DOWNTOWN. Sara Winchester, heiress of the famous rifle family, began this Victorian mansion in 1884. She firmly believed that, if construction ever stopped on her home, spirits would harm her, so she had carpenters work on the house for the rest of her life ­ until 1932. The result was this 160-room behemoth located in downtown San Jose. All of the antiques and oddities inspired locals to dub the home "The Mystery House." When you tour the home, you'll see silver and gold chandeliers, forty-seven fireplaces, Tiffany windows, and numerous dead-ends and stairs that lead nowhere. The "Behind the Scenes Tour" allows you to tour previously unopened sections of the home. There is also a Winchester rifle exhibit on the grounds that is a "must see." Children 9 and under not allowed on the Grand Estate tour and the Behind the Scenes tour due to safety concerns.