It has intrigued visitors, scholars, and media from throughout the United States, and around the globe, with its combination of the beautiful and the bizarre, its story of heartbreak, tenacity and invention and its legends of the paranormal.The Winchester Mystery House® is an architectural wonder and historic landmark in San Jose, CA that was once the personal residence of Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester, the widow of William Wirt Winchester and heiress to a large portion of the Winchester® Repeating Arms fortune. Since tours began in 1923, more than 13 million people from around the world have toured the ornate rooms of the Winchester Mystery House. The estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a California Historic State Landmark, a San Jose City Landmark, and is one of the leading attractions in the Bay Area. Originally known as Llanada Villa, today it stands as an architectural wonder, a time capsule of a bygone era and one of America’s most celebrated haunted mansions. For a complete list of health and safety guidelines, visit /health-safety- guidelinesĪbout Winchester Mystery House For nearly 100 years the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, has stood as a testament to the ingenuity, singular vision and lore that surrounds its namesake, Sarah Pardee Winchester (heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune). Additional safety measures include mandatory masks for all guests and employees, timed ticketing, a one-way linear tour path, and sanitization stations throughout the estate. To ensure social distancing protocols can be followed, tour groups are restricted to members of the same household, tour capacity has been reduced to meet the state guidelines for indoor museums, and the tour route has been modified to focus on the largest rooms of the estate. Tour Hosts will be positioned throughout the estate to assist guests as-needed, but the experience will be entirely self-guided with educational and engaging audio and signage. The new self-guided tour has been designed to prioritize the safety of guests and staff and is compliant with all current county and state guidelines. Winchester Mystery House management and staff have worked extensively to prepare for reopening. This experience leverages the house’s unique design elements and provides guests with ample time and space to engage with the estate’s history while remaining compliant with social distancing guidelines.” Said Walter Magnuson, Winchester Mystery House General Manager: “We are so pleased to be able to once again reopen our doors – all 2,000 of them! We have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to share this iconic attraction with the public, and the Self-Guided Mansion Tour will allow our visitors to explore the various rooms like never before. Tickets will be available today at /buy-tickets and also include access to the estate gardens. The touchless, self-guided experience allows guests to independently navigate the world’s most bizarre home and expansive estate.
SAN JOSE, CA (September 9, 2020)-The Winchester Mystery House announced today that on Saturday, September 12th, visitors will once again be able to explore the 160-room mansion on a new Self-Guided Mansion Tour.