Britannia Manor
| Company type | Private residence |
|---|---|
| Industry | Haunted house attraction |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Richard Garriott |
| Defunct | 2016 |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas , United States |
Area served | Austin, Texas area |
Key people | Richard Garriott |
| Products | Haunted house events, private residence |
Britannia Manor served as the home of game designer Richard Garriott, its name inspired by the castle of Lord British from his Ultima role-playing games. Situated on a hill near Austin, Texas, the property gained exposure through appearances on HGTV's Secret Spaces and MTV's Cribs.
Between 1988 and 1994, Britannia Manor was also famous for hosting what many regarded as the world's premier haunted house event held every two years.
Design
The manor's design reflected Garriott’s fascination with medieval themes, showcasing decor such as crossbows, swords, and armour, alongside numerous traps and concealed passageways throughout the structure. In a hidden basement chamber, Garriott displayed treasured items including dinosaur fossils, a coffin containing a human skeleton, and a vampire hunting kit dating back to the 16th century. Additional rare artifacts featured strands of hair from the Glacier snowman, a brick from the Great Wall of China, a Russian spacesuit, and stained glass salvaged from an abandoned church. The residence also housed an extensive array of automatons. Within the basement "dungeon," there were shrunken heads, mummified human remains, an Egyptian mummified bird, and various human skulls.
An observatory was incorporated into the manor’s design with structural isolation to eliminate vibrations that could interfere with long-exposure astrophotography.
Created by Alan Barley of Barley & Pfeiffer Architects based in Austin, Britannia Manor was intended to be succeeded by Britannia Manor Mark 3, planned for a nearby river bluff offering views of Austin’s skyline, 360 Bridge, and Lake Austin. This new castle-inspired residence was to include a rotating observatory but faced construction setbacks due to the dot-com bubble burst and was ultimately postponed indefinitely when Garriott shifted focus to space exploration in 2008.
Additional unique elements featured a functional cannon at the entrance and an indoor grotto equipped with hot-and-cold rain showers.
After remaining on the market for several years, Britannia Manor was sold in December 2014; the subsequent owner demolished it in late 2016.
Haunt history
Prior to 1995, Britannia Manor earned acclaim for hosting one of America’s most intricate haunted house experiences. Each Halloween, Garriott invested significantly in makeup, props, construction supplies, special effects, and costumes. While most performers and crew volunteered hundreds of hours, two professionals—Greg Dykes and Keith Ewing from Custom Creations—were compensated specifically for managing complex set builds. Entry to this exclusive event was primarily complimentary; however, some charity nights charged upwards of $100. Attendees frequently camped out for up to two weeks to secure invitations.
The haunted house offered a fully immersive Halloween adventure designed as a role-playing game. Groups traversed Garriott’s mountainous estate solving puzzles while encountering physical obstacles such as swinging ropes, crawling spaces, climbing challenges, and rowing tasks. Actors engaged participants both physically and verbally, creating an experience where groups could become separated during their quest.
This interactive haunted attraction format pioneered by Garriott has persisted beyond Britannia Manor. Many volunteers involved there—including Keith Ewing—lent their expertise to Austin’s Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve Haunted Trails from 1996 through 2005. Beginning in 2007, these volunteers supported SCARE for a CURE, a charitable haunted house now operating as a nonprofit under Jarrett Crippen (known as The Defuser), initially hosted at the Austin Elk's Lodge and later relocated to Lorane Ghost Town.
In 2009, SCARE for a CURE—underwritten by Richard Garriott but directed by Crippen—was staged at Garriott’s unfinished manor approximately half a mile from the original location. He designated this site as Britannia Manor Mark 3 (with Mark 1 referring to his original New Hampshire home and Mark 2 being his current residence).
Curtain Theater
Situated along the waterfront area of the estate, Garriott built a scaled-down version of an Elizabethan open-air playhouse known as the Curtain, taking its name from the original Curtain Theatre. Designed to accommodate more than one hundred spectators, it drew inspiration from the life-sized replica of the Globe Theatre located in Southwark, London.
Media coverage
The estate gained exposure through an appearance on the television show MTV Cribs. Additionally, a complimentary documentary entitled The World's Most Famous Haunted House: A Tribute to Britannia Manor was created to honor its legacy.
Burglar attack
In 1997, an unstable admirer unlawfully entered the residence. Garriott protected himself by wielding an Uzi, discharging a warning shot while awaiting law enforcement to arrive.