Bristol Harbour — The Haunted Vessel
Dates
October 20, 2026
Doors
Early evening
Where
Gas Ferry Road, Floating Harbour
Tickets from
Price range: £0.00 through £135.00
Instant e-ticket
In your inbox the moment you pay
Secure checkout
Encrypted card payment
Guide-supervised
Every vigil led by experienced staff
Date changes
Move night up to 48 hours before*
About this
Event Description
A haunted vessel berthed on Bristol’s Floating Harbour, rigging and Victorian dockyard silhouettes behind it. Five scare zones, silent disco, quayside market. 18+ after dark, 20 Oct–2 Nov 2026.
- Format: A chartered multi-deck passenger vessel with a themed quayside zone. Family session by day, strictly 18+ after dark.
- Age & ID: Evening sessions are strictly 18+ and valid photo ID is required. Full-face masks are not permitted after dark — crew must be able to identify everyone on board.
- No contact: All zones are no-touch. Actors may startle but never physically contact guests. A no-scare wristband is available on request.
- Named tickets: Every guest must be named at booking for the passenger manifest, including under-4s admitted free. Unnamed tickets will not be boarded.
- Supervision: Under-12s must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times, including on the quay.
The Floating Harbour supplies the atmosphere for free: black still water, Victorian dockyard silhouettes, masts and rigging against the night sky. A chartered multi-deck passenger vessel berths off Gas Ferry Road for fourteen nights, with a fenced quayside zone alongside. Days are gentle — harbour ghost-story tours, pumpkin craft, a costume parade on the quay. After dark, five scare zones run across the decks and the quay. Because the harbour is enclosed and non-tidal, the gangway stays level all evening and sessions run back to back without waiting on a tide.
Why you should book this
This is the South West’s first full-scale haunted vessel experience, and the harbour setting is genuinely unrepeatable on land. Daytime entry is £35 and After Dark £55 — the lowest evening price of the five, reflecting a tighter quayside footprint and an 11:00pm curfew — with every onboard attraction included. Capacity is capped by the vessel’s passenger certificate rather than by a commercial target, so sold out means sold out. Fri 30 and Sat 31 Oct go first.
What you’ll experience
- Pumpkin Deck by day — gentle ghost-story tours of the vessel, pumpkin craft tables, a magic show, face painting and a trick-or-treat deck trail, all ages welcome
- Five haunted zones after dark — The Ballast Hold · The Purser’s Cabin · The Privateer’s Reckoning · Fog on the Water · The Rope Walk, all strictly no-touch
- The Ballast Hold — the most intense zone on board, and not for the claustrophobic
- Silent Scream Disco — a three-channel headphone silent disco, included in every evening ticket
- Harbour Finale — a scripted lighting, projection and sound sequence, nightly
- Live Pumpkin-Carving Battle and a Best Costume Contest every single night, with prizes
Haunted zones (after dark)
| Zone | Concept |
|---|---|
| The Ballast Hold | Lowest accessible deck. Near-total darkness, shifting-ballast sound design, dripping water and close confinement. The most intense zone on board. |
| The Purser’s Cabin | A single dressed cabin run as a timed 90-second solo or pair walk-through. Claustrophobic, quiet, no jump scares, pure dread. |
| The Privateer’s Reckoning | Bristol’s seafaring folklore and its long tradition of maritime adventure storytelling — played for swagger and menace rather than gore. |
| Fog on the Water | Open-air upper deck under low haze and moving beam lighting, silhouette actors against the harbour skyline. Weather-dependent. |
| The Rope Walk | Outdoor themed stretch along the fenced quayside, drawn from the rope-makers, sailmakers and night watchmen of a working Victorian harbour. |
Onboard & quayside attractions
| Attraction | Details |
|---|---|
| Main Deck Dance Floor | Licensed bar, DJ booth and dance floor in the covered main saloon — evening, 18+ |
| Silent Scream Disco | Three-channel headphone silent disco on the rear deck — the primary noise-control tool here |
| Quayside Horror Market | Themed stalls, mulled drinks and merchandise along the fenced quay — both sessions |
| Harbour Projection | Low-level projection and lighting across the water, angled away from the dockyard — evening, 18+ |
| Haunted Mini-Golf | 9-hole glow-in-the-dark quayside course — both sessions |
| VR Nightmare Pods | Seated 5-minute VR horror experience — evening, 18+, paid add-on |
Daily schedule
| Time | What’s on |
|---|---|
| 11:00am | Pumpkin Deck opens — ghost-story tours, craft tables, face painting, quayside family zone |
| 3:00pm | Family costume parade and judging on the quay |
| 4:00pm | Daytime session closes — last entry was 2:30pm |
| 4:00pm–6:00pm | Changeover — vessel and quay reset, closed to guests |
| 6:00pm | After Dark opens — strictly 18+, photo ID required |
| 9:00pm | Live Pumpkin-Carving Battle on the quay stage |
| 9:45pm | Best Costume Contest |
| 10:15pm | Harbour Finale — lighting, projection and sound across the water |
| 11:00pm | Close — last entry was 9:30pm |
Before you visit
🚗 Getting there & parking
By train: Bristol Temple Meads is roughly a 20–25 minute walk, or a short taxi or bus ride. City-centre bus routes serve the Cumberland Road and Wapping Road side of the harbour. The cross-harbour ferry runs in daytime hours only and should not be relied on for evening travel. By car: there is no event parking — Gas Ferry Road access must stay clear for dockyard, marina and emergency vehicles.
🕐 Entry & times
Daytime 11:00am–4:00pm and After Dark 6:00pm–11:00pm daily, 20 Oct–2 Nov 2026. Your ticket admits you to the session and date you booked. Arrive 15 minutes before your timed slot to allow for security and gangway boarding.
⚠ Code of conduct
Prohibited at all events: real or imitation weapons, full-face masks that prevent ID checks, and glass containers. Costumes are welcome within those limits. Security searches may be carried out on entry. Abusive or threatening behaviour, or failure to follow venue instructions, means removal without a refund.
Content note: Darkness, confined spaces, metal stairs, strobe-style lighting, haze, loud sound, cold outdoor sections and a gangway crossing over water. Quayside surfaces are historic and uneven in places. Lower and upper decks are by stairs and are not step-free; the main deck and quayside zone are. Not suitable for guests who are pregnant, have heart or respiratory conditions, photosensitive epilepsy or severe claustrophobia. Evening sessions are strictly 18+ with no full-face masks. Good for: Bristol and West Country locals · Maritime folklore fans · Photographers · Couples
What you get
Every ticket includes
On the night
Access & guiding
- Entry to the venue on your chosen night
- Experienced guides with you the whole time
- Small, controlled groups — never a coach party
- Nothing staged, no outcome promised
Before you go
Your ticket
- Unique QR code for every guest
- PDF download, ready to print
- Apple Wallet & Google Wallet
- Resend anytime from My Account
If plans change
Support
- Move night up to 48 hours before*
- Questions answered before the event
- Clear age and access info on every tier
- *Subject to availability
Not sure which
Choose your ticket
Every event runs more than one ticket tier. Tier names and prices vary by venue — pick a date and tier in the booking card and the exact price updates instantly.
Daytime & family tiers
Lights still up
- Earlier session, no scare content
- Rides, trails and entertainment included
- All ages welcome with an adult
After-dark tiers
The main event
- Full after-dark experience at the venue
- Live-actor scare zones and mazes
- Age-restricted — see the ticket option
Where offered
Upgrades
- Smaller groups, fewer places per session
- Extra access or equipment where offered
- Fri and Sat nights sell out first
Selected events
Season Pass
- Unlimited entry across the season
- Both sessions where an event runs two
- Not available on every event
Getting there
Where
Venue
Gas Ferry Road, Floating Harbour
Please allow extra travel time — several of our venues are rural, with limited public transport. Parking details are on your ticket.
Event dates
October 20, 2026
Inside the venue
Gallery
Before you book
Good to know
Age policy varies by tier — check the ticket option you pick. Photo ID may be requested for age-restricted tiers.
Genuine historic buildings. Expect uneven floors and, at some venues, steep stairs and limited step-free access.
Bring a torch, warm layers and flat, sensible shoes. Venues are cold and dark.
No physical contact takes place. All vigils are guide-supervised and every activity is optional.
Still deciding
Questions
What kind of night is this?
It depends on the event. Ghost hunts and horror houses take place in genuine historic buildings, with structured vigils and no promised outcome. Theme-park scarefests are built entertainment with live actors, mazes and scare zones. Each event page says which it is at the top.
What happens after I pay?
Your e-ticket is emailed straight away, with a unique QR code per guest. Save it as PDF, add to Apple or Google Wallet, or resend it any time from My Account.
Which ticket should I choose?
Daytime tiers are family-safe with no scare content. After-dark tiers are the full experience and are age-restricted — the limit is listed on each option. Upgrades mean smaller groups and longer access. Coming more than once? Check whether a Season Pass is offered.
Can I change my date?
Yes, up to 48 hours before, subject to availability on the night you move to.
Is there any physical contact?
No. Actors may startle you but never touch guests, and every activity on the night is optional. A no-scare wristband is available on request at most events.
Do I need experience?
None at all. Staff are on site throughout, and anything guide-led is clearly marked on the event page.
Book your experience
Price range: £0.00 through £135.00
- Instant e-ticket by email, QR per guest
- Secure card checkout — total confirmed at checkout
- Every activity on the night is optional
Price range: £0.00 through £135.00
Early Bird — 30% off
