Just west of central San Jose, California, stands the Winchester Mystery House. Built by Winchester Repeating Arms heir Sarah Winchester, the building contains strange oddities like doors that go nowhere, dead-end hallways, staircases that go to the ceiling, and rooms that are all jammed together in a crazy pattern.
Sarah Winchester spent 38 years building the Winchester Mystery House because “the spirits of the people killed by Winchester rifles told her to,” according to Lonely Planet. She spared no expense, either, and the mansion itself spreads over four acres of land.
Check out some of the spooky attractions at the Winchester Mystery House.
The séance room is located near the center of the house, and the legend of the home has it that Mrs. Winchester came to that room every night to communicate with the spirits and receive instructions for designing the house. It has only one entrance, but three exits.
The corridors of the third floor have been the site of many a paranormal occurrence. People have reported footsteps when nobody is there. Others have heard their names whispered by disembodied voices.
The Witch’s Cap is one of the most unusual spaces in the Winchester Mystery House. Nobody’s quite sure what that room was meant to be used for—probably just an attic. But it has a weird effect due to its conical ceiling: if you stand in the center and speak, the sound will seem to surround you as it bounces back.
The staircase to the ceiling is one of many weird sets of stairs in the mansion. The crew of the popular TV series Ghost Adventurers caught a small, green, vaporous hand at the base of the stairs, appearing either to be thumbing a ride or pointing upward.
13s everywhere! From the Winchester Mystery House’s 13 bathrooms, 13 steps on many stairways, 13 ceiling panels in many ceilings, and windows with 13 panes, Mrs. Winchester clearly loved the number. She even divided her will into 13 parts and signed it 13 times
If you want to go on a spooky tour of this bizarre house, check out the Hallowee’en Candlelight Tour, an hour-long guided tour highlighting the building’s maze of rooms and hallways. Check out spaces that are resplendent with Victorian glamour and others that are in a state of arrested decay. But hurry up, because the 2017 tour dates include October 13-15, 18-22, and 25-31. Ticket prices range from $20 to $49. If you’re in San Jose, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Photo: The Door to Nowhere, a famous oddity in the Winchester Mystery House, opens directly to a two-story drop straight down. Credit: CREATISTA / Shutterstock.com