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| Lovely and creepy at the same time! |
San Jose, CA
The
Winchester Mystery House in San Jose is a lot of things: a mecca for tourists,
a destination for the architecturally curious, a probable location for
paranormal activity, and a place I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole while I
was in my twenties. Now that I’m slightly more mature (ha!), I decided to
book a Mansion Tour to see what the hype is all about.
Sarah
Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, experienced the great
misfortune of losing both her husband and young daughter; legend has it that a
medium told her she must build a house…and never cease construction. If
she did, the spirits of those who lost their lives to Winchester rifles would
come after her.
Sarah
inherited millions of dollars upon her husband’s death. Those funds,
coupled with roughly $1000 a day she received through partial ownership of the
Winchester Repeating Arms Company, afforded her the ability to construct a
sprawling mansion with over 150 rooms and provide room and board to her
extensive staff.
Tours
offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Winchester’s eclectic taste in
color, design and materials of the highest quality. You’ll learn why
there are staircases leading to the ceiling and why doors open to reveal brick
walls. Tackle your claustrophobia as you’re guided through narrow
passageways leading you past guestrooms, staff quarters, and even a séance
room.
Don’t
bring strollers, and more importantly, don’t stray from your tour group; even
experienced guides admit it’s easy to get lost in this labyrinth. If just
the thought of spirits gives you the creeps, why would you want to?
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