Winchester Mystery House
San Jose, CA 95128-2537
Phone: (408) 247-2101
- Cross Street:
- Olsen Drive
- Hours:
- Sept-June: daily 9am-5pm, mid-June-Labor Day: daily 9am-7pm
Editorial Review for Winchester Mystery House – by Citysearch staff
Overview
You've got to see this to believe it: The Winchester contains 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 fireplaces and 17 chimneys. Sarah Winchester, the rifle heiress who built the house according to her superstitions, used spider webs as her decorative motif; they appear particularly often in Tiffany stained-glass windows. The number 13 is used often--13 bathrooms, 13 windows in a room, 13 panes in a window, 13 holes in a sink, 13 hooks in a closet, 13 lights on a chandelier. Stairways lead to ceilings, doors lead to nowhere, stairs curve at odd angles and few rooms are on the same plane.
The Experience
Tours are given daily and there's no need to reserve. Flashlight tours are held every Friday the 13th and at Halloween: Tour the house at night with only moonlight, a commemorative flashlight and your imagination.
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Insider Tips
The ExtrasTour the gardens, the basement, the outside buildings and the Winchester Firearms Museum.
User Reviews for Winchester Mystery House
07/24/2007 Posted by californiaconnie
Great tour, knowledgeable guides. However, not sure about the"mystery" part! Seems to me that the true Sarah Winchester/Winchester House history/story is way more intriguing than all the "legends," "mystery," etc. etc.! Read the pamphlet (for sale in the Gift Shop) written by the people that knew her. Hard to imagine how this lady spent her days and what her (seemingly very loyal) servants thought of her and having to make their way through this rabbit warren! Food very pricey (bottle of water and bag of chips $5.45) but goes toward keeping the place up, so justified the price in my mind. All in all, enjoyed the place very much....different...good day trip from SF. Went on a Thursday; July 19, 2007; not too crowded and easy parking. Worth the admission and while no pressing reason to go a second time, would absolutely take visitors and/or recommend tour to others. Also recommend the "Behind the Scenes" tour; not much more $$ for some additional interesting info. Ask if anyone has figured out the Cupertino Street address (the plans on the wall in the basement ...I believe for the either the boiler or elevator...indicates the house is on Cupertino???? Our guide said she had never noticed that before and would check it out!
Pros: Great guides, good parking, super interesting
Cons: Pricey food
12/19/2006 Posted by timtest100
Don't even try to play a game of hide and seek in this place. Listen carefully to the tour guide cause let me tell you what happens when you try to get in a quick game of hide and seek. You will lose your mind, and probably a friend or family member. I lost my girlfriend in this place, she is still missing. A friend said that she went into a room on the second floor, a room that when I opened the door, was no longer there. Perhaps she is in a Narnia like place. Perhaps she was abducted by the ghost of Winchester. I don't know but I miss her. The place is cool otherwise, just pay attention to the steps in front of you.
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