Is ‘Winchester’ Movie Based On A True Story? The Truth About Winchester Mystery House

It isn’t uncommon for a horror film to advertise it was inspired by true events, but in the case of “Winchester,” it very much was. The Helen Mirren-starer, which hits theaters Friday, is based on the life of Sarah Winchester and the real, supposedly haunted, home she possessed, which still stands today.

“Winchester” follows grieving widow Mrs. Sarah Winchester (Mirren) who decides to have her California mansion undergo constant construction. The reason? To keep “vengeful ghosts,” who she believes have a “score to settle” with her family, imprisoned there.

The building, legend says, was inspired by Winchester’s meeting with a medium following the death of her infant daughter and the soon after loss of her husband in 1881. It was during this supposed meeting that Winchester was told she should pay back the angry spirits taken by her family’s rifle company, sparking her move from the East Coast to the now famous mansion in San Jose, California.

So, just how real is the film? A quick look at the official website for Winchester Mystery House reveals the movie’s synopsis appears to stay close to the true tale. Those who go on a mansion tour can expect to hear all about Sarah Winchester’s daily construction, which didn’t stop until her death in 1922, all in an effort to “appease the spirits of those killed by the guns manufactured by her husband’s firearms company.”

Today, the mansion houses 160 rooms, 110 of which are available to see. And it’s not just an extraordinary amount of rooms that amaze guests. Winchester also lead the construction of strange add-ons to the original design, including the addition of doors that lead to nowhere, stairs that only lead to ceilings, and a window built into a floor to name a few oddities.

The tour also includes a stop in Mrs. Winchester’s séance room where she is said to have talked to ghosts nightly. It was there she received “instructions for designing her house,” according to the house’s tour site, which states, “Mrs. Winchester carried the only key to this room which features only one entrance, but three exits.”

So, is the home actually haunted? The site seems convinced the property isn’t unfamiliar with paranormal activity. “Whether one believes in spirits or not, there’s no denying the presence of someone (or something) here at Winchester Mystery House,” reads the page. “Numerous visitors, tour guides and employees have experienced strange phenomenon, including capturing orbs and images in photographs and video.”

It’s not only guests who have admitted to feeling a supernatural presence in the home. Mirren has even stated she felt Winchester’s spirit there.

“Absolutely Sarah’s spirit is here, you can’t deny that,” the actress said during a May sit-down with Associated Press. “Whether her ghost is here is another matter. Her spirit, how she was on this planet, is in this house without question.”