It has one-hundred and sixty rooms, four-hundred and sixty-seven doors, and forty-seven fireplaces. But many of the cabinets open to blank walls. Stairways wind around in circles, or run straight into the ceiling. There is at least one door that opens up into a ten-foot drop to the ground.

It was built for the widow of the gun


http://coolthingsinrandomplaces.com/winche...-mystery-house/

I heard about this. She built it because of her guilty consciounce because her husband invented the gun. Awesome piece of arkitecture.

One of the most strangest stories of a rich woman caught into the 'Spiritualism" of her day.

Here is a 360 of the house >>>Winchester House

Here is a youtube excerpt on the hauntings>>>>Winchester hauntings

I'd like to visit this place, not just to experience any hauntings but to see the years of workmanship on the house.

I visited the house in 2004 and do not believe it is in any way haunted. I believe Mrs Winchester was conned into believing there were spirits who were restless by a woman who more than likely didn't approve of the gun and possibly lost family members to it. You have to remember that 99% of the Spiritualists and mediums and their ilk of the day were con artists.

Oliver Winchester didn't invent any of the guns that bore his name. The Henry, the forerunner of the Winchester, was "invented" by Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson (Smith & Wesson) and perfected by Benjamin Henry. Subsequent guns, such as the first that bore the famous Winchester name, the 1866, were improvements on the forerunners. Many of the more modern lever actions (1886, 1892) were designs of John Browning.

Kidglock is right.
Oliver Winchester (1810-1880) didn't invent any of the guns that bore his name. He was a wealthy industrialist who bought out the patents of others, then had the rifles manufactured at his plant.
How did he become wealthy in the first place? Manufacturing shirts for the Union Army during the Civil War!
Winchester produced its first rifle in 1866.

I went to the Winchester House in San Jose, California about four years ago. Cost me $20 for the tour but it was well worth it. An amazing house.
The guide said that, despite Sarah Winchester's fortune generated by the sale of Winchester rifles, she refused to have one thing in the house resemble a firearm, cartridge or bullet (projectile).
As we toured, I looked hard at the extensive, elaborate carvings around the house and could find nothing resembling a gun, cartridge or bullet. Sarah's orders were apparently followed to the letter.
It is said that she felt guilt over how many had died from the business end of the Winchester rifle. A spiritualist advised her that she was being haunted by the souls of those killed by the famous rifle. So, she bought a farmhouse and continued to add to it, turning it into a mansion. Construction continued up to her death, in the early 20th century.
The ol' bat was whacko, to be sure. If she felt so guilty, the money used to construct the mansion could have been used for hospitals, or scholarships for aspiring physicians. But noooooooooo ... she couldn't give up her wealth. By all accounts, she was a rather nasty woman who was sharp-tongued with her hired help and fired many for the smallest infractions.
Not a nice lady to work for, at all.

The tour of the Winchester House is about 45 minutes longand covers a number of stories. If you have difficulty walking or are in a wheelchair, the tour is not for you, alas.
Interestingly, the Winchester Firearms Co. in New Haven, Connecticut closed its doors in 2006, after 140 years of continuous production.
It is doubtful any of its rifles or shotguns will ever be produced again. If you have ANY Winchester rifle or shotgun, value of it increased slightly to greatly when the company ended. It depends on the particular model and the condition of the firearm.
A visit to the Winchester House is worth the time spent. It's fascinating.
When there, you're also within a couple hours' driving distance of the seawater aquarium at Monterey, California.
Do NOT miss this aquarium, it's fantastic! Just an amazing aquarium. I can't recommend it too highly.

I would like to see it some day myself. I remember reading of it years ago in a 60's edition of a True West or Old West magazine.

Yes, the history of the gun is true BUT, the reason she kept continually building was out of grief. She believed that the guns her husband sold or had his name ((that killed people)), THEIR spirits, were coming back to haunt her home. I've seen ton's about this on the discovery channel. Whether or not the mansion is haunted? Who knows. The woman was quite looney if you ask me! Jody