The History
Sarah Winchester was the widow of William Wirt Winchester, heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune. After losing her infant daughter Annie in 1866 and her husband William to tuberculosis in 1881, Sarah was devastated. She inherited $20 million (over $500 million today) and 50% ownership of the Winchester company.
Legend says a Boston medium told her the family was cursed by the ghosts of everyone killed by Winchester rifles - and the only way to appease them was to continuously build a house. She moved to San Jose in 1884 and began construction that wouldn't stop for 38 years.
The Endless Construction
Carpenters worked 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Sarah personally directed construction without an architect, reportedly receiving building plans from spirits during nightly séances. The result is architectural chaos: staircases that lead to the ceiling, doors that open onto walls, windows overlooking other rooms, hallways that narrow to nothing.
At its peak, the house was seven stories tall (reduced to four after the 1906 earthquake). It contains 161 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens. The number 13 appears obsessively throughout.
The Hauntings
The Winchester Mystery House has been investigated by paranormal teams for decades. The most commonly reported phenomena include:
The Séance Room
Sarah held nightly séances in a blue room accessible only through a series of secret passages. Staff report cold spots and whispered voices.
The Daisy Bedroom
Sarah died in this room in 1922. The rocking chair reportedly moves on its own. Staff have seen an elderly woman's apparition.
The Basement
Footsteps, voices, and organ music from Sarah's grand organ have been heard coming from below. Workers refuse to go alone.
Hallway 13
One of the most photographed spots - a narrow corridor where visitors report being touched and seeing shadow figures at the end.
By The Numbers
161 Rooms
Including rooms within rooms and rooms with no apparent purpose.
38 Years
Non-stop construction from 1884 until Sarah's death in 1922.
$5.5 Million
Estimated total construction cost (over $70 million today).
The Number 13
13 bathrooms, 13 windows in certain rooms, 13 hooks in the séance room, 13 drains in sinks.
What's There Now
Visit Winchester Mystery House
Address: 525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose, CA
Status: Open daily as a museum and tourist attraction
Highlights: Mansion tours, behind-the-scenes tours, garden tours, and flashlight tours at night. One of San Jose's top tourist destinations.
Recognition: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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