January 1, 2018

On May 27, 1936, Cunard Lines Queen Mary departed from Southampton, England embarking on her maiden voyage. After nearly 30 years of service and due to the increasing popularity of air travel in the 1960s, the end of an era was at hand. By 1965 the entire Cunard fleet was operating at a loss and they decided to retire and sell the legendary Queen Mary.

On October 31, 1967, the Queen Mary departed on her final cruise, arriving in Long Beach, California, on December 9, 1967. She has called Southern California her home ever since. The Queen Mary is now a floating Hotel, Attraction and Event & Wedding Venue, home to three world-class restaurants and an icon in Southern California.

In 2017, the International Churchill Society and The Queen Mary formed a partnership to promote the Churchill War Rooms exhibit aboard the ship. Their Finest Hours exhibit is a recreation of the Churchill War Rooms in London, which is part of the Imperial War Museums. The War Rooms under Whitehall in London were used by Churchill for his cabinet meetings during the Second World War. The recreation was built for the film ‘Darkest Hour’ starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill.

2025 International Churchill Conference

Join us for the 42nd International Churchill Conference. Washington, DC | October 9-11, 2025

2025 International Churchill Conference

Find out more about visiting the Queen Mary.

Address: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, California 90802
Phone: +1 877-342-0738