San Jose, USA (urban legend)

The Winchester Mystery House

Folklore — not a documented case

Rumour says the widow of a rifle fortune kept building this labyrinthine mansion, with stairs leading into ceilings, nonstop for decades to confuse the spirits.

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, carries one of America's most famous haunted-house legends. It belonged to Sarah Winchester, widow of William Wirt Winchester, son of the maker of the famous Winchester rifles. Sarah moved there around 1885 or 1886, and construction continued almost without pause until her death in 1922.

🔒 The rest of this story is in Premium

Unlock the full story, the worldwide paranormal map and ad-free reading with Premium.

Read in the app

The stories in this section are folk tales and legends; they are not verified, real events and should not be confused with the rest of the archive.

From the same region

Bluff Creek, California, USA (alleged event)The Bigfoot of Bluff Creek›Long Beach, USA (alleged event)The Ghosts of the Queen Mary›United States, Utah (folk tale, since the 1990s)Skinwalker Ranch›Kelowna, Canada (folk tale)Ogopogo of Okanagan Lake›Estes Park, Colorado, USA (alleged event)The Stanley Hotel and Room 217›Marfa, Texas, USA (alleged event)The Marfa Lights›