Summertown tourist attraction McKamey Manor now faces a probe from the Tennessee attorney general, according to a tweet from AG Jonathan Skrmetti. The Tennessean, which promoted McKamey as a “truly terrifying experience” and “horror experience like no other” a few weeks ago in a now-revised post, also shared a letter written to proprietor Russ McKamey by Assistant Attorney General Kristine Knowles. A recent Hulu documentary titled Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House brought national attention to McKamey, which bills itself as an “audience participation event.”
YouTube videos and other publicly available documentation show an experience at McKamey that resembles formal torture, physical violence and psychological abuse. State prosecutors cite a lengthy legal release document unavailable to participants until immediately before they begin their experience and a fake $20,000 prize advertised by McKamey. Knowles’ letter alerts McKamey that prosecutors will soon request documents and evidence into his business practices. The AG probe into McKamey comes days after Skrmetti brought legal action against tech giant Meta and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Before he gets started, the first thing Russ McKamey has to do is call the cops.
Russ McKamey moved the attraction from San Diego to Summertown in 2017 after public outcry against McKamey Manor. In a 2018 Scene cover story, he described curating participants’ experience as an “art form” to reporter Megan Seling. He has long defended his practices as voluntary and rewarding. Instead of an entrance fee, McKamey requires participants to bring food for his dogs. He also mandates several pre-event tasks for participants, who post their progress on Facebook. A strong follower community watches and comments on participants’ experiences via McKamey’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Graphic videos and firsthand accounts from participants paint a grim picture of the site. Legal proceedings appear to focus on the assurances and promises made to participants and McKamey’s legal waiver.
