San Jose, Ca - Winchester Mystery House
Posted by: 
frivlas
N 37° 19.100 W 121° 57.034
10S E 592985 N 4130703
San Jose's most famous Tourist Attraction. Billboards advertising this site can be found 100 miles away.
Waymark Code: WMXA4
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/03/2006
Views: 491
A potentially haunted mansion that was under construction for 38 years. This house belonged to Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester of Winchester Firearms fame. The endless construction was intended to keep away the ghosts of those killed by Winchester guns.
While the 1906 earthquake decreased the overall height of this house from 7 stories down to 4, it is still a marvel to behold. From the outside the house is incredible to view. The free self guided tour of the ground and garden is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Enjoy the flowers and the outbuildings and the numberous fountains.
If you have more time and money to spend here, the tour of the house is incredible. The tour highlights some of the oddities and examples of supersticion exhibited by Sarah. Pay attention to all the spiderwebs and occurances of the number 13 throughout the house. The door that open out to nothing from the second floor, the stairway to nowhere, and the seance room are but a few of the things you will see.
If you are in town at the right time, there is a special tour that is worth taking. Typically offered only on weekends near Friday the 13th and Halloween is the Flashlight tour. During this tour most of the lights in the house are extinguished and the tour is conducted soley by flashlight. The play of the light and the shadows serve to make this an incredible experience.
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
The attraction’s own URL: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
Sun-Sat
Open 9:00am
Last Estate Tour 3:30pm
Last Mansion Tour 5:00pm
Admission Prices:
Self Guided Garden Tour - Free
Grand Estate Tour
Adults - $26.95
Seniors (65+) and Kids(10-12) - $23.95
Mansion Tour
Adults - $21.95
Seniors (65+) - $18.95
Kids (5-12) - $15.95
Behind the Scenes Tour
Adults - $18.95
Seniors (65+) and Kids(10-12) - $17.95
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Half of a day (2-5 hours)
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle or Public Transportation
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