• A mansion like the Winchester Mystery House.mansion image by Dave from Fotolia.com
  
  Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose, California that was built in the late 1800s by Sarah Winchester, a widow who inherited $20 million after her husband's death. This money was used to build unnecessary rooms with doors that lead to walls, a staircase that descends seven steps then ascends 11 steps and several other oddities. Carpenters built around the clock for 38 years until Sarah Winchester died at the age of 82. Some have speculated that Mrs. Winchester was trying to confuse spirits with her unique building style.
  
  

The House

• The main attraction of the Winchester Mystery House is the actual mansion. Blueprints were never drawn up for the mansion and Mrs. Winchester would simply go over additions and changes with her contractor each morning. Sometimes these changes came as a result of nightly séances Mrs. Winchester would conduct.
  
  The mansion houses 47 fireplaces and 17 chimneys. The Grand Ballroom has been built almost without nails and includes two stained glass windows with quotes from Shakespeare. There are six types of hardwood that make up the room's floors and walls.
  
  The house's Mansion tour takes guests to explore 110 of the 160 rooms. Guests are taken to the staircase that leads to nothing, a window that was built into the floor and doors that open into walls. The tour lasts about an hour and is offered daily.
  
  Winchester Mystery House
  525 S. Winchester Blvd.
  San Jose, CA 95128
  408-247-2101
  winchestermysteryhouse.com
  
  

The Gardens

• The gardens of the Winchester Mystery House and its grounds reflect Mrs. Winchester's hobby of gardening. With plants, shrubs and flowers from 110 countries of the world, variety is rampant through the gardens. Some of the original plants are still planted in the gardens.
  
  On the property are the Victorian Gardens with geometric shaped shrubs and several plants that are used for medicinal uses. Trees in the garden include a Monkey Puzzle tree, English Yew trees, Peruvian Pepper trees and several fruit trees. The gardens also include several fountains and statues including the Serpent fountain and a statue of Chief Little Fawn. The estate also has its own farm including plum, apricot and walnut orchards.
  
  A tour is available to guests who want a closer look at the gardens. Attractions on the tour include the statues, the green house, garage and the car wash. These tours are self-guided and include a guide map and narrative tapes.
  
  

Musuems

• The Winchester Mystery House is also home to the Historic Firearms Museums. The museums house Winchester rifles, manufactured by Oliver Fisher Winchester, Sarah Winchester's father-in-law. The museums boast one of the largest collections on the west coast of Winchester rifles. The museums tell guests of the evolving history of the rifle, including information about Oliver Winchester. There are several repeating rifles on display at the Winchester Antique Products Museum.