Flashlight tour of the Winchester Mystery House

The Winchester Mystery House is so legendary does it need an introduction? It may not be the most famous haunted house in the country, but it is the most famous for being haunted.

For those who aren’t familiar with its legend, Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester was the heiress of her husband, William Wirt, son of Oliver Fisher, the successful manufacturer and marketer of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. After her husband’s death, she spent some time traveling and became captivated by the spiritualist movement. She had a reading by a psychic, Adam Coons, who told her some smack about moving west and continuously building a house and living forever.

There is little evidence to verify what is historically accurate and the yellow journalism during her lifetime confuses the facts even more. Regardless of whether she believed Coons, she did move from Connecticut to California; bought an eight-room farmhouse, which she called Llanada Villa; and unceasingly remodeled it 24/7 until she died in 1922. Her domestic staff said she would enter her séance room around midnight every night and ask for direction on designs for her house.

Despite TAPS’s unsuccessful investigation of the Winchester House, there have been several reports of phenomena around the property. One staffer thought she saw a reenactor as she walked through it, only to find none were on the premises that day. Others have claimed to smell chicken soup in the kitchen, which hasn’t been used since 1922. In truth, the phenomena is probably not as constant as some would like to believe, but the joint is haunted. Most Haunted thought the mansion was worthy enough to do a live investigation in October 2007.

Some members have expressed a desire in going there and the Flashlight Tours will fit more in with BAGH’s interests. These one-hour tours are more expensive at $45.00, but offer more. Unlike the regular day tours, the guides will tell stories of its paranormal activity. They also have magicians, jugglers, and a caricaturist on hand for entertainment. Price of the tour also includes a flashlight.

These tours usually sell out well beforehand, so I’ll be requiring the price of the tickets with RSVPs to insure there is enough for everyone who wishes to go. Depending on ticket availability, the meet-up time is approximate and will likely change, but won’t be any earlier than the one originally posted. It would be best not to plan anything else that evening until we have a definite time. We’ll meet up at the café in the gift shop where I’ll give everyone their tickets.

Some people have triskaidekaphobia, but Mrs. Winchester was a triskaidekaphiliac. As much as she hated that gift shop, she might have loved the concept of this tour.