Getting Unhinged in San Jose

As an avid fan of ghosts and the paranormal, growing up in Southern California I've heard about the Winchester Mystery House my whole life! Which is why it's so odd that I had never been! Earlier this year, I found a vintage teacup from the Winchester Mystery House and it felt like a sign. So when The Winchester Mystery House announced they were going to have an immersive show there, I KNEW it was a sign!

We arrived in San Jose around 9am on Friday morning and promptly sought out some coffee. Our room at the Hotel De Anza wasn't ready, so we took the opportunity to explore the area and we stumbled upon a farmers market at the San Pedro Square market in downtown San Jose! The farmers market had much of the usual- crafts, fresh fruits and vegetables, popcorn, etc. but it also included a tarot card reader and my favorite- flowers!

Our hunt for coffee took us to The Penny Cafe at Five Points. The coffee was gorgeous and delicious, which is why we were disappointed to find them closed Saturday morning. But it seems like this space becomes more of a club atmosphere on the weekends, so it makes sense to just leave up the DJ equipment and forgo the coffee. The hostess at the front desk of our hotel told us about restaurant called Whispers. They specialize in crepes and brunch. We were delighted by their Eggs Benedict and pleasantly surprised when out crepe came with a scoop of ice cream!

After breakfast we checked into our room and got ready to head over to the main attraction in San Jose- The Winchester Mystery House. Having never experienced the house before, I was eager to see it during the day as it is, before the show. The tour of the Winchester lasts about an hour and covers over 100 rooms (according to the website). There were stairs of all shapes and sizes and doors much the same. We walked through the room where Sarah Winchester passed on, as well as the room where she conversed with the spirits.

I loved the historical nature of the tour, and it was fun to pass through certain rooms and see indictors that they would be part of the show later that evening. I'm so glad we took that opportunity to explore before the sun went down.

After a short dinner break, we returned to the mansion for Unhinged. When you walk up to the gates, you are met by a man in a sports coat with a desperate plea to turn back. He explains through his warnings that his daughter went into the house and never came out. He suggests the same thing will happen to you if you continue onward. But you have tickets to the show, so you do.

The courtyard/garden area is transformed into a carnival with games and prizes, and a modest bar is set up in the center, offering cocktails, beer, and wine.

An announcement over the loud speakers reminded us to check out the light show happening in mere moments, so we head out to the front viewing area.

The light show was phenomenal! The 3D projection mapping was so well done! At times, it looked like the house caught fire, and at another point, in a nod to the 1906 earthquake that did major damage to the mansion. The light show was a beautiful prelude to Unhinged, in my opinion. It told the story of several people who entered the mansion and never exited, which also happened to be the through-line of Unhinged.

Our time slot came for Unhinged and we were broken up into groups of about 8-10. The show began where the day time tour ended and it felt like we were retracing our steps. The house was transformed! I was shocked at some of the effects used in the show, especially considering how minimal the footprint for them was during the day.

The show was a collection of vignettes. It told the (fictional) story of multiple people who have visited the house and gone missing. Having followed along on their social media, that plot was very clear. There were a few moments where a genuine connection with the audience was made, like when we met the daughter of the man who had warned us to stay away. And then again when we found out what happened when he, himself went in to look for her. Another very memorable moment for me was when we watched a man pray to be reunited with his wife and daughters, whom were taken by the house, just to see his prayer get answered. The setting was almost a character in and of itself. The room that served as Sarah Winchester's bedroom was now the backdrop for a heart-broken bride, aching to be reunited with her lost love.

After the show, we paid a visit to the gift shop to see Christine McConnell's edible miniature replica of the estate. Every detail was accounted for and even a few creative liberties were taken that perfectly captures the spirit of the house and the legacy that Sarah Winchester left behind.

And just for fun! Check out my Winchester Mystery House merch wishlist! Christmas is coming, after all!