Winchester Mystery House

For good old-fashioned, cheesy haunted house fun, stop in at the Winchester Mystery House (525 S. Winchester Blvd., 408/247-2101, www.winchestermysteryhouse.com [1], daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., adults $26, children $20). A San Jose [2] attraction that pre-dates the rise of Silicon Valley [3], the huge bizarre mansion was built by famous wacko Sarah Winchester.

Kids love the doors that open onto brick walls, stairwells that go nowhere, and oddly shaped rooms, while adults enjoy the story of Sarah and the antiques displayed in many of the rooms.

Sarah married into the gun-making Winchesters, and became disturbed later in life by the destruction and death wrought by her husband’s products. She designed the house to both facilitate communication with the spirits of the dead, and to confound them and keep herself safe.

Whether or not ghosts still haunt the mansion is a matter of debate and of faith—visit and make up your own mind. For an extra-spooky experience, take a Friday the 13th or Halloween flashlight tour (book early, as these tours fill up fast).