Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California, USA
Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune, built a 24,000 square foot mansion for an unusual reason. Sarah was reportedly convinced the spirits of people killed with the rifle haunted her house. She built the house to confuse the spirits and keep them away from her.
She began construction on the house in 1884, a project that lasted at least 36 years and created a house-maze. In the end, the 24,000 square foot house, now a National Landmark and museum, had 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, stairs and hallways that lead to nowhere, secret passages, and a séance room. There is even a doorway that opens to the outside – and a long drop into the yard below. The overall weirdness of the Winchester Mystery House has made it one of the most famous “haunted houses” in the United States.
