Winchester Mystery House
San Francisco California
Welcome to the Winchester House, where staircases lead to nowhere, doors open to bare walls or to steep drops to the ground below, and most things are built in groups of 13 (13 bathrooms, 13 palm trees on the driveway, 13 steps on each stair).
The house originally belonged to Sarah Winchester, widow of the famous gun maker. The legend goes that she went mad after losing her baby daughter and husband, and started consulting a psychic who told her the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles were haunting her. In order to confuse the spirits, Sarah began construction on the most puzzling house ever to exist. She hired builders to work 24/7 for 38 years. There was never a blueprint for the house –She simply added rooms where she felt they should go, regardless of logic. As a result, the house now has six kitchens, 47 fireplaces (most of them with blind chimneys), three elevators, 2,000 doors (although most lead nowhere or are installed on the floor), and a bathroom with 13 windows. At last count, there were 160 rooms in the house, although nobody is certain of that number –In fact, the house is so confusing that every time the rooms are counted, people come up with different numbers.
After Sarah's death in 1922 (in her will, there were 13 signatures), the house was bought by investors to be turned into a tourist attraction and was later declared a California Historical Landmark. Now said to be haunted, it's a popular attraction for people of all ages.
Winchester House San Francisco
Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House is located at 525 South Winchester Blvd., San Jose. The House is open for tours everyday except Christmas. Grand Estate Tours (includes Mansion & Behind-the-Scenes Tours) cost $24.95; Mansion-only Tours are $19.95. There's also an Annual Pass available for $49. Special flashlight tours are held on Halloween night and every Friday the 13th.
For more information, you can check the official website at www.winchestermysteryhouse.com
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