" promise of the world-famous ocean liner, a Long Beach landmark that's been in need of a hefty amount of TLC, is becoming clearer by the day.
So clear, in fact, that the City of Long Beach announced on Dec. 12 that "select elements" of the permanently moored vessel will reopen on Dec. 15, 2022.
How to visit these areas? The public is invited to join a series of limited-time guided free tours.
The free tours will serve as a sincere and celebratory "thank you" extended to "... the community for their patience and support during the ship's closure," shared the statement from the city.
Visitors will again be able to stroll a select stretch of the view-blessed Promenade Deck as well as the opulent Observation Bar, as well as a few other picturesque spots on the destination, which has become known for its Art Deco details and stately spaces that seem untouched by time.
Signage will also note what sort of repairs are ongoing around the vessel, bringing guests up-to-speed as to what has been happening since the ship's closure in March 2020.
"I am thrilled to welcome visitors back onboard the Queen Mary and share the beauty and history of this landmark with our community once again," said Mayor Robert Garcia.
"I thank our City staff for their dedication throughout the critical repairs process to ensure the ship’s safety and preservation."
Long Beach has been working hard to address those much-needed updates since it resumed control of the ship from Urban Commons, the previous lessee, in June 2021.
Permanently moored in Long Beach since 1967, the Queen Mary was famed as an elegant passenger conveyance over several decades, and as "The Grey Ghost," a troopship, in World War II, where it was also known as Winston Churchill's "headquarters at sea," a place for the prime minister of the United Kingdom to conduct important work while traveling.
Since dropping proverbial anchor in California some 55 years ago, the grand boat has served as a hotel, dining destination, and a place for festivals and special events.
A few large-scale events returned ahead of its reopening, with basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal's Halloween happening taking place just outside of the landmark in October 2022.
The ship's haunted history remains a draw for devotees of the supernatural, and its ghostly reputation will be touched upon in the new tours, too.
You can reserve your spot online now, but the first-come, first-served tours are expected to fill up quickly.
