Winchester Mystery House - A Definite Roadside...

fileId:3096224743906015;size:inter; Last year we finally visited the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA. I say finally because as most people know that I am obsessed with the weird things in the world, somehow I had never been there and always wanted to go there! The Winchester Home definitely fits into the Odd category and it is completely worth the visit if you've been trying to decide whether or not to go.

As most know, Sarah Winchester was the heir to the Winchester Rifle fortune and was, pretty much, a nut. She continued adding on to the home for 38 years in the belief that she had to do so to appease the spirits of the people who had been killed by Winchester Rifles. The home additions were very bizarre, including the more well known stairs that go nowhere and stained glass windows on interior walls. She was very creative at designing some weird additions and it makes for a very interesting tour. fileId:3096224743906019;size:inter; fileId:3096224743906022;size:inter;

I've added this to my list of "weird things you gotta see". This list is still just in my head, but maybe I'll actually write it all down for you one day.

Comments: 10

Michael A. Sep 10, 2006, 5:22pm UTC

Where is it?

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Susan *. Sep 10, 2006, 5:27pm UTC

...what a fascinating place that had to be...I heard they have tried to count the rooms but never get the same number twice....did they tell you that when you took the tour!?!

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Jennifer St.Antoine Sep 10, 2006, 6:01pm UTC

It is in San Jose, California, just south east of San Francisco.

Actually, they state that there are 160 rooms.

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Julie L. Sep 10, 2006, 6:04pm UTC

Fascinating. I would love to take that tour. But I have never been to California. Maybe oneday I will go.

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Michael A. Sep 10, 2006, 6:07pm UTC

I've got a customer who's a coach for the 49ers who I need to go see, maybe I can swing by there. Thanks for the tip, Jennifer.

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Barbara F. Sep 10, 2006, 11:03pm UTC

I've heard guite a lot about this place....Would love to see it someday...Thanks

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Sandra L. Sep 10, 2006, 11:31pm UTC

I saw this house on a special on tv and I am fascinated by it. How long was the tour? Did they talk about the death of her family members and that she thought she was cursed because of the spirits of the people who were killed by the rifles? Did they say the place is supposed to be haunted? How about the part that was burned in the fire that she died in? How did they deal with that part of the house. This is definately on my list of places I want to see. Your pictures are great.

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Jennifer St.Antoine Sep 11, 2006, 3:20pm UTC

Hi Sandra, we actually took two tours, one of the house and one of the grounds. I think they have a few different schedules you can do. I think it was about 45 minutes each or something like that. They did discuss her family members dying. Her daughter and husband died from illnesses and Sarah W was left distraught and a little nutty - she did keep building the house until her death because she thought that those killed by Winchester rifles had cursed her and that she had to never finish the house in order to appease them. There is talk that it is haunted, in particular by Sarah's ghost.
Thehouse was devastated by the San Francisco earthquake, but I do not recall anything about a fire and Sarah Winchester died in her sleep, I believe.

I'm glad you enjoyed the article and pictures, you should definitely visit it!

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Dave Sandborg Sep 11, 2006, 9:57pm UTC

They give nighttime flashlight tours of the Winchester Mystery House on every Friday the 13th. I think they also do it on Halloween. I did that a little over a year ago. I'd actually like to go back someday and see it in the daytime. The nighttime tour was cool but I think I missed a lot of details in the dark.

You can read my report here: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976722474

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Leigh V. Sep 12, 2006, 2:18am UTC

I've always thought about visiiting there. If I'm ever near that area again I will definitely check it out.

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Winchester Mystery House - A Definite Roadside Oddity!

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