San Jose highlight
Winchester Mystery House
A Victorian mansion in San Jose built by Sarah Winchester from 1886 to 1922, featuring 160 rooms and continuous architectural expansion, opened to the public in 1923.
Winchester Mystery House is located in San Jose and stands as one of America's most celebrated historic landmarks. The 24,000-square-foot Victorian mansion was built by Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester, widow of William Wirt Winchester and heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune. Construction began in 1886 on what was originally an eight-room farmhouse and continued for 36 years until Sarah Winchester's death in September 1922, with the doors opening to the public on June 30, 1923.
The completed structure contains 160 rooms total, including 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 52 skylights, 47 stairways and fireplaces, 17 chimneys, 13 bathrooms and 6 kitchens. The property also features Victorian gardens, a greenhouse, stables and a fruit drying shed. Today visitors explore over 110 of the mansion's rooms on a guided 65-minute tour, experiencing the remarkable craftsmanship and maze-like architecture that made the house famous, along with special events, group tours and private function options.
The Winchester House reminds us that structures built to last are built with intention. Life insurance works the same way: you choose the years your family needs protection most, then lock in a rate for that period while your children are dependent or a mortgage is outstanding, knowing the coverage will be there regardless of what happens.