Owner of the Tennessee haunted house McKamey Manor says the establishment will continue its shocking and unbelievable gore despite legal woes and thousands of demands for its shutdown.
PEOPLE reported on October 8 that the business’s owner, Russ Alan McKamey, said the manor is still running. His update comes after he had attempted second-degree murder, rape, and domestic assault charges dropped last month. Local news outlet WKRN detailed that police arrested McKamey in July over allegations from his girlfriend. The harrowing alleged incidents between the two reportedly happened on McKamey’s Summertown property, where his horrific manor takes place.
The haunted house owner’s property was investigated in 2023 after a directive from Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. McKamey filed a lawsuit in March of this year arguing that Skrmetti’s request violated several of his rights.
A Change.org petition to shut down the haunted house makes intense claims about what happens inside. The appeal claims McKamey Manor visitors have left with extreme psychological and physical traumas. It claimed participants had been drugged, sexually assaulted, waterboarded, duct taped, battered, and more. The petition currently has nearly 193,000 signatures.
What Happens To Guests At McKamey Manor?
McKamey Manor is reportedly one of the most horrific haunted houses in America. Guests must sign a 40-page waiver and get a sports physical and doctor’s note before visiting. Other pre-entry screenings include passing a background check, a drug test, and showing proof of medical insurance. PEOPLE claimed that the haunted house had a 27,000-person waitlist at some point. Moreover, the manor allegedly offered a $20,000 prize to anyone who could make it through the tour.
McKamey Manor’s website describes the experience as an “extreme haunted attraction” and a “survival horror challenge.” A Q&A page notes that the tour can take up to 10 hours. The site states that how long the visit lasts depends on “how well the guest does.” The list of potential things visitors will experience includes “intense audio,” “extreme low visibility,” and “damp and wet conditions.” There could also be “physically demanding environments” and “very real and graphic scenes of horror.” Last year’s “theme” was “DESCENT” – this year’s hasn’t been disclosed.
“The actors will come into contact with you, but you CANNOT touch the actors or props,” the business emphasizes. “Each guest will be mentally and physically challenged until you reach your personal breaking point,” McKamey Manor added elsewhere on the site.
McKamey is a Navy vet who opened his Tennessee haunted house after reportedly moving to the state from San Diego, California. The horror stories of McKamey Manor were documented in the 2023 Hulu documentary, Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House. Previous visitors described a “torture chamber” where “there is no topic that’s off the table.”
“We’re known for no quitting and no safe word,” McKamey reportedly overheard said in the Hulu film. “Either you actually complete the tour, which is not going to happen, or you mentally or physically are at such a breaking point that it’s not safe for you to continue and I need to take you out.”
“Your hair may be chopped off, dentistry may be done, you may have a tooth extracted,” the McKamey Manor waiver allegedly read.
Notably, WKRN reported that McKamey sued Hulu over its documentary.
