Winchester Mystery House / Haunted Houses

[Will_UCLA]

Hello forum goers! I was snooping around trying to find information on the Winchester Mystery House (or any haunted house for that matter) for my research paper on the paranormal as applied to "haunted houses."

I've heard many rumors about the house but I, unfortunatley, have never been there myself. I was hoping to illicit personal accounts of those of you that have had the oppurtunity to go there first hand.

I'd like to know the overall experience of the trip there. What happened? Anything you would classify as unusual or paranormal? How did others around you react? What time of day did you go? What day did you go? I want to hear anything and everything you have to offer so please don't feel constrained in telling the whole story!

If you would like to remain anonymous, please let me know and I will cite you as such in my paper. But if you don't mind me using your psts in the paper as quotes, please feel free to leave your name and as much personal information (age, sex, location) so that I may catalogue you properly as informants. If you feel uncomfortable with leaving such information on the forum, then please feel free to contact me at hellafennin@hotmail.com and I will be glad to respond to any questions you have!

Let the good (Freaky?) times roll!

[xanubia]

When's this paper due? I've never been there, but I might go, if I can get someone to go with. But I have heard from some people that its not such a big deal- just a REALLY wierd house.

[Will_UCLA]

It's due in about 3 weeks =)

[Gerry]

I wouldn't say the Winchester House is haunted, in my opinion Mrs Winchester was a little on the nutside of things. However there are many other haunted house's and hotels in California. The Queen Mary is supposed to be the most haunted.

[MARCEL]

Hi, Will. I live in San Francisco. I am doing a research for haunted places too. The Travel Chanel had a couple weeks ago a very interesting segment called creepiest destinations, and had a section on the W.House full of details of aparitions and people talking about their encounters with ghosts over there.

Their website doesn't have as much information but maybe they can tell you how to get that segment or when it will be aired again. http://travel.discovery.com/fansites/world...py/creepy2.html

I am trying to find information on the Mansion Hotel (on Sacramento street) if you have any detailed information, I would appreciate if you can share it.

Thanks

M

[ouijaouija]

Wow, I've always wanted to go there. I have read about it many a time in my trove of books.

[stillcrazy]

I went there about twenty years ago. Interesting place to say the least. We went in late afternoon, last tour of the day if I recall correctly.

Before I relate what happened, I want every one to know that I am not a big believer in ghost, in fact other than this one time I don't think anything I've seen or heard can be attributed to spirits hanging around.

The tour was down in the lower part of the house, and had started moving out of the room known as the 'Million dollar' room. It's a storage area for some very fancy and very expensive wall paper, windows, and other custom building material.

Most of it is behind a thick plate of glass so they can maintain the temp to prevent deterioration of the fine materials. Lighting inside the room itself is not the best, not very bright. Most of the lighting is inside the display area (Glass rooms)

Being young and good looking back then, and being with my girlfriend of the time, we were in the very back of the group. I was horsing around a little with her. She told me to behave as an elderly woman was behind us. I looked around and there was no one there. I started to turn back around to say something to my date, and saw, very clearly, the reflection of a elderly woman in the glass, standing right behind us. I did a full about face to see where the woman was, but could not find her. The rest of the tour we stayed in the middle of the group.

At the end, we asked the tour guide if people ever saw Mrs. Winchester while on tours. The guide kinda laughed and said most reported 'sightings' were of men, presumably former workmen. But every now and then, someone would claim they saw Mrs. Winchester in the dinning room, or in one of her bedrooms. We asked if anything had ever been reported in the million dollar room. The guide shook her head, and said that to the best of her information, nothing had ever been down there in the way of sightings. I guess I looked somewhat weird, because the guide asked us if we saw something. Again being a resonably sound person, I dismissed the whole thing as an over active imagination. But every time I see something on the telly, the face of the woman comes rushing back into my brain.

Other than that, the house and grounds are a facinating place. While many think Winchester was a little loony, she did a fantastic job of designing the house. Other than the oddities, such as stairways and doors that go nowhere, there are many inventions in the home that were very ingenious for the era. Such as a sytem that when she watered plants in the solarium, the run off would go through pipes and water plants two floors below. A bell and locator system, while primitive by todays standards, was a feat of pure genius. She could alert her servents by flipping a lever attached to a cord that would alert others as to what room she was in.

Ask any architect how difficult it is to design a room, let alone a huge mansion, where the common number is 13. It ain't easy.

Best of luck in your research.