In preparation for Halloween, I paid a visit to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. They were decorated for Halloween but all year round the house has a spooky feel with doors to nowhere, Flights of stairs that do multiple switchbacks between flights and rooms that are closed off from the rest of the house. It has been reported that you can smell food cooking when the kitchen has not been used for years and ghostly apparitions of a gardener who died years ago have been seen walking the basement.
Heiress of the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune, Sara Lockwood Pardee Winchester began construction on this Queen Anne Style Victorian mansion located at 525 South Winchester Blvd in San Jose in 1886. The renovation would continue for 36 years and become known for its architectural wonders and paranormal activity. In 1923, mansion tours became available drawing in upwards of 12 million guests and has since inspired books and films including the 2018 film Winchester and the 2002 Stephen King television mini-series Rose Red.
For more information, please visit https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/