Kicking off season 3, Hadley takes us to the Winchester Mystery House (aka Llanada Villa)—a sprawling San Jose mansion built by The Winchester Repeating Arms Company heiress Sarah Winchester in the late 1800s. The hosts dig into the many legends surrounding the property and investigate rumors that the home’s creepy and bizarre architectural features were an attempt to keep out unwelcome spirits. Along the way, they uncover the true story of Sarah Winchester’s life, from her reclusive lifestyle to her love of interior design, to find out what really motivated the never-ending construction of her rambling mansion, and why it was deemed valueless after her death. To learn more about the Spiritualist movement that swept the nation during Sarah’s heyday, the hosts chat with Lisa Morton, the author of ‘Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances,’ about the history of mediumship, seances, ouija boards and more. 

CREDITSAlyssa Fiorentino - Host & ProducerHadley Mendelsohn - Host & ProducerJessy Caron - Producer & Audio EditorJacob Stone - Sound Editor & MixerTo advertise on the show: https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse or email us at [email protected]. 

RELATED LINKS‘Captive of the Labyrinth’ by Mary Jo Ignoffo: https://amzn.to/3PgyLzZ 1963 KPIX Documentary: Mrs. Winchester's House (VIDEO): bit.ly/3refp6n “Return of the ‘66” (VIDEO): bit.ly/466hSyBHargis Ranch in 1876 (PHOTO): bit.ly/3sUeNDq The Winchester House (1985) by Trish Newfarmer (VIDEO): bit.ly/3sTT3Yi ‘The Gun That Built an American Dynasty’ by Laura Trevelyan: https://amzn.to/45LIx4a ‘Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances’ by Lisa Morton: https://amzn.to/465g09hLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices