McKamey Manor is an extreme haunted house where survival horror stories are staged. Established by Russ McKamey in San Diego and later moving to Tennessee, this establishment has garnered some criticism throughout its existence.
Russ McKamey denies allegations that anyone has been waterboarded or otherwise tortured during this experience. Several petitions have been submitted describing it as torture porn.
Origins
Haunted houses have come a long way since their 19th-century London beginnings, when sideshow illusions and circus attractions introduced new forms of disturbing entertainment for audiences. Marie Tussaud was among the pioneers who used wax sculptures this way – scandalizing audiences with her collection of guillotine victims and death masks.
McKamey manor, which is featured in a new Hulu documentary and Netflix series Dark Tourist, started off as a Halloween attraction for children. However, thanks to an ex-Navy theater studies major, its transformation into more of an extreme horror experience than initially intended has proven incredible. All signees must sign extensive waivers allowing staff members to shave heads, pull out teeth or break fingers using mousetraps is mandatory before signing up!
Critics accuse haunted house operatorss of setting up a torture chamber disguised as a haunted house, alleging they employ masochistic employees who use caged rats and snakes as attractions; additionally they require visitors to wear medical-grade face masks; further allegations indicate participants may be forced to consume dog food, pills and alcohol to induce hallucinations-causing hallucinations episodes.
Characteristics
Russ McKamey, a former Navy seaman turned wedding singer who moonlights as an extreme haunted house operator has developed an exceptional, personalized experience for guests at his extreme haunted houses. As the subject of Jon Schnitzer’s new documentary and often described as the scariest person one will ever meet, McKamey remains controversial due to both his personality and mode of operation being at the core of any possible dispute surrounding them.
At McKamey Manor, visitors must sign a 40-page waiver and fulfill other requirements before being admitted into what owner describes as a horror boot camp. He doesn’t specify the torture techniques but these might include restraints, hypnosis, being bound or waterboarding among others.
No one has yet managed to outlast this experience, which lasts over 10 hours and takes place in Summertown and Huntsville in Tennessee and Alabama respectively. McKamey offers a $20,000 prize to anyone who manages to complete it – though many guests drop out before then despite McKamey defending his work against critics who accuse him of being both sadistic and psychopath.
Attractions
Haunted attractions typically follow a theme, feature effects lighting, use scents and fog machines, feature characters wearing costumes or masks, use scents and fog machines, have characters wearing costumes or masks and offer an interactive experience. Their goal is to frighten, disturb, amuse or confuse customers and may include props such as spinning tunnels, air blasters, strobe lights or old antiques for added spookiness. Hypnosis or acrobatics might also be included to create an environment that’s terrifying or funny all at the same time!
Russ McKamey’s haunted house stands apart from all others by requiring visitors to sign a substantial waiver that grants him permission to torture them however he sees fit – be it waterboarding, physical exam, food and beverage abuse (vomiting is encouraged), restraints or any number of horrors imaginable. Psychological techniques like adversity training and hypnosis may be employed against victims as well. He operates his extreme haunted houses in Summertown and Huntsville Tennessee as well as San Diego.
Misperceptions
Russ McKamey, who spent 23 years serving in the Navy before moonlighting as a wedding singer, first opened up a haunted house operation in San Diego before moving it to Tennessee. Since then he has been accused of various offenses such as sexual assault and torture; videos have surfaced showing people forced to consume bugs or snakes before being dragged over ropes, made to swim underwater or buried alive alive by him.
Law enforcement and local residents have taken notice of his extreme tactics, and they want him to cease operations immediately. A petition on Change.org documents examples of abuse including broken bones and mental trauma; for instance, one woman claimed she left McKamey Manor covered with bruises and scratched in the mouth from actors “fish-hooking” her cheeks.
Accepted guests must first go through a screening and sign a 50-page waiver at the experience location, where they cannot use profanity, be under 18, curse at other attendees or curse during any part of their stay. Admission costs only one bag of dog food which McKamey then distributes among his five pups while giving the rest away to rescue organizations.
