Winchester Mystery House is beautifully weird and creepy

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose is fascinating to all kinds of people. Except for perhaps one type ...

Sarah Winchester, whose fortune was sealed when she married into the family that started the Winchester Repeating Arms Co., kept carpenters busy for 36 years from 1886 until her death in 1922 building her house, which is now a historical site, across Winchester Boulevard from Santana Row. All that work was motivated, it’s said, by Winchester’s belief that all that construction would either confuse the spirits of those killed by Winchester firearms, who might be out to get her, or in some way pacify them. Whichever it was, all that construction led to doors going nowhere, cabinets opening up to brick walls, other cabinets opening up to whole rooms, staircases resembling funhouse mazes and other architectural oddities.

I enjoyed it, my wife was absolutely spellbound, and my kids loved it far more than I thought they would. Even my typically impatient 6-year-old, who asked our very well-informed and charming guide no fewer than six questions about the craziest house she’d ever seen.

That said, you might want to think twice if you’re claustrophobic.

Mrs. Winchester was 4 feet 10 inches tall. The lady didn’t need a lot of space at least not all at once. Winchester was superstitious and into a form of numerology, with 13 being her favorite number. The house has 13 bathrooms, the 13th of which is accessible by 13 stairs. Various drains throughout the house have 13 holes in them.

We spent more than an hour on a tour taking us through 110 of the Victorian-style mansion’s 160 rooms. We logged more than a mile of walking, including a jaunt through Winchester’s small seance room (did you think she wouldn’t at least try talking to the spirits haunting her?), featuring three ways out but only one way in. We saw a staircase leading from the floor to the ceiling, skylights in a floor, rooms with hundreds of windows and some hardly large enough for a handful of people. And there’s a window that opens up to nothing more than the back of an elevator shaft.

We saw the room in which Winchester died and the room in which she was trapped when the 1906 earthquake destroyed a fireplace, barring the door (it also knocked down the main house’s seven-story tower; the 1989 Loma Prieta quake also did some damage, which has been left intact). It took her staff a long time to find her after the ’06 quake, because she slept in a different bedroom each night to keep the spirits guessing. Her staff wasn’t sure where she was.

Much of the house was simply beautiful. One room was so detailed, it took more than a year to construct the floor. But most of the building was totally puzzling, and a little bit was even a bit hair-raising (at one point I heard a door slam from a direction in which I saw no people).

Speaking of doors, watch out for the one at the edge of the Room That Opens to Nowhere nowhere but an 8-foot drop to the concrete below.

It was my first trip to the Winchester Mystery House, but I’ve heard about it since I was a kid. Photos and books don’t do the place justice. There’s almost a tangible feeling to crossing the threshold. The question is: Is it the history or something creepier?

We did the main house tour, then the less-fascinating 45-minute behind-the-scenes tour, which takes you into some of Winchester’s agricultural buildings, the garage, her personal carwash, the aviary and other interesting, but not very mysterious, facets of life on the Winchester estate.

Make sure to arrive early enough to spend some time in the beautiful gardens and the small museum of Winchester products products other than guns, that is which include ice skates, tools, slot machines and axes. It’s attached to one of the most spectacular gift shops I’ve ever seen. I won’t get into how much I spent, but one could probably get a good chunk of holiday shopping accomplished inside.

IF YOU GO

The details: The Winchester Mystery House is at 525 S. Winchester Blvd. in San Jose. Tour prices run $25 to $49, depending on the tour. Children younger than 5 get in free, but they are not allowed on the behind-the-scenes tour for safety reasons. The house is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with tours leaving about every 15 minutes. There’s also an evening flashlight tour offered every Friday the 13th and on various evenings in October. For details, go to https://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com.

Parents need to know: This place is a labyrinth, and curious children who like to wander could give parents a heart attack. So keep the kids close. Many of the rooms are small, and they can get stuffy, so dressing in layers isn’t the worst idea. Kids should wear sensible shoes, as there are plenty of narrow stairs and small, unexpected drop-offs from room to room. Make sure they and you go to the restroom before the tour, as they can’t use any on the tour. Same for water bring some along.

Nearby eats: There’s a cafe off the gift shop, with hamburgers, hot dogs and similar fare. Try Flames, the coffee shop less than a block away (and also across the street from Santana Row). They have a variety of choices, from breakfast to sandwiches, pasta and everything in between. Portions are big, and the food is good. Plus, it’s kind of a kick for anyone who remembers what a coffee shop looked like in the ‘60s and ‘70s. There are dozens of other restaurants within walking distance in Santana Row.

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