Owner refuses to shut down haunted house despite complaints it's too scary
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Despite calls for its closure, the owner of a haunted house in Tennessee — known for “traumatizing” visitors — vows to remain open.
McKamey Manor first opened in 2017 in Summertown, Tenn., branding itself an “immersive horror” experience. People who enter are required to sign a 40-page waiver, according to the attraction’s website.
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Each “tour” is personalized to hit into the participant’s deepest fears and can last up to six hours as guests will be “mentally and physically challenged until you reach your personal breaking point,” the site states.
Guests must be at least 21 and meet additional requirements that may include completing a “sports physical,” getting a doctor’s note that confirms a visitor is in good mental and physical health, proof of medical insurance, and a phone call screening with owner Russ McKamey.
McKamey Manor was featured in the 2023 Hulu documentary, Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House, and exposed viewers to what participants could expect during a visit.
Some called it a “torture chamber,” others described it as a “full contact” experience.
“We’re known for no quitting and no safe word,” McKamey says in the documentary. “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.”
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If selected, guests said they had to sign the waiver “on the spot” before getting a preview of what might happen in the house, according to People.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti launched an investigation into McKamey and the manor in October 2023 following the release of the documentary, WKRN reported.
McKamey countersued this past March, claiming the inspection of his property violated his constitutional rights, according to the outlet.
A petition launched on Change.org in 2019, which calls for McKamey Manor to shutter its doors, has so far attracted more than 193,000 signatures, with a total goal of 200,000.
McKamey confirmed the house of horrors is still up and running, insisting he carefully vets visitors to avoid any “knuckleheads” from taking part.
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