The Mysterious Winchester House Quiz

Answer: 1884

Mrs. Winchester moved to San Jose, California from her home in New Haven, Connecticut in 1884. It was done under the advice of a Boston psychic who told her moving out west would allow her to escape the torment of the evil spirits of the people killed by the Winchester rifles her husband helped manufacture. Supposedly, her husband's and only daughter's untimely deaths were blamed on the spirits.

Answer: 13

Mrs. Winchester had her favorite number hidden all over her house! There are rooms with 13 windows, staircases with 13 steps and even a chandelier with 13 candlesticks, custom made by Mrs. Winchester, of course!

Answer: She inherited it from her late husband

Mrs. Winchester inherited all of her money from her late husband, William Wirt Winchester, the second president of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.

Answer: 7 stories

Mrs. Winchester's mansion had grown to seven stories by 1898. Unfortunately, during the 1906 earthquake, a huge three story tower fell, leaving the mansion as it stands today at four stories.

Answer: Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester

Mrs. Winchester's full name was "Sarah Lockwood Pardee", but when she married William, she took his last name. Later in life, she had a tendency to drop the "Pardee", and just use "Sarah Lockwood Winchester".

Answer: arthritis

With her illness in mind, Mrs. Winchester set out to design special steps throughout the house that allowed her to move from level to level with ease. These stairs were built on a very gradual incline, almost like a ramp, and they were called "easy risers".

Answer: It cost $9,000 to build, and the walls and ceilings were constructed using no nails

Mrs. Winchester constructed her Grand Ballroom with very few nails placed only in the floor so the acoustics would sound true. At a price tag of $9,000, Mrs. Winchester's ballroom cost 2 and a half times that of an average home for the time.

Answer: $1,500

Mrs. Winchester bought the Tiffany window designed to catch sunlight and cast rainbows, and she placed it on the north side of the house.

Answer: It's in the floor

Mrs. Winchester's So. Conservatory window was placed in the floor to act as an air vent, bringing cool air up from the first floor to the second.

Answer: Zip

Mrs. Winchester's constant companion was Zip the dog. He was no special breed, just a loveable mutt. Rumor has it that Zip got loose when Mrs. Winchester's carpenters were laying cement in her Carriage Hall. You can still see Zip's footprints in the floor.

Unfortunately, you have to be a tour guide to get to the place where they are! It is in a servant's hall that is closed off from the public.

Answer: True

Although few guests experience "encounters" while visiting the home, various accounts by tour guides, mediums and even scientists place this house on the National Registry as well as make it every ghost hunter's top vacation destination.

Answer: True

Very true! Mrs. Winchester added a shower in only the very latest of the 13 bathrooms in the house. Her shower was designed to spray someone neck and shoulders down, but only if they were her height of 4 feet, 10 inches tall!

Answer: 6

For every main kitchen, there is a servants' kitchen. There are two main kitchens, so that makes four. There was an additional kitchen in the back of the house for the servants, as well as one on the third floor. The servants lived on the third and fourth floors of the home, so the third floor kitchen was constructed as a convenience for the servants.

Answer: September 5, 1922

Mrs. Winchester died in her sleep on the morning of September 5, 1922. She was worth 2.9 million dollars, and the house was worth 5.5 million dollars.

Answer: Over a mile

On the mansion tour, the guests walk over a mile, through the 24,000 square foot home that contains 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 160 rooms, 52 skylights, 47 fireplaces, 40 staircases and 40 bedrooms, 17 and 1/2 chimneys, 13 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, 3 elevators, 2 basements, and only one shower!