Unique Travel Destinations: California

Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by admin in Uncategorized

If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, something other than the Golden Gate Bridge or Sea World, then stop by San Jose California for the Winchester Mystery House. This is the residence of Sarah Winchester, who was the widow of William Winchester, the creator of the famous rifle by the same name.

Whats so special about this house? It is an intricate labyrinth of architectural feats, containing 160 rooms that was built over 38 years, construction spanning 24 hours a day, until the day of her death in 1922. Sarah was told by a psychic that the victims of Winchester rifles would haunt her, and the only way to escape them was to build a house with traps and misleading doorways and staircases. Her strange superstitions can be found in every aspect of the house, with the number thirteen being prominent where ever she could put it. 13 coat hooks, 13 candles in a chandelier, 13 fireplaces and bathrooms, and even 13 California Fan Palms that line the driveway.

There are several tours that can lead you through the house each day, and you can choose which parts you’d like to explore, after all, it couldn’t be seen all in one day.