Reckless Ben: McKamey Manor Investigation

In view

McKamey Manor is an extreme haunted attraction located in Summertown, Tennessee. The operation relocated from California to Tennessee in 2017 after it was shut down due to public outcry (Tennessean, 2 November 2023, quoting Assistant Attorney General Kristine Knowles).

Reckless Ben (Ben Schneider) produced a multi-part exposé on McKamey Manor in 2023. ComicBook.com (Russ Burlingame, 23 November 2023) characterizes Schneider as "one of McKamey Manor's biggest critics." The series is distributed on Tubi as "Reckless Ben: Exposing McKamey Manor" (series page opened 2 September 2026).

The Tubi series lists six episodes:

1. "Infiltrating McKamey Manor" (22 min, TV-MA)
2. "Uncovering the Hidden Truth About McKamey Manor" (27 min, TV-MA)
3. "McKamey Manor Is Suing Me for Exposing Their Secrets" (35 min, TV-MA)
4. "I Stole McKamey Manor's Secret Footage" (1 hr 5 min, TV-MA)
5. [Episode 5 not listed on opened page]
6. "I Created the Real Scariest Haunted House in the World" (duration not listed, TV-MA)

Tubi series description: "Reckless Ben uncovers the dark truth and hidden secrets behind McKamey Manor, the internet's most infamous extreme haunted house."

Observations

Schneider's conclusion

ComicBook (23 November 2023) reports Schneider "came away with the conclusion that there isn't really anything to see." During his visits to McKamey Manor, he and collaborators "underwent some physical challenges and were berated and humiliated by McKamey...but nobody reached the haunted house itself." In one case, "McKamey claimed his camera ran out of batteries, and in another case, he threw someone out for asking too many questions."

ComicBook's characterization: "there's almost nothing there, certainly nothing remotely like what is being advertised, and it seems to exist primarily so that Russ McKamey can subject people to degrading and painful experiences without consequences."

McKamey Manor's advertised claims

The Tennessean (2 November 2023) reports the tour features "intense lighting, extremely low visibility, strobe and fog light effects, damp and wet conditions and a physically demanding environment." The attraction is "not for the faint of heart" and excludes those who are "pregnant, claustrophobic, medically unfit — as in they suffer from seizures, respiratory or heart conditions — or, as the company puts it, wimpy."

Assistant Tennessee Attorney General Kristine Knowles's letter (Halloween 2023, reported in Tennessean) references McKamey's comments in a Hulu documentary: "We're known for no quitting and no safe wording."

The Tennessee AG's letter questions whether a "$20,000 prize, offered to those who complete the tour, actually exists. It may be impossible to win." McKamey has been quoted: "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."

Tennessee Attorney General investigation

The Tennessee Attorney General's Office announced a McKamey Manor investigation on Halloween 2023 via X (formerly Twitter). The Tennessean (2 November 2023) reports Assistant AG Kristine Knowles sent a letter expressing concern over "the haunted attraction's business practices."

The letter cites two concerns:

1. No safe word / forced continuation: McKamey Manor "either does not offer or honor participants' wishes to stop during the haunted tour," referencing McKamey's Hulu documentary comments.
2. No advance waiver access: "Tour participants do not have access to a waiver that describes the risks involved before they sign up." Former participants "describe the adrenaline and pressure they felt when reviewing the waiver at the start of the tour." One interviewee on the Hulu documentary said they had 'too much excitement going through my veins at the time,' and 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.'

Knowles stated the AG's Office "will be requesting documents and information from McKamey in the coming weeks."

Hulu documentary

The Tennessean (2 November 2023) reports Hulu's documentary "Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House" "featured multiple interviews with participants who've done it as well as founder Russ McKamey."

ComicBook (23 November 2023) states the Tennessee AG investigation followed the Hulu documentary AND Reckless Ben's videos: "the Tennessee attorney general announced that they were investigating claims of abuse by McKamey — charges that have come to light following the Hulu documentary and Reckless Ben's videos, both of which encouraged people to come forward in spite of their fears that McKamey would retaliate against them legally."

The Tennessean (2 November 2023) attributes the AG probe solely to the Hulu documentary, not naming Reckless Ben. The desk does not pool these accounts — each outlet's characterization of causation remains separate.

Schneider's creative tactics

ComicBook (23 November 2023) reports Schneider "used a number of creative tricks to take the wind out of McKamey's sails, including altering the contract McKamey makes contestants sign to allow him to share his footage online. He also started an LLC called McKamey Manor after a representative for McKamey manor threatened legal action against Schneider for using the company's name in his videos."

One Schneider video "has been taken down by YouTube, apparently because McKamey reported it for revealing the location of McKamey's home (where the Manor is)."

Ben's Basement counter-event

On 9 December 2023, Schneider held "Ben's Basement," a one-night haunt "with a goal to actually offer some of the scares that McKamey Manor claims it has in store" (ComicBook, 23 November 2023). Ten contestants competed for a "big prize" (they hoped to match McKamey's $20,000). Schneider invited McKamey to attend, stating: "I feel like it's the biggest middle finger to McKamey Manor if we just do everything that they're claiming to be."

ComicBook reports the filmmakers behind the Hulu documentary "Monster Inside" did a walkthrough of Ben's Basement, as well as "The Wolf," described as "one of McKamey Manor's most vocal online critics."

Inferences

On the attraction's substance

Schneider's series concludes McKamey Manor fails to deliver the advertised two-mile zipline, hundreds of rats, and haunted house itself. ComicBook characterizes the operation as primarily a vehicle for McKamey to subject participants to degrading experiences.

This is Schneider's finding as reported in independent press, not a desk-established fact. The desk has not visited McKamey Manor, opened McKamey's response beyond his X post ("haters gonna hate," 2 November 2023), or reviewed discovery from the AG investigation.

On the AG investigation

The AG probe followed both the Hulu documentary (Tennessean) and the Hulu documentary plus Reckless Ben's videos (ComicBook). The two accounts are not contradictory — they may reflect different emphases or different AG statements. The Tennessean article does not mention Reckless Ben; ComicBook explicitly credits both.

The AG's letter questions the $20,000 prize's existence and the lack of advance waiver access. These are allegations in an investigation, not findings or enforcement actions as of 2 November 2023.

On McKamey's business model

The operation requires participants to sign a waiver on-site, under conditions the AG describes as high-pressure and adrenaline-fueled. The operation relocated from California after public outcry. The advertised prize appears designed never to be won.

Whether this constitutes fraud, false advertising, or lawful extreme entertainment remains contested. The AG investigation is ongoing as of the Tennessean's 2 November 2023 report.

Risks and gaps

The desk has not opened:

• Reckless Ben's McKamey Manor videos directly (YouTube is primary for metadata, not findings).
• The Hulu "Monster Inside" documentary (opened the title page, not the film).
• The Tennessee AG's full letter or subsequent investigation documents.
• McKamey's response beyond the single X post.
• Participant waivers or contracts.
• Any resolution of the AG investigation.

The Tennessean article includes an embedded Scribd document (the AG's letter to McKamey Manor) which did not load in the opened page. If that document becomes accessible, additional claims may bind.

Next safe step

If the Tennessee AG's investigation produces findings, enforcement action, or a settlement, those will be bindable public records. If McKamey files defamation litigation against Schneider, that will be a new docket object. If participants file civil suits against McKamey Manor citing the AG investigation or Schneider's videos, those will be separate objects.

The catalog does not claim Schneider's conclusion is correct or incorrect. It does not claim McKamey Manor is fraudulent or lawful. It separates what the channel published, what the AG is investigating, and what independent press reports about both.

Sources

All extracts verified on opened pages.

ComicBook.com (Russ Burlingame, 23 November 2023, 9:03 AM)

URL: https://comicbook.com/irl/news/reckless-ben-one-of-mckamey-manors-biggest-critics-is-holding-his-own-haunted-house-event/

• Schneider, "real name Ben Schneider," calls himself a "professional infiltrator."
• "multi-part exposé on McKamey Manor"
• Prior work: "infiltrated a cult, a restaurant owned by a hate group"
• Conclusion: "there isn't really anything to see"
• Schneider quote: "I feel like it's the biggest middle finger to McKamey Manor if we just do everything that they're claiming to be."
• When Schneider and collaborators applied, "they all apparently skipped the line, because they were accepted almost immediately." They "underwent some physical challenges and were berated and humiliated by McKamey...but nobody reached the haunted house itself." One case: "McKamey claimed his camera ran out of batteries, and in another case, he threw someone out for asking too many questions."
• "Schneider used a number of creative tricks to take the wind out of McKamey's sails, including altering the contract McKamey makes contestants sign to allow him to share his footage online. He also started an LLC called McKamey Manor after a representative for McKamey manor threatened legal action against Schneider for using the company's name in his videos."
• "One of Schneider's videos has been taken down by YouTube, apparently because McKamey reported it for revealing the location of McKamey's home (where the Manor is)."
• ComicBook synthesis: "there's almost nothing there, certainly nothing remotely like what is being advertised, and it seems to exist primarily so that Russ McKamey can subject people to degrading and painful experiences without consequences."
• "The filmmakers behind Hulu's Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House have already done a walkthrough of Ben's Basement, as well as 'The Wolf,' one of McKamey Manor's most vocal online critics."
• "Recently, the Tennessee attorney general announced that they were investigating claims of abuse by McKamey — charges that have come to light following the Hulu documentary and Reckless Ben's videos, both of which encouraged people to come forward in spite of their fears that McKamey would retaliate against them legally."
• Ben's Basement: one-night haunt, 9 December 2023, ten contestants for "big prize" ($20,000 hoped to match McKamey's).

Tennessean (Craig Shoup, 2 November 2023; updated 3 November 2023, 7:48 AM CT)

URL: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2023/11/02/tennessee-mckamey-manor-investigation-hulu-documentary/71420749007/

• "A Middle Tennessee haunted attraction, billed as a descent into hell not for the faint of heart, is being investigated by the Tennessee Attorney General's Office after it was featured on a recent Hulu documentary."
• "Summertown's McKamey Manor is open all year and is not for those who are pregnant, claustrophobic, medically unfit — as in they suffer from seizures, respiratory or heart conditions — or, as the company puts it, wimpy."
• Tour features: "intense lighting, extremely low visibility, strobe and fog light effects, damp and wet conditions and a physically demanding environment."
• Hulu documentary: "Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House", "featured multiple interviews with participants who've done it as well as founder Russ McKamey."
• Assistant AG Kristine Knowles letter, Halloween 2023: concerns over "business practices."
• Knowles: McKamey Manor "either does not offer or honor participants' wishes to stop during the haunted tour," citing Hulu documentary and McKamey quote: "We're known for no quitting and no safe wording."
• Second concern: "tour participants do not have access to a waiver that describes the risks involved before they sign up." Former participants "describe the adrenaline and pressure they felt when reviewing the waiver at the start of the tour." One interviewee on the Hulu documentary said they had 'too much excitement going through my veins at the time,' and 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 haunted attraction relocated from California to Sumertown in 2017 after it was shut down there due to public outcry, Knowles pointed out in the letter."
• AG questioning "$20,000 prize, offered to those who complete the tour, actually exists. It may be impossible to win." McKamey quoted: "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."
• Knowles: AG's Office "will be requesting documents and information from McKamey in the coming weeks."
• Tennessee AG announced investigation "on Halloween" via "X, formerly known as Twitter."
• McKamey responded via X (Thursday, 2 November): "haters gonna hate."

Tubi (series page, opened 2 September 2026)

URL: https://tubitv.com/series/300021314/reckless-ben-exposing-mckamey-manor

• Series title: "Reckless Ben: Exposing McKamey Manor"
• Description: "Reckless Ben uncovers the dark truth and hidden secrets behind McKamey Manor, the internet's most infamous extreme haunted house."
• Documentary · 2023 · 1 Season
• Episode titles (bindable as published titles):
  • S01:E01 "Infiltrating McKamey Manor" (22 min, TV-MA): "Ben's first day inside McKamey Manor exposes a chaotic, misleading operation that feels more like a cover-up than a haunted attraction."
  • S01:E02 "Uncovering the Hidden Truth About McKamey Manor" (27 min, TV-MA)
  • S01:E03 "McKamey Manor Is Suing Me for Exposing Their Secrets" (35 min, TV-MA): "Journalist Danny Berk joins the investigation, confronting McKamey Manor head-on and exposing a maze of empty promises."
  • S01:E04 "I Stole McKamey Manor's Secret Footage" (1 hr 5 min, TV-MA): "Ben searches for Russ's missing hard drive, rumored to contain unedited footage from inside McKamey Manor."
  • S01:E06 "I Created the Real Scariest Haunted House in the World": "Ben buys the McKamey Manor company to reinvent it. Instead of hurting people, he builds fun stunts and real challenges. The biggest twist?"
• Cast: Ben Schneider, Danny Berk, Rodney Newman, Lydia Ren, Nathan Sanders
• Director: Ben Schneider

Cross-reference: Reckless Ben (parent), Bricks & Minifigs investigation, Provo Canyon School investigation.