The Winchester Mystery House just south of San Jose, California, has been a popular and spooky tourist attraction since it opened to the public in 1923. By now the story is familiar to the thousands of visitors who experience the otherworldly thrill of exploring its labyrinthine halls, staircases that bizarrely lead to nowhere, hidden compartments, and, of course, a closed chamber in the middle of the sprawling mansion that is billed as the “Séance Room.”

Some guides report that after dark, long after closing time, they have heard eerie footsteps approaching down the Victorian mansion’s countless hallways and disembodied voices whispering unrecognizable names.

But the spirits, the curse, and never-ending hauntings of the famous mansion are all part of a carefully constructed, money-making tall-tale. But that is not to say that the Winchester Mystery House has no historical value. Its existence as a tourist attraction was a brilliant stroke of imagination and public promotion. In fact, this is the story of how the Winchester Mystery House became the model for haunted houses at amusement parks and Halloween fright houses all over the United States.

Dig Deeper

• Winchester Mystery House and related photos
• Episode transcript
• Captive of the Labyrinth: Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune (Amazon affiliate link)

Music and FX Credits

• “Footsteps, Concrete, A.wav” by InspectorJ, copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/336598/
• Small group gasps in unison remix of Freesound by CaptainVideo89, remix by Timbre, Licensed under a Creative Commons Non-commercial Attribution (3.0) license, https://freesound.org/people/Timbre/sounds/106391/
• Maple Leaf Rag, performed by Stefano Ligoratti, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://musopen.org/music/performer/stefano-ligoratti/
• The Wild Wild West, That1lightskin, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://freesound.org/people/That1lightskin/sounds/360636/
• Steam Train, by gadzooks, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://freesound.org/people/gadzooks/sounds/39413/
• Steam Train Horn, by eliasheuninck, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://freesound.org/people/eliasheuninck/sounds/170848/
• Lyric Pieces, Op. 43 – 2. Solitary traveller – Ensom Vandrer (For Recorder Ensemble), performed by Papalin, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://musopen.org/music/performer/papalin/
• Lyric Pieces, Op. 43 – 4. Little Bird – Liden Fugl (For Recorder Ensemble), performed by Papalin, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://musopen.org/music/performer/papalin/
• Empty rooms (small theme) by _ghost (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/31006
• Wes’ earthquake 4-16-95.wav Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. https://freesound.org/people/phantaglyph/sounds/49646/
• Collapsing Building Interior, by EflexTheSoundDesigner, Licensed under a Creative Commons Non-commercial Attribution (3.0) license, https://freesound.org/people/EFlexTheSoundDesigner/sounds/388526/
• Ross Bugden, Apocalypse, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v29KVjUXiS8&index=2&list=PLMFmJLFhkDPG2tHFRin_Ecoqbg7kDxYr_
• Entrance of the Gladiators, Op. 68, performed by the Eastern Wind Symphony, Licensed under a Creative Commons Non-commercial Attribution (3.0) license, https://musopen.org/music/performer/eastern-wind-symphony/
• Unreal mix of FoolBoyMedia’s Freesound #220753.flac, Licensed under a Creative Commons Non-commercial Attribution (3.0) license, https://freesound.org/people/Timbre/sounds/405351/
• Horror ambience 31, by klankbeeld, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/sounds/173418/
• Ron Minis, My 7 Stages of Grief, copyright 2011, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license, https://ronminis.bandcamp.com/track/my-7-stages-of-grief