that lead to nowhere, stairs that lead to nowhere and even a wardrobe that opens into

30 extra rooms. While it may sound like something out of a strange fantasy movie, it actually

exists in San Jose, CA and the story behind the person who built the house is just as

strange as the house itself.

Sarah Winchester was the wife of gun tycoon William Winchester of the Winchester Repeating

Arms Company. The company was famous for its rifles, especially the Model 1873, which became

known as “The Gun that Won the West”.

When William died of tuberculosis in 1881, Sarah inherited around $20 million dollars,

which is around $500 million dollars today and also inherited 50% ownership of the Winchester

Arms Company.

Sarah had already been struggling with depression over the death of her infant daughter years

ago and her husband's death seemed to send her over the edge. She was obsessed with the

notion that she was cursed by people who had been killed by Winchester rifles. She sought

the help of a medium named Adam Coons, who held a séance and claimed to channel her

husband when he told her that she needed to move West and build a home for the ghosts

of people who had fallen victim to Winchester rifles.

Even though the psychic was likely a scam artist, Sarah believed him wholeheartedly.

So in 1884, she packed her bags and moved to San Jose, CA and began construction on

her ghost house. 22 carpenters worked year round, 24 hours a day for 38 years to placate

Sarah's every wish. They worked with a floor plan, following her directions to a T, even

if they made no sense, like building a door upstairs that lead nowhere and that would

plunge you to the ground below you stepped through it. At one point the house was 7 stories

tall, but the 1906 earthquake knocked 3 stories off.

You have to wonder why Sarah Winchester was hellbent on tirelessly adding to her house.

She believed that the spirits would curse her if she ever stopped, and indeed, she took

the earthquake as a sign of their anger. Some believe that she built the house as a labyrinth

of sorts, trying to confuse the ghosts so that they would have trouble finding her.

It's rumored she slept in a different bedroom every night. There are over 40 bedrooms in

the house, so she had plenty of choices.

Sarah died on September 4th, 1922 and only then did the construction on the house cease.

She was 83 years old.

The Winchester Mystery House is now open to tourists who wish to witness firsthand the

strange architecture of the building, and, if you're a believer, maybe even catch a glimpse

of some scary apparition. But remember, if you ever visit the house, down wander away

from the group. If you get lost, you may never find your way out.

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