Inside McKamey Manor

Inside the Manor.

McKamey Manor is often labelled the most extreme haunt in America; it's notorious on social media, has a fierce fanbase, but some of the participants say they were physically and psychologically traumatised by their time in the house. So what's the truth? In episode one we learn about the fear industry; how folksy haunted houses spurned something altogether more adult…extreme scare attractions. And we’ll also uncover how McKamey Manor earned its title as the most intense, controversial haunt of them all. Listen to episodes of Inside McKamey Manor wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Elizabeth McCaffertyProducers: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa RochesterExecutive Producer: Jo MeekSound Design: Craig EdmondsonLegal Advice: Angie Mell, Reviewed and ClearedInside McKamey Manor is an Audio Always production

Who is the man behind McKamey Manor? Russ McKamey, a military veteran with a deep passion for all things horror, created a haunt some call the most extreme in the world…while others condemn it as nothing short of a torture house. In Episode 2 we trace McKamey Manor’s evolution, exploring how the haunt has transformed over time and find out why it keeps having to find new places to start over.Listen to episodes of Inside McKamey Manor wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Elizabeth McCaffertyProducers: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa RochesterExecutive Producer: Jo MeekSound Design: Craig EdmondsonLegal Advice: Angie Mell, Reviewed and ClearedInside McKamey Manor is an Audio Always production

Almost all conversations about McKamey Manor circles back to one thing… the waiver. An extensive document signed by participants of the extreme haunt, supposedly grants the actors permission to do just… anything: electric shocks, drowning, crushed limbs, broken bones, exposure to poisonous animals… even death. But is any of this legal? In Episode 3, we dive into the complexities with the help of a personal liability lawyer and a dominatrix, exploring the fine line between consent and risk.Listen to episodes of Inside McKamey Manor wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Elizabeth McCafferty Producers: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa RochesterExecutive Producer: Jo MeekSound Design: Craig EdmondsonLegal Advice: Angie Mell, Reviewed and ClearedInside McKamey Manor is an Audio Always production

How can we decipher between what’s real and what’s fake inside McKamey Manor? In episode 5 we explore Russ’s world of “smoke and mirrors” —  is the torture that appears to happen on video fake? Or the only real thing about a manor tour? Elizabeth speaks to a creator of scary smells of horror experiences, and watches journalists undergo hostile environment training to learn how you turn an illusion into something real.Listen to episodes of Inside McKamey Manor wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Elizabeth McCafferty Producers: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa RochesterExecutive Producer: Jo MeekSound Design: Craig EdmondsonLegal Advice: Angie Mell, Reviewed and ClearedInside McKamey Manor is an Audio Always production

Scare acting is more than performance — it’s about understanding fear and bringing it to life. At McKamey Manor, where actors are volunteers who’ve endured the experience themselves, the line between entertainer and participant fades. We hear from a McKamey Manor actor whose experiences ended in a police investigation and we uncover what it takes to turn fear into reality. What does it really mean to bring terror to life? Listen to episodes of Inside McKamey Manor wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Elizabeth McCafferty Producers: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa RochesterExecutive Producer: Jo MeekSound Design: Craig EdmondsonLegal Advice: Angie Mell, Reviewed and ClearedInside McKamey Manor is an Audio Always production

McKamey Manor trades on its reputation, both good and bad. In this episode we unpack the legal difficulties Russ, and the manor has faced. A journey that takes us through financial woes, failed safety checks, and ends in 2024 with a charge of attempted murder. And we explore the interview which nearly ended the podcast before it began. Listen to episodes of Inside McKamey Manor wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Elizabeth McCafferty Producers: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa RochesterExecutive Producer: Jo MeekSound Design: Craig EdmondsonLegal Advice: Angie Mell, Reviewed and ClearedInside McKamey Manor is an Audio Always production

In the final episode of Inside McKamey Manor we explore what it’s like to try and leave the McKamey Manor community, why this content is allowed online, and the after effect of a traumatic experience. We try to find someone to defend the manor, and get in touch with Russ McKamey. Listen to episodes of Inside McKamey Manor wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Elizabeth McCafferty Producers: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa RochesterExecutive Producer: Jo MeekSound Design: Craig EdmondsonLegal Advice: Angie Mell, Reviewed and ClearedInside McKamey Manor is an Audio Always production