a mysterious home tour
finding the way to san jose
Back in 2012, just before I was introduced to my now husband, I took a trip to San Francisco with my parents. It was a great trip. We got to see the Golden Gate Bridge, tour Alcatraz, take a ride on a cable car, see the painted ladies, visit Lombard Street, you know, all of the touristy things. But while we were that close to San Jose, I knew I wanted to see the Winchester Mystery House.
I’ve always loved touring houses; I guess I should have known what I would end up doing with my life. I try to tour a house on most of my vacations: Villa Savoye, Graceland (x 3), the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, but there was one house I had seen on TV when I was much younger and it always intrigued me. The Winchester Mystery House.
I’m so fortunate that my parents are so supportive of my dreams, so off we went to San Jose. Unfortunately, at that time we weren’t allowed to take pictures of the interior of the house and I am a huge rule follower. So, I really only have these two exterior photos.
From the outside, it looks like a very well kept old mansion. But the inside is where it gets very interesting. If you don’t know anything about it, here’s a brief synopsis. A long time ago a lady named Sarah Winchester lived there, and she was terrified of ghosts haunting her house. I’m not sure where the word paranormal originates from, but I feel pretty confident in saying she was a bit paranoid, which led to some abnormal design choices. Stairs that lead to nowhere, anyone? This is exactly the kind of thing that could be avoided if you hired a designer.
We all know when your home is under renovation it feels like it will. never. end. But Sarah must have been a gluten for punishment, because they worked around the clock doing construction on her house for decades, only stopping upon her death. The space planning in the house was definitely inventive, but would undoutbtedly have some code issues.
I loved visiting the Winchester Mystery House, and was so glad to check it off my bucket list. If you ever find yourself in that area, I highly recommend a tour.