A worker aboard the Queen Mary was repairing pipes in a seldom-used bathroom recently when he came upon an astonishing discovery: a hidden room that houses the machinery that controlled the ship’s massive anchors.

Officials believe the room was likely sealed off in the late 1960s during the ship’s conversion from a seafaring vessel to a hotel and tourist attraction.

For the ship’s current lessee, Urban Commons, the discovery in May has become an opportunity to create a new attraction and educational opportunity.

“We want to present the room in a way that reflects the historical significance,” Dan Zaharoni, chief development officer for Urban Commons, said. “By reinterpreting and presenting things in different ways than they have been in the past, we think we can attract a whole new audience.”

The room

Workers made the discovery after making the repairs in the bathroom on the ship’s A Deck, which is near the top of the ship, above the main visitor entrance. The room was hidden behind the locked bathroom near the forecastle, which forms the core structure of the forward section of the ship.

The 1,500-square-foot room is roughly the size of an average house.

Everette Hoard, the commodore of the ship, said the anchor room has probably been walked over hundreds of thousands of times without the public ever knowing it was there.

In a Facebook post shortly after the discovery, the Queen Mary described the space as being in nearly pristine condition and a “true glimpse into history.” It was “chock-full of massive equipment, gears and motors that had probably not been seen in decades,” according to the post.

The ship’s towering windlasses — responsible for drawing and dropping the ship’s two 16-ton anchors — sit in the same positions they held during the ship’s launch over 80 years ago. Their original red paint still can be seen through rust and grease.

Pipes zag across the roof of the room, past vintage workbenches and into four gray engines that set small gears in motion before cranking the winches that pulled the anchor.

The odor of oil still hangs in the air.

“You can almost feel the crew at work and hear the noise of the machines,” said John Thomas, the ship’s historic resources adviser. “We won’t touch it too much. The charm is in the age since we want it to be as authentic as possible.”

Future plans

The Queen Mary, which docked in Long Beach permanently in 1967, is owned by the city. The Cunard ocean liner, now a floating hotel with shops, restaurants and event space, attracts some 1.3 million visitors annually.

After numerous failed attempts to transform the ship and 45 acres of surrounding land into a profitable attraction, the city in November signed a 66-year lease with Urban Commons.

The city at the time also approved $23 million for urgent repairs, including structural fixes, upgrades to utility systems and repairs to storm drains and sewage systems, and renovations to teak wood decking throughout.

The ship’s condition was outlined in a recent marine survey that found extensive deterioration due to years of neglecting basic maintenance duties.

The ultimate goal, though, is for Urban Commons to create a development — using the Queen Mary as a centerpiece — that will generate enough future revenue to preserve the ship.

In March, the firm unveiled plans for a $250 million development called Queen Mary Island, a sprawling complex that includes an outdoor amphitheater and California’s first indoor adventure park.

It is not clear yet how the hidden room will figure into future plans, but Thomas said one idea includes installing monitors to play archival footage from the ship’s early days, similar to other exhibits in the ship’s bridge and engine rooms. Visitors would be able to listen to the actions of the anchor as it dropped into the ocean depths, he said.

Officials also want to include the room in guided tours, meaning the bathrooms that blocked its entry for decades would need to be reconfigured and restored.

That may take some time. Due to the ship’s designation as a national historic landmark, the city will have to approve all potential changes based on federal Secretary of Interior standards for landmarks.

Thomas is hopeful the public will be able to see the new discovery within a year.

“We’re not just going to slap some paint on it,” Thomas said. “We’re going to ask how can we make this relevant and present it in a way that reflects its historical significance.”