Step inside San Jose's historic Winchester Mystery House for fun Halloween haunts

Friday, October 25, 2024 6:53AM PT
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A chilling experience awaits anyone who visits the historic Winchester Mystery House in San Jose.

Since 1923, the mansion has been a tourist destination.

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San Jose resident Catalina Drake came to celebrate her birthday.

"I have been hearing the legends of this house since I was a little kid I remember reading about the blue room, the seances, and the ghosts, and I've loved scary stuff since I was a little kid," Drake said.



The fun scares come alive during Halloween. This year's theme is Unhinged Hotel.

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Leigh and her husband Joakimson drove from Pacheco.

"To see everyone here dressing up, and just the fog that they put on and the goolies that hide out in the corners and freak you out," Joakimson said.

Why do we love being scared? Is it the adrenaline rush? The comradery?



Mountain View resident Anastasia Grunina first came as a child.

"I think it's just about the thrill and the excitement and sometimes feeling those rushed emotions sometimes just gives us more life," Grunina said.

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Grunina, dressed as Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice, just finished her tour.

"I thought it was really realistic, and it was creepy but also funny, and it felt so real it felt like I was in a horror movie," Grunina said.



Sprawling over 24,000 square feet the house is known to be a labyrinth. It includes 160 rooms, 6 kitchens, and 17 chimneys.

Staircases lead to ceilings and doors open to walls.

Tickets range around $70 to $100 dollars.

Over the past 101 years, the house has hosted 13 million guests, in a terrifying, but entertaining kind of way.

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