The Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California
After a string of premature deaths, the widowed Sarah Winchester, moved from Connecticut to San Jose, California. The year was 1885 and she had suffered the deaths of her husband, child, mother, father-in-law and eldest sister and had recently been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
As the story goes, Sarah visited a psychic medium who told her that her run of bad luck was the direct result of her husband’s contributions towards the now legendary Winchester Repeating Arms company.
It seemed the victims of Winchester guns were out for revenge, and according to the medium, the only way for Sarah to appease them was to move out west and keep building, which is exactly what she did.
After purchasing a modest eight room house, Sarah added room after room until it became the 24,000 square foot mansion that stands today.
Architects were hired and fired and Sarah oversaw the gigantic project herself, and it was no ordinary project. Today, the house features stairs that disappear into the ceiling, doors that open up to shear drops and trap doors.
According to legend, this was intended to confuse the spirits that were after her.
The house survived an earthquake in 1906, and when Sarah passed away in 1922, the house had 160 rooms, 2000 doors, 10,000 window, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms and 6 kitchens.
Since her death, the Winchester house has become a tourist attraction, hosting visitors from all over the world. According to some, it’s also become the home of many a nameless ghost, as well as the spirit of Sarah herself.
Unfortunately for us, most of the legends about the Winchester Mystery House is just that – legend. Sarah was said to have moved from her home state on doctors orders, hoping the fair weather would ease her arthritis. While she did oversee the project itself, most of the bizarre additions were either added after her death, or a result of the earthquake. The quake destroyed an entire wing of the house, and rather than being rebuilt, Sarah elected to just board it off, resulting in abruptly ending staircases and doors with no function.
Of course, none of this stops the house’s alleged spirits. Shadowy figures have been seen, including that of a deceased worker named Clyde. Additionally, the basement is said to be home of a wheelbarrow-toting spirit transporting coal across the house.
Whether or not the legends of its construction and conception is true, the Winchester Mystery House has become a favourite of ghost hunters the world over.
Villisca Axe Murder House, Villisca, Iowa
No prizes for guessing how this little house in Villisca, Iowa got its name, but I’m going to tell you about it anyway.
In 1912, the house was home to the Moore family – Josiah and Sarah and their four children. On that fateful night in June, two of the children’s friends were also staying the night, bringing the total to eight.
Every occupant of the house was found bludgeoned to death with an axe that night. Despite being over 100 years old, the killer is still unknown, although there have been plenty of suspects including everyone from transient workers to a reverend.
The house’s bloody history has made it a landmark for ghost hunters, and has been featured on just about every paranormal reality show going. Tours are available and have often been interrupted by ghostly voices, and flying objects.
The house had a new wave of infamy when in 2014, a paranormal investigation stabbed himself during an investigation. He has reportedly recovered, but has released no further information about the event.
The Binnenveld Mansion, Huissen, Netherlands
Built in 1735, the Binnenveld House is supposedly one of the most haunted houses in Holland, with a particularly horrible history.
The house survived a flood in 1770, with residents supposedly seeking shelter in the house, however 200 people still perished in the incident. Later on, a German soldier was reportedly killed inside the house, and between these two incidents at least four women have hanged themselves in the attic.
Among the house’s former owners, are two Dutch celebrities, who have both spoken about the strange goings on there.
Emile Ratelband – a controversial “positivity guru” with a history of assault and making racist and homophobic statements – purchased the house in 2008 with plans to renovate, however after experiencing unexplained banging, phantom piano playing and other oddities, left the house. Ratelband was arrested in 2012 for attempting to burn the house down.
Later entrepreneur Johan Vlemmix bought the mansion but was met with a series of bad luck and ghostly experiences. On the advice of psychics, Vlemmix dug up the cellar in search of a body, but found nothing. He later decided to sell the house.
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