From San Jose’s “Unhinged” to San Francisco’s Terror Vault, here’s where to get spooked.
There wasn’t a ghost of a chance anything could go wrong. After all, it was a Winchester Mystery House tour and they do this all the time, taking folks through the twisty-turny, willy-wonky passages of the historic San Jose mansion. Sure, this particular tour was dubbed “Unhinged,” but that could merely have referenced a hardware problem with the hundreds of turnof-the-last-century doors. Right?
Our sweet young guide, sporting an oddly pale complexion and 19th-century housemaid’s garb, giggled nervously as she shared lore about the spirits of those who’d met their demise on the business end of a Winchester rifle. Then she led us on our way and astray, off the beaten tour path and through the stone-cold, brick-walled, cobwebbed basement where no tourists have gone before — or at least, they haven’t returned to Yelp about it.
Then all hullabaloo broke loose. The lights snapped off. It was as black as a vampire’s heart. Where in heaven’s name was our guide? The lights flickered back on and a security guard was yelling, scolding us for veering off-tour.
“It’s dangerous down there — get out, get out!” Then he was gone, too. Was he for real? An actor? A ghost?
Upstairs, an eerie fog filled the corridor, cloaking a still eerier butler — think Christopher Walken and Jack Nicholson, dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight. In the garden room, a corpse-like woman conversed with an invisible friend: “No, I’m not going to help you kill them, Walter. If you want
them dead you’re going to have to come down and do it yourself!” Eek!
OK, so this was not your everyday Winchester tour after all. “Unhinged” is a walk-through Halloween extravaganza held on select evenings through Nov. 2. It’s intended to shiver your timbers and thrill your soul, but not in a jump-out-with-a-chain-saw kind of way.
Oh, there are some startles and bloodcurdling screams, but that’s mostly from the guests. This is immersive theater with talented actors performing vignettes in various rooms, some moaning as lingering spirits, others warning you to vacate the premises … or DIE!
It’s all from the warped minds of Themedream Productions and the writers of San Francisco’s popular “The Speakeasy” show. And while the Winchester has offered Halloween events in the past — a popular candlelight tour and even a professional haunted maze a few years back — those can rest in peace because this is very different.
“Unhinged” takes advantage of the Winchester’s built-in storyline, its creepy Victorian vibe, narrow passages and already peeling wallpaper — they barely needed to decorate at all.
The tours, which take about an hour, are not recommended for kids under 13. But all ages can check out an amazing 3D-projection light show on the mansion facade on “Unhinged” nights, complete with ghosts and crumbling walls. And in the gift shop, there’s a giant must-see gingerbread-house replica of the Winchester house, created by Christine Mcconnell of Netflix’s “Curious Creations of Christine Mcconnell.”