Winchester Mystery House is a popular stop for family travelers visiting the San Francisco area, but if you’re making your trip in October, it’s an absolute must. Not only is it an architectural marvel, but its unique history and reputation for paranormal activity also earned it a spot as one of the most haunted houses in the world.
Located in San Jose, the mansion began its life as an eight-room farmhouse purchased by Sarah Winchester, heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune. After the deaths of her infant daughter and her husband, Sarah had an encounter with a medium, starting her on a journey to create what is, without a doubt, the most unique mansion in the world.
The medium advised Sarah to find a new home and keep it under constant reconstruction to avoid the fate of a family curse, one that resulted from the death and destruction caused by the family’s invention of the Winchester repeating rifle. The medium convinced Sarah if construction ever stopped, she would die.
Haunted by the spirits of those the family’s weapon had killed, the wealthy widow began construction in 1886 on a quaint farmhouse. The building grew to a sprawling mansion with 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, six kitchens and just one shower.
Sarah led the construction herself, drawing up plans that changed daily and made little sense. The result is a sprawling mansion with stairways leading to nowhere, doors opening to reveal blank walls and chimneys that don’t reach the ceiling. The constantly changing floorplan and odd features like upside-down stair posts and trap doors found throughout the house were all designed to confuse the spirits Sarah believed haunted her.
While the construction didn’t prevent Sarah’s death, Winchester House has become a living legend. Dubbed Manchester Mystery House in 1923 by magician Harry Houdini, the property is now a popular tourist attraction that has received more than 12 million visitors.
A variety of tour options let guests spend anywhere from an hour to an entire day exploring the mansion and its gardens. The Walk with Spirits Tour lets guests experience a Victorian-style wake and séance. This tour also includes a visit to one of the mansion’s two basements where one of the house’s ghosts, the Wheelbarrow Ghost, is believed to reside. Each October, the property hosts incredible Halloween haunts such as this year’s Unhinged: Nightshade’s Curse.
Tickets run from $65 for general admission to $80 for the VIP experience.
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