Winchester Mystery House

This is probably the most unique home you will ever see. Sarah Winchester was convinced that spirits of the people killed by the Winchester rifles were haunting her. A spiritual consultant told her that the only way to escape them was to keep building onto her home and that's exactly what she did. There are windows into brick walls and stairs into ceilings as this house kept growing up and out. I highly recommend taking a look when you're in the area.

Sarah Winchester, widow of the famous inventor of the Winchester rifle, began the construction on this mansion in 1884 after visiting a medium who told her that the ghosts of the people killed by her husbands rifles were going to extract their revenge on her if she didn't build them a place to live, and for the next 38 years she kept master craftsmen and carpenters busy 24 hours a day building and adding to it until her death.

At one time there were seven stories but since the 1906 earthquake there are only 4. There are so many oddities to the old Victorian architecture of this house that it has become known as the Mystery House.

Today there are 160 rooms, of which 47 are bedrooms, 2 are ballrooms. 47 fireplaces and nearly 400 stairs are in the home.

There are two tours that can be taken through the mansion. Also there are the gardens, a gift and souvenir shop, and even a café.

There are too many other interesting and odd features to mention here, but are well worth the cost of the tours to see and hear about.

The story of the mansion was an incredible one.  Sara Winchester, upon the death of her husband, was told by a medium to move west and build a home for the spirits of the deceased, that had died from the Winchester Weapons.  The Spirit of her deceased husband had informed her that there was a curse on the family, wrought by the Winchester Fortune, and that the only way to stave off her own death was to build a house for the spirits to reside in.  As long as she kep on building, she would avoid death.

Construction on the mysterious winchester mansion began in 1884, and continued, uninterrupted, until the year 1922, which is when sara winchester passed away. suppose she could not keep the spirits at bay, after all. the number 13 occurs througout the house, and many think it related to sara's superstitions concerning the spirits thought to be in the house.

We did a behind the scenes tour, as well as a general tour of the grounds and most of the rooms in the mansion.  It is amazing to see the kind of technology that went into the building of this home, and the sheer size of the place before the earthquake.  at one point, the mansion was seven stories high!

it is an eerie feeling, knowing the history, knowing why this grand house was erected...to house the spirits of the dead!  with its mysterious stairs that go nowhere, or the door that opens to a drop to the ground below, or the 13 coathooks in the walls.  it is an experience that everyone should take!