The truth of McKamey Manor, the haunted horror house where you sign a waiver in case you die

What started as a simple Halloween attraction, has now become the centre of controversy and Netflix shows. McKamey Manor, which can be found in Tennessee, has been dubbed “the scariest haunted house in the world”. And now Halloween has come around, TikTok has discovered the house of horrors, and reignited the conversation around it.

In the early 2000s, Russ McKamey and his then wife Carol said they had $30k and were spending it on making Halloween at their home the biggest possible. But then, in turned dark. Fast forward to 2012, and guests were being buried alive and waterboarded as McKamey Manor went into full extreme attraction mode.

The horror attraction is so extreme, it featured in an episode of Netflix series Dark Tourist, where host David Farrier visits macabre places that have become tourist attractions. Other episodes included World War II reenactments, and places hit by radiation.

via YouTube

What is McKamey Manor and what happens there?

McKamey Manor is an interactive haunted house tour. Once inside, the “tour” can last up to 10 hours, and is based around your personal fears. The entire ordeal is filmed, and the owners have openly said you should prepare to be injured once inside. The tour can include being fish-hooked, strapped to “torture devices” and contact from live actors can result in “broken bones, dislocation of limbs, crushed limbs and blackouts”.

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One former worker there said: “I was seeing people come out shaking uncontrollably … one guy, it looked like his nose was broken; another burst a blood vessel in his eye – it was full of blood. People would have psychotic breakdowns – that’s the only time they would stop the tour. Then they would bring me in to calm them down.”

The manor’s website explains: “Be warned, MCKAMEY MANOR, is not your standard (boo) haunted house. This is an audience participation event in which (YOU) will live your own Horror Movie. This is a rough, intense and truly frightening experience. You must be in GREAT HEALTH to participate . Last year’s haunt was absolutely nothing compared to the new MCKAMEY MANOR.”

via YouTube

McKamey Manor doesn’t even charge a fee to enter. The owner, who apparently has five dogs, only asks people to bring a bag of dog food.

There’s a 40-page waiver you have to sign

Everyone who enters must sign a waiver. The waiver process apparently lasts 3-4 hours to completely read through. It allegedly includes the following:

• Participants accept they may come in contact with carbon monoxide poisoning

• That injuries may occur, such as a stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral haemorrhage, broken or sprained bones and drowning – to name a few

• Participants may be fish-hooked, which may cause rippage to the mouth area

• If sent to the “Dentist”, participants may have their tooth extracted without Novocain (anaesthetic)

• That participants may participate in various medieval torture devices, such as knife throwing while strapped to a spinning wheel

via Netflix

As well as this it is said to prepare guests for “drowning, electric shocks and exposure to poisonous animals”, as well as being “slapped, shoved and restrained”. The waiver apparently says the tour may result in “broken bones, dislocation of limbs, crushed limbs and blackouts”.

If you manage to get through the house without giving up, you can win $20,000. So far, no one has won the money. As well as the waiver, the manor’s website states you need to pass a physical test before being able to take part, and you also require a letter from your doctor.

A petition was launched to have McKamey Manor closed down, and the owner has faced criminal charges

McKamey Manor was compared to an “extreme torture chamber in disguise” and over the years there have been multiple petitions to have it closed down.

An online petition titled “Shut down McKamey Manor” received over 193,000 signatures. Since then, there have been eight further petitions. Russ McKamey told WFLA that his attraction is a “crazy haunted house,” not a torture chamber.

Russ has had his own controversies too. According to reports, he was previously facing charges of second-degree attempted murder, rape and domestic violence. But, the charges were later dropped.

Still up for it? Here’s a trailer for what to expect:

It looks as though the manor is still running to this day.