Sarah Winchester never fully finished work on her amazing and sprawling mansion. She was rather obsessed with it, building a rumored 500-600 rooms before she died, leaving only 160 rooms actually finished. Sarah Winchester was the heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, a family business that was said to create many ghosts. Sarah believed that those ghosts haunted her family, and her home, and began to design her house to confuse, lose and trap them in an eternal maze. Because of that reason, it’s said that The Winchester Mystery House is one of the most haunted houses in America. Soon, you may be able to sleep there.
Photo courtesy of WinchesterMysteryHouse.com
The Winchester Mystery House is full of false doors, staircases that lead nowhere and hot&cold running chills. The ghosts of the men, women and children who were killed by Winchester rifles are said to roam the grounds. It’s a popular tourist attraction, as guided tours are given through the entire estate…and it’s something that you could soon make a vacation out of, by staying overnight.
According to the Silicone Valley Business Journal, a special permit was filed with the San Jose Planning Department to allow overnight stays at the Winchester Mystery House. Before you get too excited, the permit calls for only a few select areas of the grounds to be used as guest rooms. Nothing in the actual house will be allowed, but guests could stay in a pump room, the caretakers residence, or the foreman’s quarters. In addition, alcohol could be served, as the current modest cafe could be turned into a full fledged restaurant that will be open to the public, and not just those going on the tour or staying onsite.
Would you stay on the site of one of the most allegedly haunted houses in America? The application for alcohol consumption comes as a way to boost event attendance at Winchester Mystery House. Some of the events that have been held there included a Halloween Event that ended in 2012. Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House ran for several years, and included mazes and a flashlight tour of the house.
Video-Check out a tour of Fright Nights at The Winchester Mystery House
No word on when guests will be allowed at The Winchester Mystery House, if it’s approved. Stay tuned for the latest news and be sure to follow along with us on Twitter @BehindThrills for the latest updates!
