Winchester Mystery House
The General Idea
Sarah Winchester's last refuge from the curse haunting her family
Aspects
- My Family's Ghosts
- the Siren's calling, can you hear it?
The Face
Address
Bernal Heights Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94110
Description
The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in Bernal Heights Park, that was once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearms magnate William Wirt Winchester. The house became a tourist attraction nine months after Winchester's death in 1922. The Victorian and Gothic style mansion is renowned for its size and its architectural curiosities, including stairways to nowhere, doors that open to brick walls, and a curious repetition of the number 13.
It is generally considered to be one of the most haunted places in the world, as it was built by Mrs. Winchester as a place to ward, confuse, and trap the spirits of the dead that haunted her family. She was advised by medium Archie Pennington that all the dead killed by her family's firearms would seek their revenge on her, and that she needed to take action to protect herself. This mansion was the result.
People sensitive to magic will feel the spells woven into the very buildings, a chaotic, whirling call to the spirits of the restless dead. The Mansion lures them in with a promise of the opportunity for revenge, but traps them in its labyrinth, presumably forever. It is one of the two strongest spiritually-connected places in San Francisco, the other being the Legion of Honor. Ectomancers, mediums and spiritualists can feel the pull of these two places from all over the City, like a constant beacon.
Editor's Note
Please note that, unlike nearly every other location in the game, this one is moved from its real location in San Jose, CA to Bernal Heights Park in the south end of San Francisco.
