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He ascended to let the trespasser know the three-story structure was off-limits. But the footsteps always seemed to be one step ahead of him, and, one floor above. Perhaps the same mental process happens with a country’s historical narratives about its most contentious and difficult topics—war, conquest, violence, guns. The family name was synonymous by the 1900s with a multi-firing rifle, and the Winchester family had made its fortune sending more than 8 million of them into the world. It wasn’t crazy to think that she might have been haunted by that idea, that she might have perpetually remembered it, and just as perpetually tried to forget.
IT’S A WONDER
Overall, the presentation about Sarah Winchester was informative and intriguing while the home offered a view into the history of the early 1900s in California. In 1866, Sarah and William had one daughter, Annie Pardee Winchester, but she died only one month after her birth. William Wirt Winchester died at the age of 44 of tuberculosis soon after the death of his father and mother.
Explore More Tour
For every claim about the mysteriousness of the home, there has been research to indicate that much of the legacy of the property was the result of exaggeration, conjecture, and over-promotion. Historical research has revealed there is little evidence that Sarah suffered from guilt from the money she inherited from the gun business. An alternative and far less spooky theory about the Winchester House is that Sarah was simply an eccentric philanthropist who kept her workers employed during the economic depression of the late 1800s. According to this theory, her passion for quirky architecture, desire to help others, and expansive fortune culminated in the Winchester House. Experience the ultimate exploration of Winchester Mystery House with our Explore More Tour —an exclusive opportunity see even more rooms in this historic mansion. Prepare to uncover hidden secrets and unlock doors to the oldest sections of the home.
Renovating To Appease Restless Spirits
Guests will guide themselves through the mansion that is famous for its dizzying floorplan and lack of formal blueprints. Tour Hosts will be stationed throughout the house to ensure guests don’t get lost. In 1924, Harry Houdini visited a rambling architectural oddity in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley.
Guests will be treated to a sprinkling of Victorian holiday traditions, beautiful décor, festive music, and more. Starting Friday the 13th we will be hosting Flashlight Tours every Friday evening till February 24th. These self-guided tours give guests the opportunity to roam through the halls of the purportedly haunted Victorian mansion while hearing tales of its former and (possibly current!) inhabitants.
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IT’S A MYSTERY
According to legend, the souls who lost their lives at the end of the barrel of the Model 73 haunted Sarah until her death, prompting her to implement extravagant, and often confusing, renovations. Apparently, Sarah conducted nightly seances with the dead and had her workers carry out their strange construction requests during the following day. All that talk of paranormal sometimes worries parents that the tour will be to scary for children. Not to worry – all ages are welcome and the tour is very family friendly! Children five and under are free and ages 6-12 will need a ticket. Nearly 100 years after the house opened for tours, millions of guests have visited Sarah Winchester’s beautiful home.
Other curious aspects of the house—like narrow, low-rise, claustrophobic switchback stairs—were built to accommodate the diminutive Winchester, who was not only 4-feet-10 but also suffered from crippling arthritis. What looks like curious construction to some was merely practical to her. Over her lifetime until she died in 1922, Sarah expanded and renovated her home until it grew in size to 24,000 square feet and featured 160 rooms.
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The massive mansion spans over 24,000 square feet and contains 160 rooms. Due to the historic nature of the Winchester Estate, the Mansion Tour is not wheelchair accessible. The ADA tour includes a video tour and the self-guided Sarah Winchester Garden Tour.
The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose, California, that was once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearms magnate William Wirt Winchester. The house became a tourist attraction nine months after Winchester's death in 1922. The Victorian and Gothic-style mansion is renowned for its size and its architectural curiosities and for the numerous myths and legends surrounding the structure and its former owner. Instead of building a university or a library, Sarah Winchester built a counter-legend to the thousands of American gunslinger stories. And in this counter-legend, the ghosts of the gun casualties materialize, and we remember them.
A 1 hour 5 minute guided tour of the Winchester House costs $41.99 for adults, $34.99 for seniors, and $19.99 for children 5-12. Knowing very few details about the history of the Winchester Mystery House, my daughter, Liz, and I booked a weekday noon tour and drove from San Francisco to San Jose. The Winchester Mystery House is just off Highway 280 and across the street from Santana Row. Although the house’s construction was not only bizarre, Sarah Winchester did not spare any amount to ensure that the house was beautiful. It had many adornments from the Tiffany Company, and some of the objects in the house were just designed specifically for her.
The very next day, a restorer uncovered a perfectly preserved envelope that had been hidden inside wall for 125 years. Addressed to Mrs. S. L. Winchester, it bore the elaborate logo of the Pacific American Decorative Company—the very company the researcher had concluded was the maker of Sarah’s windows! (If you are one of those people who believe there are no coincidences … dig into that. Janan, Sarah’s got you covered. Ever since Houdini came to the house in 1924 during his nationwide tour to debunk Spiritualism, other experts have followed. He claimed that she expressed happiness that the house had so many visitors. Winchester Mystery House™ offers complimentary parking to guests.
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Sarah’s relatives did not back up the claims of her being superstitious and her reclusiveness may have been due to her many physical ailments. It is also likely that the labyrinth construction of the home may have been the result of making the home functional after the earthquake. Furthermore, there are very few actual recorded incidences to back up the claims of the home being haunted by spirits. The estate is now known as the Winchester Mystery House, and you can take any number of mansion tours on the property.
The cavernous home has been open for tours since 1923, drawing more than 13 million visitors. But ahead of Halloween, the Winchester Mystery House has announced new estate-wide events that include a theatrical paranormal investigative adventure in the purportedly haunted mansion. The paranormal investigation is part of the estate’s All Hallows’ Eve programming, which includes indoor and outdoor tours on select nights from Sept. 10 to Oct. 31. Her father-in-law Oliver Winchester, manufacturer of the famous repeater rifle, died in 1880, and her husband, Will, also in the family gun business, died a year later. After she moved from New Haven, Connecticut, to San Jose, Winchester dedicated a large part of her fortune to ceaseless, enigmatic building.
The windows have stained glass panels with lines from Shakespeare. One reads, “These same thoughts people this little world.” It’s from the prison soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Richard II. Deposed from power and alone in his cell, the king has an idea to create a world within his prison cell, populated only by his imaginings and ideas. There have been over 12 million visitors to the house since its mysterious architect died in 1922. Part historical preserve, part spooky theme park oddity, the Winchester Mystery House has now inspired a new horror movie, Winchester, starring Helen Mirren as the titular, reclusive heir to a massive rifle fortune. Believe it or not, this ghost-packed film could be the closest mainstream audiences come to understanding that Winchester was far from just a “crazy” lady who built a crazy house.
Sarah Winchester was an extremely wealthy widow who inherited $20 million from her husband, William Wirt Winchester, heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company fortune. With nearly half a billion dollars by today’s standards, plus plenty of company stock, Sarah was able to keep her eccentric mansion under constant renovation for nearly four decades. But the story of the mansion isn’t all charming redecorating and opulent additions.
After the security check point you will be directed to the outdoor show, Miles & Flora’s Lavish Garden Party, where you will enjoy food, drinks, and a variety of sideshow entertainment before you enter the indoor haunt. Plus, make sure to stroll through the estate and stop by the Menagerie Oddities Market, open only during Holiday Candlelight Tour days! With a variety of unique vendors, you are sure to find the perfect gift (ticket purchase necessary).
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