As summer approaches, why take the family to vacation at the Grand Canyon or a national park when a slew of unusual destinations are waiting to be discovered? 

In the second of a multi-part series, KHTS will uncover unusual destinations Santa Clarita families can travel to for their “quirky” vacation. 

This week features the possibly haunted Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. 

The Winchester Mystery House is an architectural wonder and historic landmark in San Jose, CA that was once the personal residence of Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester, the widow of William Wirt Winchester and heiress to a large portion of the Winchester  Repeating Arms fortune.

Tragedy befell Sarah — her infant daughter died of a childhood illness and a few years later her husband died from tuberculosis.

Shortly after her husband’s death, Sarah left their home in New Haven, CT and moved out west to San Jose, CA. 

There, she bought an eight-room farmhouse and began what could only be described as the world’s longest home renovation, stopping only when Sarah died on Sept. 5, 1922.

From 1886 to 1922 construction seemingly never ceased as the original eight-room farmhouse grew into the world’s most unusual and sprawling mansion, featuring:

• 24,000 square feet
• 10,000 windows
• 2,000 doors
• 160 rooms
• 52 skylights
• 47 stairways and fireplaces
• 17 chimneys
• 13 bathrooms
• six kitchens

Built at a price tag of the $5 million dollars in 1923 or $71 million today. 

This summer experience this unusual destination, the Winchester Mystery House. 

During a tour of the house, visitors can walk with Spirits — and explore the paranormal as explained through the Spiritualism movement. 

Guest have the opportunity to not just learn, but to experience for themselves, what happens when the veil between this life and the next is lifted. 

More information about this unusual destination can be found by clicking here.

Click here for last week’s quirkiest destination.

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