mckamey manor haunted house tour

The Untold Truth Of McKamey Manor, America's Most Controversial Haunted House

Both young and old alike get a kick out of a good haunted house attraction, especially during Halloween season. What better way to get the adrenaline pumping than walking (or being chased) through a maze of spooky fun ? However, for some, jump scares, actors in frightening costumes, and special effects just aren't enough. To satisfy that hunger for more visceral fun, numerous haunts have popped up in recent years that go well beyond the usual scares of traditional attractions. One of these haunts is McKamey Manor, founded by Russ Mckamey, which since launching has generated considerable controversy for its incredibly violent nature. 

In fact, this particular haunted house is so extreme that participants must go through an intense screening process that includes signing a 40-page waiver. Apparently, those brave enough to go through with the experience are at risk of serious psychological suffering , physical injury, and even death. It's so extreme that those who make it through the hours-long duration will win $20,000. But what is McKamey Manor, exactly? Is it a barely legal way for its owner and employees to torture unwitting victims, or is it something else entirely?

No one has completed it

McKamey Manor is supposedly such a torturous experience that even the toughest military veterans and masochists are pushed well beyond their limits. Of course, according to McKamey Manor's founder, Russ McKamey, the attraction is designed to be impossible to finish. When  Nashville Scene asked him if anyone had ever won the $20,000 grand prize, McKamey responded, "Of course not, and they never will! Because it's so mentally and physically challenging. But it will be the most exciting thing you've ever done."

Most sane people wouldn't call the haunted house exciting, and might regard a mere few minutes at McKamey Manor as more than enough. However, that still hasn't stopped some folks from becoming repeat customers, wanting to prove to themselves that they can last longer than their previous tries. Just ask Christina Buster, who told the Guardian just before subjecting herself to McKamey Manor a second time, "Last time was brutal. I've come back to test my limits, push myself further. I'm nervous and I'm scared. I'm expecting to be torn limb from limb, to get it worse. I'm probably going to regret it big time."

It's a nonprofit

With the right kind of gimmick, a haunted house attraction can attract a massive crowd, especially during the Halloween season. Of course, because McKamey Manor does pretty much everything it can to separate itself from the pack, it doesn't make money, operating instead as a nonprofit. Even with a purported 27,000-person waitlist, the experience doesn't take a single dollar from any participant.

So, if McKamey Manor is a nonprofit that doesn't accept monetary payment, what does it cost to get in? Just some dog food. "I've already put in well over a million dollars into the thing," Russ McKamey tells WFLA News Channel 8 . "And I don't charge any money of course to get into it. A bag of dog food is the initial price. Which is crazy. I'm not a very good businessperson." He has five dogs, so at least participants will be able to rest easy knowing that all of the cuts and bruises they endured will ensure the pups won't go hungry.

A participant (supposedly) had a heart attack there

There was one life-threatening case that happened at McKamey Manor, according to owner Russ McKamey, who told Nashville Scene that, "Nobody's ever been injured, ever. Nobody's ever had any lawsuits, ever. I mean, there was a heart attack once, but that person's OK now." Even that is not enough for McKamey to tone down his attraction. "People can get bumps, bruises, sprains, and cuts, but you can die at Disneyland, too," he told the publication.

While McKamey may not have taken the heart attack incident particularly seriously, one person who did take it seriously was Chris Potter, who included it as part of his Change.org  petition to shut down McKamey Manor. According to the petition: "[McKamey] should understand that putting people in danger is not something to play with. One participant suffered a heart attack in 2008 during the experience in California, he didn't care one bit about this participant. He just enjoyed watching the footage."

Participants are forced to record an exit video

Some haunted house attractions have photo booths so visitors can take home a snapshot of themselves, after experiencing thrilling yet tame special effects and actors in spooky costumes. McKamey Manor, on the other hand, lets participants record videos of themselves — bruised, bloodied, and battered — talking about how much they enjoyed the rush. According to some, however, the option to be recorded is not optional.

Take Laura Hertz Brotherton, for example, who in 2016, traveled from Colorado to the McKamey Manor's original location in San Diego, California, as part of her quest for a more extreme horror experience. According to her interview with Nashville Scene, she got far more than she bargained for in the form of waterboarding, tasing, whipping, and slapping. 

When she dropped out before the end, she said that Russ McKamey pointed a camera at her and stated, "... if I do not say good things about McKamey Manor and I start telling what actually happened, he's going to sue me for $50,000. I signed a waiver saying this could happen. So Russ forced me into saying all these great things, like, 'Oh my God, my tour was so amazing, it was exhilarating,' blah, blah, blah." Brotherton explained that, because she was so tired and overwhelmed, she was willing to do almost anything just to get out of there, including giving a positive testimonial.

There are still some things that are too extreme even for McKamey Manor

Believe it or not, founder Russ McKamey has some surprising rules in place. McKamey told HowStuffWorks , "[there is] never anything sexual. No one's going to whisper anything inappropriate into your ear. No one's going to touch you in an inappropriate way." He also stated that the attraction has no religious references, nor is profanity allowed. That last rule is a big deal for McKamey: participants face a $500 deduction from their final prize for each violation. In fact, he considers McKamey Manor to be "PG-13."

These rules appear to stem from McKamey's personal values, who tells  The Washington Post that "I'm like the most strait-laced guy you could think of, but here I run this crazy haunted house. And people twist it around in their little minds." He's confirmed that he doesn't use profanity in his personal life, nor does he smoke, or consume alcohol or even coffee.

It's got an intensive screening process

With a waitlist that supposedly consists of more than 27,000 people, Russ McKamey is naturally a bit choosy about who he admits to McKamey Manor. The official website lists what you'd expect for this type of attraction, requiring participants to be "21 and above, or 18-20 with parents approval. Completed 'Sports Physical' and Doctor's letter stating you are physically and mentally cleared. Pass a background check provided by MM ... Proof of medical insurance. Sign a detailed 40-page waiver. Pass a portable drug test on the day of the show."

But there's another box that participants must check before being subjected to McKamey Manor's horrors, which is watching a nearly two-hour documentary that features many of the attraction's previous participants. The purpose of this particular requirement does little to reveal the specifics of what they'll be subjected to as, according to the website's warning , participants must "Understand that each tour will be different based upon your personal fears," meaning no two experiences are the same.

It's being investigated by the Tennessee Attorney General's Office

Unsurprisingly, Mckamey Manor, a haunted house attraction with a reputation for subjecting visitors to extreme violence, has attracted the attention of the authorities. The release of Hulu's documentary "Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House," which features interviews with Russ McKamey, as well as several of its participants, prompted the Tennessee Attorney General's Office to begin an investigation into the attraction's operations.

In October 2023, Tennessee's chief legal officer Jonathan Skrmetti tweeted : "Happy Halloween. Today @agtennessee sent a letter to the @McKameyManor raising serious concerns about its business practices in operating its 'extreme haunted attraction.' This office continues to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of all Tennesseans." Apparently, McKamey and his team weren't bothered by the investigation, as McKamey Manor's official X account  responded:  "Haters gonna hate," ending with a laughing emoji.

The documentary's director, Andrew Renzi, revealed to  The Hollywood Reporter that, while it wasn't his intent to draw the attention of the authorities to McKamey Manor, he's glad the participants who were subjected to the excessive torture may finally see justice occur. "The Attorney General is taking notice, so maybe the way my team made the film, as a horror film, has sparked a more visceral reaction in people than if we'd followed a more straightforward true crime template," he told the publication.

It might not be as dangerous as it seems

The alleged injuries that participants have suffered are not for the fainthearted, and include all manner of torture just shy of acts that constitute war crimes. Among these rumored acts are being dunked repeatedly underwater, beating until bones break, and more. Laura Hertz Brotherton told Nashville Scene that during her time at McKamey Manor, "I was waterboarded, I was Tased, I was whipped. I still have scars of everything they did to me. I was repeatedly hit in my face, over and over and over again. Like, open-handed, as hard as a man could hit a woman in her face."

But are those kinds of things really happening at this attraction? Despite the wild stories that come out of the place, owner Russ McKamey insists that it's all theatrics. In a conversation with HowStuffWorks , he stated, "It's a very psychological experience that includes hypnosis, and once I hypnotize you, I can make you believe whatever I want. I can put you in a kiddie pool and tell you there's a great white shark in there, and you're going to freak out like there's a shark."

It's a nightmare for neighbors and locals

Even living in the same vicinity of McKamey Manor is quite hellish. Owner Russ McKamey has gotten quite used to having neighbors call the police on him, but the neighbors haven't gotten used to him in Summertown, Tennessee. Speaking to Fox 17 , County Commissioner and public servant Scott Franks said that he's especially concerned with the fake kidnappings that play a frequent part in the attraction, saying, "Children saw this happening. Mr. McKamey claims it's all smoke and mirrors and it's staged, but to the people who saw it, it did not appear that way. That's when we realized something has got to be done about this. You can't be doing this kind of activity in a residential area."

The simulated hostages have not only alarmed neighbors but local law enforcement, as well. Lawrence County District Attorney Brent Cooper recounts to Nashville Scene the frightening way that McKamey Manor first made its presence known in the area, saying, "According to Mr. McKamey, they had the woman down in the storm shelter, and she was down there consensually, but the deputies didn't know that. The way he described the scene to us, if the deputies had gone down there to see what he had done to this woman, the deputies would have shot Mr. McKamey." It's become a habit for McKamey to notify the police whenever he's about to start a show to prevent potential misunderstandings.

It's based on very specific fears

The goings-on at McKamey Manor may seem like unadulterated brutality, but according to Russ McKamey, there's a method to the madness. As part of his intensive screening process, an in-depth exploration of prospective participants' lives is conducted to deliver a uniquely terrifying show. One of the first steps is answering a series of questions, such as your biggest fear, your favorite horror movies, and your reasons for signing up in the first place.

But this is just the start of McKamey's system of picking ideal candidates for the house. Once someone has delivered some good answers, they talk to McKamey personally, when he gets to know them even more deeply. He told HowStuffWorks , "It's definitely a personalized survival horror experience. We find out a lot of information about an individual, with information we gather from them, from their friends and family, all kinds of sources. We find out what really makes them tick, and then we build a show around their fears and phobias." Because those who decide to pursue the "tour" are generally thrill-seekers, they're quite open about what truly scares them as they want the most extreme interactions possible. And McKamey is more than happy to deliver.

It's still legal - for now

Even with the authorities breathing down the necks of those who operate McKamey Manor, there seems to be little they can legally do to intervene — for the time being, at least. Lawrence County District Attorney Brent Cooper told Nashville Scene that he's talked to owner Russ McKamey about doing everything by the book to avoid prosecution, saying, "It's legal because basically the people that are subjecting themselves to the McKamey program, or whatever you want to call it, they're doing so voluntarily. That was one thing we went over at length with Mr. McKamey."

What's really keeping McKamey Manor out of trouble is the infamous 40-page waiver that participants must sign before their "tour." The massive document goes into great detail about the kinds of risks that visitors are knowingly subjecting themselves to, and so much so that it would be incredibly difficult — if not impossible — for them to hold the business accountable, should they endure any type of severe injury. 

According to the Campbell Law Observer , there may be some way to accuse McKamey of undue influence (which they define as "when an individual who holds real or apparent authority over another, uses the other individual's confidence to obtain an unfair advantage"). This is largely due to a petition to shut McKamey Manor down, which alleges that they purposefully target individuals who are more susceptible to actually signing up, though the Campbell Law Observer states that the evidence behind this is weak.

There've been multiple attempts to shut it down

McKamey Manor's alleged penchant for extreme torture has attracted plenty of criticism and multiple attempts to pressure Russ McKamey into closing up shop. This has largely taken the form of petitions , such as one which states: "[The attraction is] advertised as 'an extreme haunt' when in fact it is NOT a haunted house. It's a torture chamber under disguise. Reportedly, they do screenings to find the weakest, most easily manipulated people to do the 'haunt.' It's reported that if Russ doesn't think you're easily manipulated, you aren't allowed to go." The petition even got some press attention but, as of this writing, has yet to reach its goal of 200,000 signatures since launching in 2019.

Interestingly, another petition was started in 2022, featuring the exact same description as the aforementioned one, though with the following disclaimer: "The original petition owner had death threats by Russ so had to cease her work." Despite the backlash, however, McKamey remains undeterred, dismissing his critics as nothing more than "haters."

Some people actually enjoy it

It's hard to imagine anyone having a good time during a tour of McKamey Manor, but there's an audience for everything. Despite being unable to last throughout its entire duration, some attendees still managed to get some gratification out of it, such as Christina Buster, who signed up for a slot at the attraction when she was 44 years old. Buster told the Guardian, "I don't feel I was tortured or abused. It pushed me to my limits. I'm proud of myself. I still hold the record as the oldest person to go through." Buster even said that she would return for another try.

Then there's Brandon Vance, who not only endured the torments of McKamey Manor twice, but was actually looking forward to doing it again, according to Nashville Scene. For him, it was a means of returning to the intense emotional period he longed for since leaving the military. Vance told the publication that he's engaged in all manner of extreme activities, but added, "It's not the same as when you're sitting in a Humvee, locked and loaded, you've said your last prayer and go outside the wire — it's very hard to replicate that. With McKamey Manor, that's the closest I've ever come. I get to experience that feeling again — it's almost euphoric."

There's a final secret location that nobody has made it to

Most haunted house attractions take place in only one location, but McKamey Manor isn't like most haunted house attractions, and so its terror takes place across multiple cities — for a single experience. When moving from its original location in San Diego, California, to Tennessee, Russ McKamey decided to greatly expand its capabilities to push its visitors past their limits. The Southern California location largely took place in a house in a residential neighborhood, but the lower cost of living in Tennessee meant that McKamey could set the Manor on a large plot of land.

But that still wasn't enough space for the showman; the current version takes place in three phases, starting in Summertown, then to Nashville, before crossing state lines into Huntsville, Alabama. McKamey told News19 , "In Alabama it's more of the fun stuff, if you call it fun. Some people call it fun. It's a friend of mine's property. I don't even know what you would call it. But it's way out in no man's land, super secluded." He also confirmed that no one had yet made it to the Huntsville location.

McKamey Manor: The History and Controversy Behind America's Most Extreme Haunted House

It's like living through a horror movie.

The haunted attraction , founded by Russ McKamey in San Diego, CA, has been operation for years, and still has a cult-following of loyal fans. McKamey refers to the experience as a tour, which is meant to last 10 hours, promising a $20,000 cash prize to anyone who can withstand the full experience. (Spoiler alert: no one has ever made it that far.) Each tour is tailored to the individual participating, playing upon their biggest fears and phobias. Past visitors of McKamey Manor have reported leaving with broken bones, shaved heads, extracted teeth , and, of course, psychological trauma. Visitors must sign an extensive (40 page long) liability waiver before participating in the experience, which essentially allows Manor "volunteers" to torture them however they see fit. This torture can include waterboarding, being tased, drugging, being forced to eat and drink items including vomit, restraints, and much more.

How to Visit McKamey Manor

If the details of these tours haven't put you off already, you can still visit the infamous McKamey Manor. In 2017, largely due to local complaints, Russ McKamey moved his attraction from San Diego to Summerville, TN. He also has a secondary tour location in Huntsville, AL, where he takes participants that survive long enough at the Tennessee location. There is no set fee for touring the haunt, though McKamey takes donations of dog food for his pets. Though possibly more appealing during spooky season, tours take place year-round whenever someone musters up the courage to take on the challenge.

To sign up you must first join McKamey's closed Facebook group . The group is also where McKamey now shares all the live footage of people during their tours. To join the group, you must take a video of yourself explaining who you are are sent it to Russ along with a photo of your drivers license. You must also answer a series of questions including: what is your biggest fear?, what are your top 10 favorite horror movies?, are you just a fan or do you want to take a tour?, and what makes you want to be a member of the McKamey Manor tour group?

If you successfully join the Facebook group, you've completed step one of the vetting process. You must also speak with Russ personally before being accepted for a tour.

Where is Russ McKamey now?

Currently, Russ McKamey lives in Summerville, TN. He is still active on both his personal and McKamey Manor Facebook accounts.

He continues to post updates about "challenges" routing followers to the main closed Facebook group for McKamey Manor. There are several ongoing petitions , along with many disgruntled neighbors, calling for McKamey Manor to be shut down.

The Hulu documentary, Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House , details all of this and more including visitors' personal experiences and real tour footage.

Maggie Horton is the Associate News Editor at Country Living. She covers all things entertainment from celebrity news to TV shows and movies. When she's not posting to social media, researching the latest celebrity gossip or binging the hottest new TV series, you can find her at a local concert or outside enjoying nature. 

.css-1shyvki:before{background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:contain;background-size:contain;content:'';height:0.819rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-right:-0.9375rem;width:3.125rem;}.loaded .css-1shyvki:before{background-image:url('/_assets/design-tokens/countryliving/static/images/arrow.svg');}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1shyvki:before{display:none;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1shyvki:before{display:inline-block;}} Entertainment .css-unxkmx:before{background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:contain;background-size:contain;content:'';height:0.819rem;margin:0.7rem auto 0.9375rem;width:3.125rem;}.loaded .css-unxkmx:before{background-image:url('/_assets/design-tokens/countryliving/static/images/arrow.svg');}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-unxkmx:before{display:block;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-unxkmx:before{display:none;}}

Cole Hauser Shared a Sweet Family Update on IG

Wynonna Judd Surprises Fans with Career News

'Bargain Block' Is Returning to HGTV This Fall

Travis Kelce Is Absolutely Gushing About Taylor

Miranda Lambert Just Announced a New Tour

Stanley Drops New Starbucks Sky Blue Quencher

Max Thieriot Directs Latest 'Fire Country' Episode

See Kelly Clarkson's "What Was I Made For?" Cover

Jenna Bush Hager Stuns in a Floral Dress on TikTok

The ACM Announces Entertainer of the Year Nominees

'Fire Country' Fans, See Max Thieriot's Date Night

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Extreme haunted house: inside the real life kingdom of masochists

At McKamey Manor, people pay to be kidnapped, bound, masked, slapped, stomped on and held under water over an eight-hour ‘tour’. But unlike other ‘extreme haunts’ of the same variety, here there’s no safe word to make it stop

O n a balmy California morning, three daredevils park in front of an elementary school and lean against their cars, trying to appear nonchalant as they wait to be kidnapped. They’re the guests of McKamey Manor , an interactive “extreme haunt” which has a cult-like devotion online.

The kidnappers are up the road in the manor, a grand name for a San Diego suburban house smelling of dog pee. They’re busy applying finishing touches to their outfits. Andrew Sweeney, 6ft5in and with a beard thick as a shoebrush, puts on a tattered shirt splattered with red and a fabric bag with eye-holes over his head. He looks like a demonic lumberjack.

“I’m not going to lie,” he says from inside the hood. “I go hard on the big guys. I’ve got three kids, a lady and six dogs – a lot going on in my life. This is a great de-stresser.” His tools today include plastic restraints, a rope and a robust-looking airtight plastic bag which fits snugly over an adult human head.

Ryan Lawrence also sports a beard, plus a nose ring and tattoos (an assortment of webs, skulls and a horned devil). He has his face painted kabuki white, with coal-black rings around the eyes. “I’m the enforcer,” he smiles. “I’m here to make sure no one makes it out. I get carried away. I don’t really have a line.”

For the past decade, the manor has hosted a handful of guests each weekend, challenging them to last the eight-hour “tour”. Marines and cage fighters, cops and bikers, plumbers and clerks, housewives and beauticians – all have tried.

None succeeded.

You can watch them on YouTube whimpering and trembling, begging for mercy, for it to stop. This only fuels a clamour to get in: there is apparently a waiting list of 27,000 people.

The half-dozen kidnappers are volunteer “actors” who originally came here as guests and now return to pass on that suffering, with glee, to others. A writer on The Truth about McKamey Manor , one of the several Facebook groups which monitor and criticise the haunt, accused it of recklessly endangering people by not properly training them.

“The possible consequences such as dry drowning or possible damage to lungs were never explained. If actors weren’t aware of these consequences and possible life-threatening situations, it’s fair to say that they had no idea what they were doing. The actors were never told what to do in certain situations, for example how to properly approach someone who is having a panic attack or loses consciousness,” one wrote.

Today, Lawrence is especially motivated because one of the “victims” is a 44-year-old woman named Christina Buster who, for reasons best known to herself, spent the past year taunting Lawrence and his colleagues on Facebook by branding them as inept and feeble abusers.

“I’m going to tear that girl apart,” says Lawrence, indignant. “I’ll drag her by her bald head. No one is leaving with eyebrows today.”

Modern audiences demand extremes; torture porn franchises such as Saw and Hostel have now migrated to the mainstream. Less well known is this boom in “extreme haunts” in which people sign liability waivers and pay more than $40 to stumble through dark, dungeon-like places where actors grab and manhandle them to amplify the frights. The pioneer, Blackout , has staged slick events in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. If things get too disturbing, punters yell a contractually stipulated “safe word” to exit the fantasy.

McKamey Manor, in contrast, does not make money. It operates as a nonprofit, taking just a handful of visitors each weekend and accepting payment only in dog food. It is also unique in not having a safe word, says Jon Schnitzer, who is making a documentary about extreme haunts.

“This manor gave me actual nightmares. It’s the only one where you don’t decide when to quit,” he says. That can be an issue when you’re being being bound, masked and held under water, slapped and stomped on, and compelled to eat your own vomit.

The svengali is Russ McKamey, a hale, hearty showman who moonlights as a wedding singer, flashes toothy smiles and uses words like “rascal” and “critter”.

When I first interview McKamey in his office, a cramped room cluttered with horror memorabilia, he is in marketing mode. “Everyone is so blasé about what happens in the world. They need a safe release. It’s about creating a cinematic experience and making people feel they’re living their own horror movie. Movies can’t fool us anymore. It’s really hard to get emotions out of people.”

On that score, the manor delivers. It generates anxiety, fear, revulsion and, eventually, relief. “It’s survival horror boot camp,” says McKamey, who spent 23 years in the navy and still sports a buzz cut.

His single-storey detached house started hosting Halloween haunts for children about 15 years ago. Gradually they became rougher, for adults only, with the host filming and posting the results online. “We were pretending to cut hair but YouTube critics said, yah, fake, so thanks to the naysayers we had to ramp it up and bring more reality to it,” he recalls. “Every year it’s got more crazy, more aggressive. We wouldn’t be infamous if we weren’t able to deliver the product.”

A sly grin. “100% fear. We’re good at it. We’re the best at it.”

This is achieved, he says, by imposing physical and psychological stress until people break, a process begun the moment they sign the waiver. “Pretty soon it becomes real. There’s no break. It’s non-stop. The whole goal is to get you exhausted so we have better control over you.”

Another grin. “As a (film) director everything I’m doing is geared towards capturing magic Kodak moments.” Translation: close-ups of jabbering, screaming and retching, occasionally with a cockroach or tarantula scurrying across the face.

Punishment escalates if you swear because McKamey, of all people, has a puritanical streak: he says he does not smoke, drink alcohol or coffee or “cuss”. There is no nudity or sexual suggestion in the manor.

“This is a live theatrical performance,” says McKamey, who majored in theatre studies before joining the navy. “It’s not real. If people were really hurt we’d be shut down. It’s smoke and mirrors.”

I’m not sure what to make of his statement, as some of it is real: the violence, the claustrophobic confinement, the forced-feeding, the choking.

A lively community of online critics brands McKamey an abomination, a sadist, a psychopath and worse. He shrugs them off as haters. However, that perception is a problem because, having recently been laid off from the navy, he now wants to make the manor commercial. San Diego regulations preclude that, so he must move. Protests scotched an envisaged site in Illinois so he is now preparing another, undisclosed location.

Today is the last hurrah for the San Diego house so a “special” farewell haunting is planned. A day earlier, McKamey tried to cajole two local women to participate. Lindsey Boley, a 36-year-old housewife and mother of three, and Nadia Nagor, 28, a fashion blogger and stylist, had each done it once before and were mulling a return visit.

“It intrigues me,” said Boley. “Some people climb Mount Everest, this is another challenge. You want to be the first person to conquer it. In your head it’s torture, but it’s a show.” If it felt like torture, was it not therefore torture? A pause. “I’m a masochist. A lot of it doesn’t bother me.”

Both women were proud of the resilience they showed in McKamey’s videos but were unsure about showing up for a sequel. Boley was due to start a warehouse loading job and feared injury. Nagor had a wedding the following week. “I’ll go looking like Sinead O’Connor.” McKamey promised she would keep her hair. Nagor looked sceptical. “Russ is so nice, but in the manor a switch flips.”

Neither shows up next day at the car park. Instead three other victims turn up, trying to not look self-conscious in their onesies. Families drive by and a couple play frisbee in an adjacent park, unconcerned. Make-believe abductions are routine sights here, though McKamey always notifies police to avoid misinterpretations.

Christina Buster, pale and thin, wears a frown and a Scooby-Doo outfit. A year ago she took a break from her job as a US government-contracted logistical analyst in Kuwait to test her resolve in McKamey Manor. She lasted five minutes, turning so hysterical McKamey yanked her out. Since then she has begged to return – and taunted her would-be tormentors in the process.

“Last time was brutal,” Buster says in a quavery voice. “I’ve come back to test my limits, push myself further. I’m nervous and I’m scared. I’m expecting to be torn limb from limb, to get it worse.” She gives a wan smile. “I’m probably going to regret it big time.”

Spencer Caine sports a grin and a pink onesie with images of donuts. He is 19, worked as an actor at the manor a year earlier and is studying associative justice in hope of becoming a DEA agent. His motivation: a chance to star in a mooted McKamey Manor reality show. Like Buster, he too has posted on Facebook to brand the tormentors as softies.

Beth Hipple, a nursing student, wears a beige teddybear onesie. “This weekend is going to be interesting. Mckamey Manor here I come. Ready to put myself to the test!” she posted on Facebook the day before. There is no time to talk to her because McKamey and a posse of balaclavas swoop, marching the prisoners from the car park to an isolated wooded copse with a pungent smell.

I can partly empathise with the doomed trio. The previous afternoon my film-making and photographer colleague Mae Ryan and I submitted to a “sissy” induction. McKamey and an accomplice with zombie-style contact lenses taped balaclavas to our heads and ordered us into a “rat run”, which turned out to be labyrinth of metal cages barely big enough for crawling. Whomever escaped first would avoid a “terrible punishment”.

My sequential thoughts, over the course of approximately 10 minutes, were as follows:

• The balaclava is hot and smelly and I can’t see anything. • This is kind of scary and exciting. • I should be chivalrous and let Mae win, take the punishment myself. • It’s very hot and cramped and I’m snagged on something. • I’m getting out. Sorry Mae. • I can’t get out. • Fuck this, I can hardly breathe or move. • LET ME OUT (this thought possibly verbalised).

McKamey let us out and there was no punishment because that was obviously, ahem, a bluff.

The trio committed to the non-sissy version, in contrast, receive no mercy. It all happens very fast. One moment they are standing in the sunshine, the next they are in a gloomy copse, on their knees, hands bound, with masking tape wrapped around their heads. As instructed, they crawl into a pool of fetid water by a storm drain.

“Why have you come back, grandma?” a tormentor bellows at Buster, shoving her face in the murk. He yanks her out by the hair and plunges her back in. Another works on Beth. Two focus on Caine – smacking and slapping, pulling his hair out in tufts, ramming a soiled rag in his mouth when he gasps for air. His eyes bulge. “You gonna cry Spencer? You gonna cry?”

At one point the trio, sodden with black filth, eyes wild, is forced into the mouth of the drain. Two men clamber on top and grab Hipple and Buster’s long hair, stretching it taut, while others jab the cowering figures. They resemble a Hieronymus Bosch tableau of the damned. Their transformation is shocking.

All of this happened before they have signed liability waivers.

They are then dragged one at a time to McKamey, who films as they read the form out loud (Clause 20: “Participant agrees there is no quitting unless serious physical or psychological injury is present.” Clause 25: “Participant fully understands that at many times they will be in a panic state of anxiety, in which they feel that they will drown and they may die.”)

All sign, even Buster, who looks half-dead. The tormentors whoop in delight and reward the captives with a fresh barrage of slaps. Sweeney, the de-stressing lumberjack, tosses them like dolls into the back of a black pick-up truck and they are driven to the manor to begin the official “tour”.

It begins with the rat-run. Unable to see or properly breathe, encased in soaking clothes, they inch through the maze while being hosed, prodded and screamed at. “I quit,” whimpers Hipple. Sweeney growls. “We tell you when you quit! Move!”

On it goes, the process of breaking their will with blasts of cold water, smacks and contraptions which include a medieval gibbet, a water tank and a chair with buckles and straps for force-feeding. When they shave Buster’s head, her shrieks could be heard down the street. “Help!” No one did.

All the while, incongruous normality reigns in other parts of the house. Sweeney’s three young children sit on a sofa watching cartoons. They seem oblivious to the shouts next door. (“I told you no cussing Spencer!” “Are you bleeding grandma? You’re disgusting.”) At points, tormentors wander into the kitchen for breaks, flushed and sweating. “Whoo! What a day,” says one, peeling off a balaclava. He eyes the snacks. “Chocolate chip? Awesome!”

After three hours, Caine, trussed in a straitjacket, is released and dumped on a sofa. Masking tape is peeled off to reveal a bruised, swollen, tearful face. Bald patches dot his scalp. “Please Russ, I’m done,” he moans. McKamey puts the camera close and asks for his verdict. Caine can barely focus. “Noooo,” he sobs. “Nooo, it’s horrible.”

Given a blanket, water and a cookie, he slowly revives and almost smiles when his erstwhile tormentors commend him on a “good job”. Sweeney, demonic lumberjack no more, is especially warm and chatty and compares notes with Caine about the experience, as if analysing a baseball game. “It’s rough but really it’s just a show,” he observes.

Hipple is next out and sinks on the sofa. “It was too much, way too much.” Her legs and arms are covered in welts and bruises but she is relieved to have retained her tresses. “I don’t regret doing it,” she says, through tears, “but I’m never ever ever doing that again”. Later on Facebook she will call it the most terrifying experience. “But I am so happy that I did it and lasted four hours!”

Then comes Buster, who lasted four-and-a-half hours. The crew applauds her like a successful game show contestant. “Good job! You’re a tough chick.”

She trembles and looks awful but is remarkably composed. “I don’t feel I was tortured or abused,” she says, patting a greyhound. “It pushed me to my limits. I’m proud of myself. I still hold the record as the oldest person to go through.”

Will she return? Buster pops an M&M in her mouth and gives a rueful smile. “Yeah.”

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

• COMING EVENTS

Founded In San Diego, Extreme Horror Experience McKamey Manor Is The Focus Of Popular New Documentary

Promo code SDVILLE saves on all tickets to the La Jolla Concours D'Elegance this April 19-21!

Featured Post

Nyc-based prince street pizza & los angeles' irv's burgers coming to san diego's pacific beach.

The Ultimate Guide To San Diego Padres Petco Park 2024

Promo code SDVILLE saves on every type of San Diego boat rental, charter and water activity!

Don't miss San Diego Museum of Art's Annual Art Alive Exhibit This April 25-28!

Promo code SDVILLE saves on tickets to San Diego's Cheese Expo on April 28!

Promo code SDVILLE saves on all tickets to San Diego's Gator By The Bay This May 9-12!

Enter for a chance to receive 2 weekend passes to San Diego's Wonderfront Festival this May 10-12!

Please Keep A Look Out For This Known San Diego Thief!!!

Promo code SDVILLE = $15 off ticketed harbor cruises + 5% on yacht rentals with Triton Charters!

Search SanDiegoVille

Get your sd lucky goose t-shirt.

About SanDiegoVille

Sandiegoville social media.

• SDV on Facebook
• SDV on Instagram
• SDV on Twitter

Eat. Drink. Socialize. Simply San Diego! ™

Get 15% off your first order from spy optics, a san diego-based eyeglasses and goggles company..

Advertise with SanDiegoVille!

McKamey Manor

The One and Only ORIGINAL

"Extreme Haunted Attraction,"

and "Surivial Horror Challenge"

1. 21 and above, or 18-20 with parents approval.

2. Completed "Sports Physical" and  Doctors letter stating you are physically and   mentally cleared.

3.  Pass a background check provided by MM.

4. Be screened via FB face time or phone.

5. Proof of medical insurance.

6. Sign a detailed 40 page waiver.

7. Pass a portable drug test on the day of the show.

For Your Safety You Must Meet Basic Requirements

Thanks! Message sent.

Tennessee Attorney General Announces Investigation Into McKamey Manor, The Haunted House That’s Basically A Torture Chamber

Seems like this one’s long overdue…

Following the release of the new Hulu documentary,  Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House,  folks are once against interested in the story of McKamey Manor.

What is McKamey Manor? The twisted brainchild of Navy vet Russ McKamey, it is likely the scariest haunted house on planet Earth. Located in in Summertown, Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama, this place is scary enough to not only possibly hurt you physically, but maybe even send you to the psych ward. And it is the subject of Hulu’s latest documentary.

The synopsis:

“Russ McKamey is the creator of the world’s “most extreme haunted house” – McKamey Manor. He is also a manipulative abuser, according to three people who realize the horror is never over once you decide to enter the Manor.”

The documentary follows a few stories from people who visited the “haunted house,”  and while not only being convenient for the spooky season of Halloween, the film’s ultimate goal is to get McKamey Manor shut down.

Here’s a quick look at the trailer:

Russ told the  The Sun   that the entire film was a hit piece:

“I will say that I had absolutely nothing to do with that show, and it’s nothing but hate. They didn’t even try to talk to anyone who supports me or the Manor. Also, all the footage you’re seeing is from my movies and personal Facebook pages. The only original is the hate interviews.

It’s just one-sided hate propaganda from people that actually know better but are looking for their 15 minutes of fame. They truly are obsessed with me. It’s very misleading. I hope people realize this. It’s not even about McKamey Manor, it’s all about me, trying to make me look bad. That was their agenda.

I know the people involved and I’ve seen all the messages between the creators of the project and the hate groups. They have been working on this for a long time.”

However, despite the previous attempts to get it shut down, and this new Hulu documentary, there is no shortage of people willing to try it. It’s garnered quite the cult following and even has an extensive interview process to get in.

Why? Well, take a look at some requirements that you need to pass the screening process:

– they make you sign a 40, FORTY, page waiver.

– you must be 21 and above, or 18-20 with parents approval.

– you must get a “Sports Physical” and doctor’s letter stating you are physically and mentally cleared.

– pass a background check.

– pass a screening via Facebook, FaceTime or phone.

– have proof of medical insurance.

– and finally, pass a portable drug test on the day of the “tour.”

Once you schedule your trauma-inducing experience, you’ll partake in the horror fest that takes over 10 hours… and maybe even longer. Who really knows if there is an end. IF you complete the journey (and follow the rules they lay out  such as no cursing, drinking, smoking, running, eating, or touching the actors or props), you can win $20,000.

However, fair warning… NOBODY has ever finished.

Their  website gives you all the info you need, and even itself looks out of control and scary, but somehow, more than 20,000 people have applied to participate. Granted, it doesn’t cost anything more than a 50-pound bag of dog food (weird) to enter.

According to  Nashville Scene , the house can shave your head or eyebrows, inject you with hallucinogens, make you eat bugs, snap you with a mousetrap, wrap plastic wrap around your face, whip you, taze you, bury you alive… and that’s just the beginning. It has been dubbed by some as a real life torture chamber.

So while some claim they were scarred for life by the experience, others have tried to complete the challenge more than once. And since Russ films the entire encounter, there is tons of footage available detailing what you can expect.

There is a massive  Change.org petition  to have the place shut down. Some have claimed they left with broken bones, bruises, were waterboarded and that founder Russ McKamey and company don’t adhere to the proposed safe word in a timely fashion.

And now it looks like the government is finally looking into the sadistic “haunted house.”

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Tuesday (Halloween, which I’m sure is just a coincidence…) that his office sent a letter to McKamey Manor raising concerns about the business practices of the popular attraction.

Seems like “business practices” is a nice way of putting it…

The letter from the AG, which was obtained by The Tennessean , expresses “serious concerns” about McKamey’s practice of not honoring participants wishes to stop during the tour, as evidenced by the owner’s comments in the Hulu documentary:

“We’re known for no quitting and no safe wording.”

And the letter, written by Assistant Attorney General Kristine Knowles, also calls into question the practice of not allowing participants to review the required 40-page waiver describing the risks involved with the experience in advance of showing up for the tour:

Former participants describe the adrenaline and pressure they felt when reviewing the waiver at the start of the tour. One interviewee from the Hulu documentary stated, “I had too much excitement going through my veins at the time.’ If [the waiver] would have said that a man is going to come out of the woods and murder you during this event, I would’ve have signed it.”

The government is also apparently questioning whether the supposed $20,000 reward even exists, or whether it’s impossible to win, citing McKamey’s comments to the  Nashville Scene  that nobody had ever won the prize and they never would.

The letter puts McKamey on notice that a formal request for information and documents would be coming soon, but from McKamey’s response it doesn’t sound like he’s too worried about it:

'There's a chance of death': Extreme haunted tour employee explains their terrifying 40-page waiver

A haunted tour experience that spans two states and lasts up to 10 hours requires its participants to clear a background check, pass a doctor's physical and mental exams, and sign a 40-page waiver. 

Enter if you dare. 

The McKamey Manor experience, which stretches from Summertown, Tennessee, to Huntsville, Alabama, also requires "contestants," as the operators dub them, be at least 21 (or 18 with parental permission), insured and pass a drug test.

Owner Russ McKamey offers $20,000 to anyone who completes the tour, but says no one ever has. He records each physically demanding and psychologically disturbing tour on video – for his own protection he told WFLA-TV – and then posts them online, showing the participants quitting in humiliation.

"You get a lot of people who think it's going to be easy money," Kris Smith, a 37-year-old Michigan native who works as a volunteer remotely for McKamey's tours, told USA TODAY. Smith was first introduced to the operation years ago as a contestant. During his first go-around, he didn't make it past signing the waiver, which details all the physically painful, high-stakes and grotesque things that could happen along the way.

"I read it and I quit," Smith said. "I got to the last page and turned around and went home.... There's so much. You have to pull out your own teeth, there's a chance of getting a tattoo, a chance of your fingernails getting pulled out. It's really overwhelming. There's a chance of death. Accidents do happen." 

Smith later returned and tried two more times before becoming an official member of McKamey's team. Once, tapped out after getting buried alive in a wooden coffin and then again during a round of hypnosis that gave him a "complete panic attack." 

Contributing: The Associated Press. 

Haunted houses: How did this eerie Halloween tradition creep into our brains?

Perfect place to visit this Halloween: Salem, Massachusetts, is 'Witch City'

McKamey Manor Tennessee owner files $8.4M lawsuit against Hulu, documentary participant

The man behind McKamey Manor has filed a new multi-million dollar lawsuit against Hulu, a production company and a participant in a documentary about the popular Tennessee haunted attraction, which premiered in October.

The latest filing comes less than two weeks after Russ McKamey filed suit against Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti , seeking a court order to ensure he won't have to testify in a state investigation he considers politically motivated.

McKamey Manor, the haunted attraction in Summertown, Tenn. — about 70 miles from Nashville — garnered national attention after it was  featured on the Hulu documentary , but the exposure led to concerns over business practices, and McKamey said state officials demanded that he appear to answer questions not long after it aired, leading to the first lawsuit against Skrmetti on March 29.

McKamey's attorney Davis Griffin filed the new lawsuit April 8 naming Hulu, the documentary's producer, North of Now Studios, and Justin Yerace, an interview subject who participated in a tour of McKamey Manor. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and $8.4 million in damages.

Hulu and its production company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Yerace, however, sent a brief statement Wednesday.

"I was advised not to talk about the lawsuit, but I can say that Russ and McKamey Manor (have) been abusing people and scamming people for years now, and I will do what I legally can to make sure people know the truth and to try and prevent more people from becoming victims," the statement read.

After his time at McKamey Manor, Yerace started a Facebook group called McKamey Manor Exposed and admitted in the documentary to obtaining McKamey's emails by calling the company and requesting the password to McKamey's account.

In the lawsuit, McKamey argues that the release of the emails on a documentary accessible by Hulu's then 48 million subscribers was an invasion of his privacy and a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

"It's bad enough that Mr. McKamey's email account was hacked and his most personal emails published on the internet by an individual with some sort of grudge, but it is beyond comprehension how sophisticated parties like Hulu and North of Now could possibly think that publishing those same hacked emails to over 48 million people was lawful. Imagine that happening to you," Griffin said in a statement.

"Hulu and North of Now also somehow thought they could feature Mr. McKamey in a central role in their movie without his permission. My best guess is they thought Mr. McKamey would not do anything about it, which was a mistake." 

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at [email protected] and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

McKamey Manor, The Tennessee Haunted House Accused Of Being A Torture Chamber, Files Lawsuits Against Hulu & The TN Attorney General

America’s most notorious haunted house is back in the headlines – and we’re still months away from Halloween.

It seems like it’s usually not until the fall that we start to hear stories about McKamey Manor.

What is McKamey Manor? The twisted brainchild of Navy vet Russ McKamey, it is likely the scariest haunted house on planet Earth. Located in in Summertown, Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama, this place is scary enough to not only possibly hurt you physically, but maybe even send you to the psych ward. And last fall, it was the subject of a Hulu documentary called Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House.

The synopsis of the documentary read:

“Russ McKamey is the creator of the world’s “most extreme haunted house” – McKamey Manor. He is also a manipulative abuser, according to three people who realize the horror is never over once you decide to enter the Manor.”

The documentary follows a few stories from people who visited the “haunted house,”  with the film’s ultimate goal being to get McKamey Manor shut down.

However, despite the previous attempts to get it shut down, and the new Hulu documentary, there’s no shortage of people willing to try it. It’s garnered quite the cult following and even has an extensive interview process to get in.

Why? Well, take a look at some requirements that you need to pass the screening process:

– they make you sign a 40 – FORTY! – page waiver.

– you must be 21 and above, or 18-20 with parents approval.

– you must get a “Sports Physical” and doctor’s letter stating you are physically and mentally cleared.

– pass a background check.

– pass a screening via Facebook, FaceTime or phone.

– have proof of medical insurance.

– and finally, pass a portable drug test on the day of the “tour.”

Once you schedule your trauma-inducing experience, you’ll partake in the horror fest that takes over 10 hours… and maybe even longer. Who really knows if there is an end. IF you complete the journey (and follow the  rules they lay out  such as no cursing, drinking, smoking, running, eating, or touching the actors or props), you can win $20,000.

However, fair warning… NOBODY has ever finished.

According to  Nashville Scene , the house can shave your head or eyebrows, inject you with hallucinogens, make you eat bugs, snap you with a mousetrap, wrap plastic wrap around your face, whip you, taze you, bury you alive… and that’s just the beginning. It has been dubbed by some as a real life torture chamber.

So while some claim they were scarred for life by the experience, others have tried to complete the challenge more than once. And since Russ films the entire encounter, there is tons of footage available detailing what you can expect.

However, some participants have claimed they left with broken bones, bruises, were waterboarded and that founder Russ McKamey and company don’t adhere to the proposed safe word in a timely fashion.

And after the release of the documentary, the Tennessee Attorney General announced he was opening an investigation into the twisted attraction.

Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Halloween of last year – which I’m sure was just a coincidence – that his office sent a letter to McKamey Manor raising concerns about the business practices of the popular attraction.

The letter from the AG, which was obtained by  The Tennessean , expresses “serious concerns” about McKamey’s practice of not honoring participants wishes to stop during the tour, as evidenced by the owner’s comments in the Hulu documentary:

“We’re known for no quitting and no safe wording.”

And the letter, written by Assistant Attorney General Kristine Knowles, also called into question the practice of not allowing participants to review the required 40-page waiver describing the risks involved with the experience in advance of showing up for the tour:

“Former participants describe the adrenaline and pressure they felt when reviewing the waiver at the start of the tour. One interviewee from the Hulu documentary stated, “I had too much excitement going through my veins at the time.’ If [the waiver] would have said that a man is going to come out of the woods and murder you during this event, I would’ve have signed it.”

But now McKamey is fighting back.

Recently, the owner of the haunted attraction filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Attorney General, asking the court to issue an order to ensure that McKamey wouldn’t have to testify in the state’s investigation.

McKamey met with investigators with the AG’s office earlier this month and invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. And in the lawsuit, he argues that his testimony could be used against him in criminal proceedings, arguing that the investigation is politically motivated.

McKamey’s attorney issued a statement on the lawsuit:

“It’s goal is simply to prohibit further violations of and retaliations against Mr. McKamey’s First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights, which, it should be said, have existed in this country for longer than the State of Tennessee itself,”

But that’s not the only lawsuit McKamey has filed to try to protect his name and business. Earlier this week, McKamey also filed a complaint against Hulu and one of the participants in the documentary, claiming that the documentary and the former visitor to the haunted house invaded his privacy and a violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The participant in the documentary, Justin Yerace, had previously taken part in the McKamey Manor experience. Afterward, he started a Facebook group called McKamey Manor Exposed, and admitted in the documentary that he obtained McKamey’s emails by requesting the password to McKamey’s account. The emails were then included in the documentary.

In the lawsuit, McKamey is requesting a jury trial and $8.4 million in damages from Yerace, Hulu and the production company behind the documentary, with his attorney blasting Hulu for including the personal emails in the film:

“It’s bad enough that Mr. McKamey’s email account was hacked and his most personal emails published on the internet by an individual with some sort of grudge, but it is beyond comprehension how sophisticated parties like Hulu and North of Now could possibly think that publishing those same hacked emails to over 48 million people was lawful. Imagine that happening to you

Hulu and North of Now also somehow thought they could feature Mr. McKamey in a central role in their movie without his permission. My best guess is they thought Mr. McKamey would not do anything about it, which was a mistake.” 

I guess we’ll have to wait and see whether all this affects the haunted house’s 2024 season, or if the legal issues are finally able to shut down McKamey Manor once and for all.

MORE FROM WHISKEY RIFF

WHISKEY RIFF RAFF PODCAST

WHISKEY RIFF SHOP

STAY ENTERTAINED

A riff on what country is really about.

Never Miss Out

Guided Walking Tour of the Moscow Metro

Description, good to know.

• Pricing details

Departure place

You would like, admiring the frescoes in kurskaya and komsomolskaya metro stations, marvelling at the architecture of the moscow metro, listening to your guide's commentary, essential information *, duration 1 hour 50 minutes, starting time 2:00 pm.

Set off to discover the most breathtaking stops on Moscow’s beautiful metro system on this walking tour.

Some of the stops on the Moscow metro are real masterpieces. Head underground and admire the Moscow metro with your guide.

During your guided tour, you will get to admire the Ploshchad Revolyutsii , designed by the architect Dushkin. There are no fewer than 72 sculptures in this station!

You will then explore Kurskaya station, built in 1938. The design, mosaics and slogans will immerse you in the era of Stalin. You will also see the frescoes depicting Russian victories in Komsomolskaya station.

Then, continue to one of Moscow’s must-see metro stations, Novoslobodskaya , which resembles an underground palace: marble, stained glass windows...

Join your guide to explore the most lavish and important metro stops in Moscow! 

• Availability: every day (excluding exceptional dates)
• Duration: 1 hr. 50 mins approx.
• Departure point: The Kremlin
• Languages: English
• Please wear comfortable shoes
• Metro tickets are included for the metro stations visited during the activity 
• A valid student card will be requested from participants who have booked the reduced student tariff
• A minimum of 2 participants is required to book this activity

Price includes

• Metro tickets
• The services of an English-speaking tour guide
• The guided tour of the Moscow metro

Price doesn’t include

• Access to stations not included in the tour
• Hotel pick-up/drop-off
• Tips (optional)
• All other extras

Customers also look

Private Moscow Metro Tour - With Reviews & Ratings

• Moscow Tours
• Walking & Biking Tours
• Walking Tours

Private Moscow Metro Tour

• See more images

Tour Information

Key Details

• Mobile Voucher Accepted
• Hotel pickup Available
• Free Cancellation
• Duration: 2 Hrs
• Language: English
• Departure Time : 10:00 AM
• Departure Details : Traveler pickup is offered Your guide can meet you at your hotel, hostel or vacation rental, You don't need to call to confirm the tour. The local supplier will contact you via email Your guide can meet you at your hotel, hostel or vacation rental, You don't need to call to confirm the tour. The local supplier will contact you via email" />
• Return Details : Your hotel or any place in Moscow you wish
• Cancellation Policy : For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Take aprivate Moscow Metro Tourto see the most historical metro stations, learn fun facts and fascinating stories and feel like a local in the most beautiful Metro in the world. Metro pass is included in the price of the tour. See 10 stations on 2-hour tour or 15 stations on 3-hour tour: Komsomolskaya , Kieskaya, Novoslobodskaya , Prospekt Mira, Belorusskaya , Mayakovskaya , Novokuznetskaya, Revolution Square (Ploshad Revolutsii), Arbatskaya , Sparrow hills , Victory Park, Slavic Boulevard, Vystavochnaya, Kurskaya, Rimskaya. Get lucky and see a one-of-a-kindAquarelle Train a picture gallery on wheels, or bump into a hidden entrance to the secret Metro-2. Take aCoffee Ring ride, check out the station with your sign of the Zodiac, chase the inhabitants of ancient seas, take a selfie with your friendly local guides, and simply have fun!

Know More about this tour

Your private guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel. Say zdravstvuyte to Moscow which is as big as Luxembourg, and to Moscow Metro with its 200 stations, 44 of which are recognized as objects of historical and cultural heritage. Timing is flexible and you can start the tour any time you prefer.

You will take a memorable metro ride with your private guide and see the oldest metro station, as well as the deepest, the longest, and, of course, the most beautiful: Komsomolskaya , Novoslobodskaya , Kieskaya, Belorusskaya , Prospekt Mira, Mayakovskaya , Revolution Square (Ploshad Revolutsii), Novokuznetskaya, Arbatskaya , Victory Park, Sparrow hills , Slavic Boulevard, Kurskaya, Vystavochnaya, Rimskaya.

Moscow Metro system consists of 12 lines and well cover all of them on the tour! Take the same subway cars that operate in the countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as in Sofia, Budapest, Warsaw, Prague and Tehran. Learn interesting facts and stories about the speed of trains, the distance between the stations, what are the busiest lines and get shocked how much it costs to build 1 km of the railway orsimply to rename the station.

Drop into a Moscow Metro museum if its open that day and see the relics of Metro which date back to1930s.

Finish the tour at your hotel, Novodevichy convent , Sparrow hills or any other spot you want.

This tour can be customized to make it a unique experience for you.Your private local guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and discuss the tour itinerary with you at the beginning of the tour.

Highlights of the tour:

• Visit 10 or 15 must-see Metro stations
• Check the oldest metro station opened in 1935
• See the 76 bronze figuresdepicting Soviet heroes on Ploschad Revolutsii station
• Take pictures of insanely-elaborate metro stations and dontforget to rub the nose of the bronze dog and to look at the Soviet sky
• Listen to the stories about Metro-2 - a secret metro line that supposedly links the Kremlin with Kgb . See unique Soviet-era dcor with marble, bronze, lavish mosaics, paintings, sculptures, stained glass
• Explore the underground treasures of Russian Soviet past
• Take a chance to catch nice Sparrow Hills views from Luzhniki Metro Bridge. The only Moscow metro station above the water
• If you are lucky,catch a uniqueAquarelle Train a wheeled painting exhibition, brilliantly painted with pictures of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and every cart is exceptional
• Visit the Museum of Moscow Metro on a 3-hour metro tour
• See some of Stalin skyscrapers on a 3-hour tour
• Enjoy Russian traditional lunch at a cozy authentic cafeon a 3-hour tour

You may choose to finish the tour on Sparrow Hills to hunt down the spot where you can see all seven of Stalin sisters at once!

Private tour

Russian lunch (on selected option with lunch)

Friendly local guide

Multiple start times available

Customized itinerary

Flexibility during the tour

Iconic places for photo shoot

Meeting in the hotel

Expert local advice where to go and what to do after the tour

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Please indicate prefer start time in comments when booking

The tour can be modified to meet your preferences

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

Not wheelchair accessible

Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate

This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

• Literary & Arts Tours
• Museum & Architecture Tours
• History & Heritage Tours
• Food & Nightlife Tours
• Outdoor & Nature Tours
• Aerial Tours
• Adventure & Sports
• Tickets & Passes
• Transfers & Transportation
• Holiday & Seasonal Tours
• Luxury Tours
• Shore Excursions
• Weddings & Honeymoons Tours
• Day Trips & Excursions
• Multi Day & Extended Tours
• Private Sightseeing Tours
• Shopping & Fashion
• What to do in Moscow
• Best time of year to visit Moscow
• How to reach Moscow
• Restaurants in Moscow
• City Map of Moscow
• Moscow Itineraries
• Moscow Hotels
• Itinerary Planner

Traveler Reviews

I cant recommend this tour highly enough. I asked a friend to recommend one thing to do with limited time in Moscow and he said, check out the metro. I did one better, and went on this individual tour yesterday with my very well informed guide, Alina. She took me to a number of stations and explained the history, politics and meanings behind the different sculpures and artworks in a way that made the whole experience far more meaningful than getting on and off the metro without guidance would have done. I had a really fantastic time and was thoroughly impressed. To top it all off, we had lunch and Alina suggested some great things for me to do, even whatsapping me maps, suggestions, and internet links. Today she followed up by messaging me to ask how my day was going and if I had any questions about the city, or recommendations for places to eat, etc. A great tour, a lovely guide and a fantastic experience. I couldnt recommend this tour, or Alina, any more highly. Fantastic!

Dear Friends,

My son and myself visited Moscow for a holiday in April 2018. And we had selected this fantastic tour. Our Guide Mrs. Julia came sharp at 10.00 AM even though she was not feeling well and had sore throat. Thereafter she took us to many Metro stations. Though I had already visited Moscow last year and seen all these stations, she gave phenomenal historic background and many interesting facts. She was almost fluent in English and and a good knowledge of Russian Culture, food and many other things. Overall we enjoyed thoroughly and I will highly recommend this tour with Julia if possible. Truly amazing person. And even more amazing tour.

Our Tour booked for 26 December 2017 was absolutely amazing. Our guide Julia picked us up from our Hotel in St Peterburg on time in a luxury minivan. Thanks to Julia we were able to see most of the tourist attractions that day. She went out of her way for us to make our day special. She had a vast knowledge of all the places that we visited. Lunch was special in a typical Russian restaurant with food from the region. I would definitely recommend this tour.

Picked up in the hotel lobby by our guide, Lylie, who then walked us to the closest Metro. She walked/trained us to 13 different stations and then explained the history of the metro and the significance of the decor in each station. We had plenty of time to photo, view the decor, watch and ride the trains and observe the people coming and going with their daily affairs. The art work/mosaics/sculptures/stained glass/ marble all had a role to play in presenting the history of communist Russia. The Russian metro well deserves the title of the most interesting and outstanding metro in the world. Lylie then took us to lunch, advised us on menu choices and their significance in the Russian culture and was very happy answering our questions on how the younger generation is responding to the new Russia. We had an outstanding guide, a fantastic experience and would highly recommend this tour over and above other tours which merely include a visit to a small number of stations. Lesley and David - Sydney

Great guide! She explained everything and took me to all the important stations. She knew her stuff! Worth it!

Our guide ,Dacha, was charming and very informative. We took the 2 hour tour and saw what Dacha thought were the most beautiful and interesting metro stations. The Metro is certainly worthy of its museum status and we were glad to have some of the designs and features explained to us.

Bykovo Manor

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Bykovo Manor - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (2.04 km) Hotel Za Okolitsey
• (2.38 km) Sosny
• (2.77 km) Sanatoriy Udel'naya
• (2.37 km) Apart-Hotel on Solnechniy 10
• (2.98 km) Vorkug Sveta Hotel
• (1.60 km) Leshiy
• (1.20 km) Pirat Pizza
• (1.57 km) Dodo Pizza
• (1.56 km) Sport-Pub
• (2.70 km) Khalif Restaurant
• (0.46 km) Church of Vladimir
• (0.74 km) Chapel of Our Lady of the Life-Giving Spring
• (1.56 km) Experimental Musical and Drama Theater
• (1.56 km) On Latskova Art Gallery
• (1.87 km) Tekhnologii Kino