Mystery House

The Mystery House Blog Has a New Home!

2007-09-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

For a complete look at the Winchester Mystery House check out my Mystery House Commentary at my new site, Mystery House Guide. You'll find a complete description of every room on the Winchester Mystery House tour (with photos), so check it out here !

Palm Reader

2005-11-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

A view of 'Palm Drive,'where carriages entered the estate.
Originally it was lined with 13 palm trees.

Drop Down

2005-11-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

These call boxes were located throughout the mansion, allowing Mrs. Winchester
to summon servants at the push of a button. A number would drop down to indicate
where she was in the mansion.

Under Water

2005-11-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

This staircase winds around the interior of the water tower. Many of
the men in Mrs. Winchester's employ lived inside the tower.

POV

2005-11-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

It seems like every film crew to visit the house does a low,
handheld shot of this hallway to make it look spooky.
From eye level, it's just a hallway.

Happy Halloween

2005-10-31T08:45:00.000-08:00

Pictured above are Mrs. Winchester's carpenters. They were well-compensated professionals who worked hard to meet Mrs. Winchester's strange but exacting standards. They lived, worked, and in some cases raised families on the estate. At least one of them may still be there.

During most of the mansion's history the main basement has been closed off. It wasn't until a few years ago that a second tour was added to include the basement. This meant clearing about 80 years of accumulated debris and dust. Since tours guides have some downtime between tours, they were given the job of sweeping up. It took several months, and during that time people kept running into someone they didn't know. He wore overalls, and had a wheelbarrow, and looked like he might be part of the restoration crew.

One of the guides, expecting to be alone in the basement that day, asked his manager who the other person doing the cleaning was. The manager was confused because no one else was scheduled to do any work in the basement. She asked what the other person looked like. The tour guide described him as wearing overalls and having a mustache, and he was pushing a wheelbarrow.

A few weeks later a different guide asked the same question. 'Who is that guy in the basement?'
The manager was curious, and asked what he looked like. The tour guide described him. He had a mustache. He wore overalls. He was pushing a wheelbarrow. This was very strange, no one was scheduled to be in the basement.

The tour opened to the public shortly thereafter. One afternoon in the basement, a guest asked her guide who the man with the wheelbarrow was. What man, he replied. No one was supposed to be in the basement. After the tour, he asked the manager who might have been in the basement with a wheelbarrow. No one, what did he look like? Well, he had a mustache, and wore overalls....

People kept seeing the man with the wheelbarrow. One day, a guest pointed to the picture of the carpenters and said to her guide, 'I saw that man in the basement. He had a wheelbarrow.' The guide told the manager what the guest had said.

Out of curiosity, the manager showed the photo to one of the guides. The guide was surprised. 'That's him.' The manager brought in the other guide. Without being asked, the guide pointed to the man on the far right side of the photo. 'That's the man with the wheelbarrow.'

People ask me if the house is haunted. I tell them that I don't know, but some of Mrs. Winchester's employees were very loyal.

An Interview (fixed link)

2005-10-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

There's no regular update for today, but there's something special. Earlier this week, I gave an interview to the Travel Blog jaunted. You can read the interview here, and post any follow-up questions in the comments section.

Down the Waterspout

2005-10-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

The planters in the south conservatory have drains which carry water to the garden below.

Hole in the Wall

2005-10-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

The crawlspaces are the least explored part of the house. The wires seen here were
probably part of the servant call system.

Away Go Troubles

2005-10-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

This sink was handpainted in Venice, and has 13 overflow drain holes.

For some reason guides never remember if it's 13 with or without the main drain.

I Spy

2005-10-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Seance Room windows look down on this kitchen, but Mrs.
Winchester's small stature would have prevented her from
being seen.

Of Monkeys

2005-10-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Supposedly there's a hidden wine cellar on the estate, but no one has been able
to find it. These barrels in the basement are the closest thing I know of.

Hocus Focus

2005-10-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Two pictures taken from the top of the water tower. One is from around 1900,
the other is more recent.

Sand Trap

2005-10-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

A small parlor in one of Mrs. Winchester's bedrooms. The room was sealed in 1906.
The floorboards were removed at some point, possibly to use the wood elsewhere.
Note the sand insulation.

Organ Donor

2005-10-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester was a skilled musician, playing piano, organ, and violin. She
was known to play the ballroom's organ late into the night. This is not the original.

Upper Deck

2005-10-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

An unfinished room behind the 'Most Expensive Window.' It is likely
that the worktable below has been here since the room was sealed in 1906.

Doff Your Cap

2005-10-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

The mansion has two large 'large conical roofs, called Witch's Caps.' This is an
inside view of the southern one.

Filled With Patterns

2005-10-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

The original linoleum from the seance room was replaced long ago, but if you
pull the drawer from the built-in cabinet, you can see this little bit remains.

Sparkle and Fade

2005-10-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

The 'Crystal Bedrooms' have mica crushed into the walls to produce a sparkling effect.
They were intended as guest quarters, but were damaged in the 1906 earthquake and
not repaired.

Close Quarters

2005-10-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

This corridor is on the third floor, and contains servants' quarters. It is

well preserved and only opened for cleaning and inspections. It is often used as
a reference point for restorations in other parts of the house.

Shower Power

2005-10-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is the mansion's only shower. This type of shower is designed

to wet the bather from all angles, and was patented in 1889. This
one is set to Mrs. Winchester's height, 4 feet and ten inches.

Bamboo Harvester

2005-10-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

Called the Oriental Bedroom because of the carved bamboo, this room belonged

to Mrs. Winchester's niece Marion. The bamboo forms a spider web pattern
above the fireplace.

Go West

2005-10-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

This brass plate depicts Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, and is meant to hold a
gas lamp. The patterns on the wall are from the Lincrusta Walton wall covering,
whichwas used throughout the mansion.

Making Hay

2005-10-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

As the mansion grew, it absorbed the barn. This hayloft became a storage room. A
guest claiming to be psychic once told a guide that a man was killed in this room.

Baker's Dozen

2005-10-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

The chandelier in the ballroom has 12 original fixtures, and a 13th supposedly

added by Mrs. Winchester. Some of the tour guides were skeptical of this claim.

Swiped

2005-10-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

During the 1920's, guests were allowed to tour the house
unsupervised. This led to vandalism and the disappearance of
most of the house's door knobs.

Corner Case

2005-10-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

It doesn't look like much, but this is probably the only bit of the original eight

room house that survives. Located in the northeast quadrant of the mansion,

these old shingles cannot be seen on the tour.

Exit Strategy

2005-10-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

The seance room contains the only real 'secret passage' in the house.
This closet door opens to reveal an exit, but no handle on the other side of the door.

Visitor James Luckett posted a link to his website in the user comments yesterday, and I thought it was worth sharing with everyone. His page features a collection of promotional postcards the Winchester Mystery House used to sell. I own one or two of them, but not the whole set. I've seen them dated from the 1940's before, but some of the photos date from before 1906. Check them out here.

In The Bedroom

2005-10-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester died in this room, and it's called the 'deadroom' when
guests aren't around. None of the furniture pictured is original.

Final Stop

2005-10-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

This elevator now rests permanently in the basement. It was raised and lowered by
filling or draining a large hydraulic cylinder. Since it went to the fourth floor,
the cylinder shaft below it had to be five stories deep.

In Through the Out Door

2005-10-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

The carriage entrance, where Mrs. Winchester could enter her home without worrying
about rain or cold. The only known photo of her on the estate was taken right outside
of these doors.

Safe and Sound

2005-09-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester's safe, which is inside a vault in the main ballroom.

The vault and safe were heavy enough to require their own foundation.

Inside were mementoes of her husband and daughter.

Work in Progress

2005-09-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

The carpenter's toolshed. All of the buildings on the estate have the same attention to
detail as the mansion itself.

Once and Future

2005-09-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

Similar photos of the same house. Around 1900, one or more of Mrs. Winchester's
workers began to take photos of the mansion.

A Lion in the Road

2005-09-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester salvaged many of the decorative items that

were part of the areas damaged in the 1906 earthquake,

among them was this fearsome lion's head.

Behind Door Number One

2005-09-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Inside the famous 'Seance Room.' The door on the left exits
to a hallway, but the door on the right leads to a kitchen...
eight feet below.

Heat Me

2005-09-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

This shaft runs from a first floorkitchen to the roof, cooling the kitchen and heating
one of Mrs. Winchester's offices.

Tower Record

2005-09-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Prior to the 1906 earthquake, there was a seven-story tower on the northeast
corner of the mansion. Today, all that remains is the railing seen above.

Cover Up

2005-09-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

Leftover Lincrusta-Walton wallcovering. It was made by soaking
pressed wood in linseed oil. It cost nearly $2 per foot, but was
long lasting. Many of the walls in the mansion are covered with it
today.

Cupboards Were Bare

2005-09-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

This cabinet is only a half-inch deep, and I have no idea why. It's unlikely that
anything is hidden inside it since the wall it's installed in would only allow for
a few more inches of storage room.

At The Car Wash

2005-09-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

Some features of the estate look surprisingly modern, like this water faucet on a swivel
in the private car wash. Mrs. Winchester owned two cars, a Pierce-Arrow and a Renault.

That's the Spirit

2005-09-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Officially, there is only one ghost in the mansion. A phantom worker has been
reported by several guests and tour guides over the years. He stands at the end
of this basement corridor with a wheelbarrow.

The Remains

2005-09-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

Thrifty is probably the wrong way to describe Mrs. Winchester, but she wasn't wasteful.
Following the collapse of her 7-story tower in the 1906 quake, she saved the pieces.

Bare Minimum

2005-09-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

The unfinished south wing of the mansion was probably intended for guest
quarters, and now houses left over construction materials. The floors
cannot bear much weight, and the rooms are closed to tours.

A Certain Slant

2005-08-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester stood 4'10" tall, or about the height of the small closet door in
this picture. The doors vary in height because a staircase runs above them.
Drawing a line from the top of one door to the other reveals that the hidden staircase
is remarkably steep.

Door Prize

2005-08-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

The rarely used front entrance. According to legend, Theodore Roosevelt was denied
entrance through these doors. In truth, his carriage passed in front of the house on
May 11, 1903, but did not stop.

Hall Monitor

2005-08-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

This hallways leads to servants quarters on the third floor. Most of this
floor is not open to tours, and is slowly collapsing due to age and unrepaired
quake damage from 1906.

Safety First

2005-08-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

The sprinkler system is probably the least attractive change made since
Mrs. Winchester's death, but it does have the distinction of being more than 7
miles long.

Plaster Caster

2005-08-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

In addition to new construction, Mrs. Winchester remodeled constantly.
The plaster was stripped from these walls before her death. The narrow blue door
above is a 'secret' exit from the famous seance room.

Triple Tuesday

2005-08-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

The large skylights made this room, the North Conservatory,
perfect for Mrs. Winchester's plants. The floorboards are
actually removable panels covering a zinc floor. Plants
were watered directly on the floor, which also contains
drains to remove overflow. Mrs. Winchester wrote
her name on the title page of this book on gardening.

Solar Flare

2005-08-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

Many rooms in the house seem to be designed solely to attract
heat , like this sun porch. The heat may have helped to relieve
Mrs. Winchester's arthritis. Through the double doors is her
main bedroom.

Shaft!

2005-08-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

This elevator shaft cuts through the center of the mansion,
from the basement to the the third floor.

Call Me

2005-08-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Although she is often thought of as reclusive, Mrs. Winchester was not as isolated
as she might seem. This box contained one of the mansion's telephones, and the
number was listed. It was 15.

Floor to Ceiling Stairs

2005-08-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

These stairs lead to a ceiling. While the popular explanation is
that these stairs were meant to confuse angry spirits, it may be
that the second floor was altered after their construction.

Ballroom Blitz

2005-08-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Many unfinished rooms are located in completed areas of the mansion,

such as this room with a view of the main ballroom.

Crate and Barrel

2005-08-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester owned more than 100 acres of orchards,

and the fruit was shipped in crates bearing the Winchester name.

Rough Draft

2005-08-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Stairs converted to EZ risers. It is claimed that the outline of the original
stairs remains. Although this is debatable, they do allow for comparison
with normal stairs.

Form Fitting

2005-08-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

View from the fourth floor balcony. This courtyard is also visible from the room

where Mrs. Winchester died. The crescent-shaped hedge supposedly had a
spiritual significance. The shape of the hedge was created by using a wooden frame.

Power On

2005-08-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

When electricity was installed in 1919, there was no local power supplier.
Instead, electricity was generated using calcium carbide gas. This is some of
the machinery that was used to power the mansion

Bird Is The Word

2005-08-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester had pets. In addition to a dog (named Zip),
she also kept birds. This gravel-floored room served as the
aviary, and featured a fountain.

Against A Wall

2005-08-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester had no training in architecture. This may
explain some of the oddities in the mansion, such as this door
that opens to reveal a wall.

True Original

2005-08-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

The mansion began as a small farmhouse purchased from a local doctor. These are
believed to be the original back porch steps, and are located near the center of the

mansion.

Head Room

2005-08-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Heads from the old wax museum. Guides are not supposed to point this room
out to guests, but it is visible through a window at certain times of day.
I always showed it to kids, who tend to get restless by this point in the tour.

Front and Back

2005-08-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Known as the "most expensive window", this piece would refract sunlight

into rainbow patterns. That is, if it weren't installed in an interior wall.
A view of the back of the window. This side of the window is in a locked off
area. The "most expensive window" is on hinges and is actually more like a

door than a window.

Window Treatment

2005-08-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

A view of the mansion from the foreman's house. Although the foreman and his family
were Mrs. Winchester's closest neighbors, she provided homes for many of the workers.

Body Shop

2005-08-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

The foreman's house is used to store bodies from the old wax museum, which is
thankfully no longer a feature of the Mystery House. After Mrs. Winchester's death,
the mansion was something of a tourist trap.

Yellow Ribbons

2005-08-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

The wallpaper in the foreman's house seems plain when compared to Mrs.
Winchester's ornate walls, but it does offer a tantalizing glimpse into the home
life of the man who built the Winchester house.

Hanging Paper

2005-08-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

Inside, the foreman's house is in a state of disrepair. It is no longer safe for visitors,
as it has begun to slide from its foundation.

Click Here to Purchase Mystery House Prints

Housing Allowance

2005-07-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Purchase Mystery House Prints
Mrs. Winchester provided homes for many of her employees. This house belonged
to her building foreman, John Hanson, who lived her with his family.

Watch Your Step

2005-07-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

This staircase has 7 turns and 144 steps. It connects the first floor with the second,
which means is rises about 9 feet.

The steps are about one and a half inches tall. Many of the staircases in the mansion
were converted to these short steps (called EZ Risers) as Mrs. Winchester's arthritis
worsened.

Click Here to Purchase Mystery House Prints

Button Down

2005-07-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

The control panel for the electric elevator, with buttons for an alarm,
an emergency stop, and three floors. The elevator became necessary after
Mrs. Winchester's arthritis confined her to a wheelchair.

Power Up

2005-07-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Electrical wiring was installed in 1919 to power this elevator motor.

Power was generated on the estate using calcium carbide gas.

Going Up

2005-07-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

A view from the rear courtyard. The tower contains an elevator, and its completion
in 1919 probably marked the end of exterior construction on the mansion.

Extra Support

2005-07-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Another feature visible from the balcony is a flying buttress.
Flying buttresses were used to support thearched ceilings of gothic cathedrals.
It is unclear why this one was constructed, as it supports nothing.

Bellwether

2005-07-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

The rear of the house as seen from the fourth floor balcony. Despite rumors that the bell was used
to summon spirits to nightly séances, it was primarily used to call the servants to meals.

Symbol Crashes

2005-07-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

Some believe this window was designed by Mrs. Winchester. It depicts a spider's web with thirteen droplets of water.

There are many instances of spider webs and the number thirteen in the mansion, but the significance of this is uncertain.

Spider web windows such as these are common in Victorian houses, but did they have a special meaning for Mrs. Winchester.

Glass Houses

2005-07-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

These windows and doors were in storage when Mrs. Winchester died, and are now valued
around $2.5 million. Some believe they contain Spiritualist symbolism.

Flower Power

2005-07-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Some people believe daisies had a special meaning to Mrs. Winchester,
but no one is certain. The flower is featured prominently throughout the mansion.

Window Unit

2005-07-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

The bedroom is known as the Daisy Bedroom because of the stained glass windows.
The daisies are also a popular tattoo motif among female guides.

Count On It

2005-07-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

This bedroom was actually several rooms, and had two fireplaces and a stove.
Counting the mansion's rooms is a challenge, but the official tally is one-hundred and sixty.

Falling Down

2005-07-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

The fireplace collapsed to the first floor during the 1906 earthquake. Although many

areas were left unrepaired, much of the damage seen here is the result of later vandalism.

In and Out

2005-07-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

These windows look down from the bedroom where Mrs. Winchester was trapped during the quake.
Below them is the door to an unfinished bathroom, accessible only from outside.

An interior view of the same windows. The glass door opens to a bathroom,
directly above the unfinished exterior bathroom.

Guest Not

2005-07-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Unfinished areas are also painted black. Mrs. Winchester planned to construct
additional guest rooms here, but changed her plans after the 1906 earthquake.

Paint It Black

2005-07-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

This black area marks a chimney which fell in the 1906 earthquake.
Mrs. Winchester left much of the damage unrepaired.

An Open Door

2005-07-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

The door to nowhere is difficult to spot on the tour route, and is never opened for tours.

The small building seen through the open door is an original gardener's toolshed.

A Significant Drop

2005-07-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Queen Anne houses became popular in the 1880s and pattern books were available.
Doors that opened to ten-foot drops were uncommon.

At Full Scale

2005-07-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Legend claims the house was planned by spirits. Decorative features such
as spires, finials and fish-scale shingles are in the Queen Anne style.

Building Up

2005-07-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Winchester began construction in 1884. By 1900, the mansion was seven stories tall,
but remained incomplete.

At Eye Level

2005-07-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Statues such as Demeter were mass produced and common in Victorian gardens.

A Missing Piece

2005-07-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hebe was cupbearer to the gods. The statue was damaged in the 1950s, and then lost.
She was recently discovered and restored. Here she lies in storage.

A Closer Look...

2005-07-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

Originally Demeter stood on the right. The left pedestsal was occupied by Hebe,
the Greek goddess of youth. The statue was moved after Mrs. Winchester’s death.

At First Glance

2005-07-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

The house is cheerful with its Queen Anne features and yellow paint. The statue depicts the goddess Demeter,
whose daughter was kidnapped by Hades. Demeter, in her grief, brought winter.