McKamey Manor
When we contemplate haunted houses, our thoughts often gravitate toward Halloween. We navigate these eerie abodes seeking thrills and chuckles. Yet, there's one haunted house that operates year-round, and according to its visitors, it's more akin to a house of torment. Let's delve into the world of McKamey Manor and uncover the mysteries behind its doors. Get ready for an unsettling journey.
McKamey Manor by ConspiriWeird
McKamey Manor is a survival horror-style attraction, originally founded in San Diego by Russ McKamey. Today, it's located in Summertown, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama. Unlike typical haunted houses, McKamey Manor doesn't charge an admission fee; instead, it requests a donation of dog food for McKamey's dogs. The experience is notorious for its duration, lasting from 8 to 10 hours, and no one has successfully completed the entire ordeal. Initially, guests were not allowed to use a safe word, but this policy has since been amended to permit it.
To ensure participants' safety, the house imposes specific prerequisites, as outlined on their website:
1. Participants must be 21 or older, or 18-20 with parental consent.
2. A "Sports Physical" is required, along with a doctor's note confirming physical and mental fitness.
3. Participants must pass a background check administered by McKamey Manor.
4. A screening via Facetime or phone is conducted.
5. Proof of medical insurance is necessary.
6. A detailed 40-page waiver must be signed.
7. A portal drug test is conducted on the day of the experience.
The website issues a stern warning:
"Warning and Haunt Rules. You will experience the following at McKamey Manor: Intense audio, lighting, extreme low visibility, strobe and fog effects, damp and wet conditions, physically demanding environments, close contact with creatures (you might be touched), very real and graphic scenes of horror. Not Recommended if you are: Pregnant, claustrophobic, have seizures, heart or respiratory conditions, or a big wimp! No smoking, drinking, eating, running inside, or touching props and/or actors. McKamey Manor reserves the right to refuse admission to anyone for any reason. The guest (YOU) voluntarily assumes all risks/dangers associated with participating in this event. Enter at your own risk! McKamey Manor retains exclusive rights to use all visual images captured for public/private showing."
One notorious tour, "Desolation," offered a $20,000 prize but deducted $500 for each failure or use of profanity by a participant. A new tour named "Descent" is available on the website, designed primarily for solo experiences, though participants can choose to run it with two people for personalized "Interactive Experiences." This new tour involves a two-hour waiver process, and only one show takes place weekly throughout the year. The website ominously suggests, "At the new McKamey Manor, you will experience thrills that you have never seen before. You will be tested to your very core. If things become too much, you can always quit... if we let you..."
Numerous individuals have come forward to share their harrowing experiences. Laura Hertz Brotherton participated in the San Diego location and alleged that her ordeal left her hospitalized, covered in bruises, and with mouth scratches from actors using fish hooks on her cheeks. She claimed actors blindfolded her with duct tape, buried her alive with only a straw to breathe, and submerged her in water up to her ankles. Amy Milligan also had a distressing experience recorded as part of the attraction. In her footage, she was shown lying in a freezer with dark water and actors pouring water over her. While the video was edited, Milligan contended that the worst parts were omitted. As water was poured over her, her hair wrapped around her neck, making her feel like she couldn't breathe, yet the actors did not stop.
Other participants have been compelled to eat their own vomit, had snakes wrapped around their necks, or were lowered into tanks full of eels.
A petition on Change.org calls for the Tennessee state senate to shut down McKamey Manor, amassing nearly 200,000 signatures. The petition describes the manor as a torture chamber in disguise, replete with torture porn, and a blemish on the reputation of haunted houses. It alleges that participants have suffered extreme physical harm, sexual assault, and drug injections.
One theory gaining traction suggests that McKamey selects individuals deemed "weaker" based on the pre-submitted physical and psychological evaluations. Other theories speculate that despite the lack of an entrance fee, McKamey earns money by streaming the experiences to the dark web or selling unedited videos to the highest bidder, possibly using streaming cameras.
Whether the selection process targets the vulnerable, the experiences amount to actual torture, or McKamey reaps online profits, it remains a fact that participants endure physical harm, often requiring psychological assistance after exiting the manor. For anyone contemplating participation in McKamey Manor, it comes with a stark warning: enter at your own risk.
Fun Facts:
- There is a waiting list of about 27,000 people eager to participate in McKamey Manor, which once prompted the establishment of five different locations.
- McKamey Manor gained notoriety by being featured on the Netflix original series "Dark Tourist" and in the documentary "Haunters: The Art of the Scare."
- Russ McKamey, the owner, remarked, "Every year it's got more crazy, more aggressive. We wouldn't be infamous if we weren't able to deliver the product."
- According to District Attorney Brent Cooper, the experience is legal because participants enter voluntarily, and they can withdraw their consent at any time, in accordance with Tennessee law.
- Even marines, police officers, and bikers have been unable to complete the house.
- McKamey Manor offers merchandise for sale and is handicap accessible.
Questions:
1. Would you ever consider participating in McKamey Manor?
2. Would you be interested in viewing the unedited videos of participants' experiences?
3. How do you think McKamey Manor is generating revenue?
4. What are your thoughts on the individuals who choose to participate in this experience?