McKamey Manor

McKamey Manor was an American "torturer" haunted house attraction in which survival horror-style events are enacted. Founded in San Diego by Russ McKamey, the attraction dates back to 1989. In 2014 Russ attempted to move to Illinois and then later Arizona, yet the backlash from the public prevented him from doing so. The original house in San Diego was shut down in 2015. In 2017, he successfully relocated to Summertown, Tennessee with a separate location opened in Huntsville, Alabama, that same year. The house operates year-round, offering visitors tours that in some iterations can last up to 36 hours and in other iterations up to ten.
To participate, guests had to sign a liability waiver that includes explicit details of how the attendee may be subjected to various forms of physical, sexual and psychological torture. In its early years, guests were not permitted to leave the experience without the staff's permission, but since then safewords have been implemented, granting the guest to leave at any time if they so wish.
McKamey Manor has attracted significant controversy, criticism and media scrutiny. As the owner, Russ McKamey claims to have a military background of 23 years in the Navy and uses hypnosis and mind control to make participants believe what he wants them to about what is happening. He also has a background in theatre, having been an actor in plays and movies, as well as having been a singer and wedding DJ. Many of those close to him have also made allegations and statements against his character. His ex-wife Holly Shillito once described him as a “dangerous predator,” while the child of a McKamey Manor actor stated that “(his dad) enjoys torturing people.” In July 2024, Russ McKamey was arrested on charges of attempted second-degree murder, rape, and domestic assault. The charges were dropped in September 2024.
The tour lasts from eight to ten hours, but no guest has ever reached the end. McKamey originally did not allow safewords for the tour, but has since changed this rule, allowing guests to have the option of ending the tour immediately. The house operates year round, and there is reportedly a waiting list of over 27,000 people. The newest iteration of the tour, a ten-hour experience called Desolation, originally offered a prize of $20,000 for successful completion. McKamey deducted $500 from the prize for every failed challenge or use of profanity. However, due to McKamey believing that people were going through with the experience for the wrong reasons, the $20,000 prize is no longer offered.
During the tour, employees of the Manor may physically assault patrons, waterboard them, force them to eat and drink unknown substances, have them bound and gagged, and engage in other forms of physical and psychological torture. Participants may also be drugged during their experience. Journalist Tara West has reported that in the communities where the tour is staged, residents question how it remains legal, even with waivers.
The list of requirements to go through with the experience is extensive and not completing or fulfilling any of the requirements will stop participants from being allowed to participate. The requirements include completing a sports physical, getting a doctor’s note saying you are physically and mentally sound, passing a background check, showing proof of medical insurance, passing a drug test the day of, as well as being at least 18, with 18-20 years requiring parental approval, as well as a 40-page waiver. Participants must also comply with the rules which include no running, touching props or actors, using foul language, or pushing.
A volunteer guide testified that the 40-page waiver signed by participants listed such possible risks as having teeth extracted, being tattooed, and having fingernails removed.
Participants must also watch a 2-hour long video that includes videos of past participants, as well as be screened personally by Russ McKamey. If the participant does not meet his expectations and personal requirements, then they will not be allowed to continue on with the experience. In its early years, it was also required that dog food or funds for animal welfare be used as payment to participate. In recent years a monetary donation is recommended, but not mandatory.
According to participant Laura Hertz Brotherton, on a visit to the Manor in 2016, she repeatedly used her safeword for several minutes before employees stopped torturing her. She was later treated at a hospital for extensive injuries.
McKamey Manor in Summertown, Tennessee, has been the subject of many complaints in Lawrence County. County Commissioner Scott Franks described an incident where deputies were called to the property after a neighbor saw a woman dragged screaming from a van as part of the experience: "Staged or not, this is simply something that none of us want anywhere near us." District Attorney Brent Cooper said the program was legal because people subjected themselves to it voluntarily, though participants could withdraw their consent at any time according to Tennessee law. In July 2017, Franks put a community alert on his Facebook in opposition to McKamey Manor, which had almost 600 comments, with most being opposed to the activity in Summertown.
Nashville Scene journalist Megan Seling has questioned many of the Manor's claims. "Here's the thing: There is no $20,000," she wrote, saying that nobody has completed the tour by design. "No one has made it to the supposed Huntsville portion of the show. ... McKamey knows what will break people, and after stringing them along ... he can simply pull out what's needed to shut down the show when it's ready to end."
On October 31, 2023, the Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter Jonathan Skrmetti notified McKamey Manor that it was under investigation over concerns about its business practices and whether they might violate the state's consumer protection laws. Specific concerns include the allegations that withdrawn consent is not honored, lack of access to the waiver, and the inability for contestants to win the purported prize money. A tweet was made stating that a letter was sent raising these concerns about McKamey’s business practices. In response, the official McKamey Manor account simply responded, “Haters gonna hate.” In the end, nothing came out of the investigation due to the waivers that participants sign.
A few months after the investigation, McKamey filed a 32-page lawsuit against the Tennessee Attorney General, claiming the request violated his First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The lawsuit was ultimately dropped in August, yet McKamey’s attorneys have asked the court to reconsider. McKamey later filed a lawsuit in April against Hulu and one of the participants included in their documentary. While Hulu was dismissed from the lawsuit, it is still ongoing against the participant who was interviewed.
McKamey Manor was featured extensively in the 2017 documentary film Haunters: The Art of the Scare, and on the Netflix original series Dark Tourist. It is also the subject of the 2023 Hulu documentary Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House. A YouTuber by the name of RecklessBen has also made a series of videos surrounding the Manor, including videos exposing secrets of McKamey Manor.
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