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Since there’s a chance we might get to San Francisco this year, I’m already researching things we can do while there. I came across this Winchester Mystery House, Muir Woods and Sausalito Day Trip tour On Viator, and decided it’d make for a fun Feature Friday post.
ABOUT THE TOUR
The following description of the tour is from Viator.
Your first stop on this enthralling day trip is the Bay Area’s popular Muir Woods. Take the opportunity to roam through an ancient forest of giant redwood trees on your 75-minute visit of Muir Woods, the longest visit offered by any tour.
The tour then takes you to Sausalito, a quaint Mediterranean-style seaside village with quaint shops, art galleries and waterfront restaurants. You can stop for an hour in Sausalito, or extend your visit and return to San Francisco by ferry (ferry cost not included).
The final highlight is a visit to the Winchester Mystery House, home of the rifle heiress Sarah Winchester where many unexplained oddities have come to pass. For 38 years, until the day she died, Sarah Winchester kept carpenters working 24 hours a day, building non-stop. The house has an endlessly confusing floor plan, with doors and staircases leading nowhere.
You’ll take a guided tour of the mysterious building, surrounded by beautiful gardens and containing several museums. Highlights include the largest Winchester rifle collection on the West Coast and the rare collection of antiques manufactured by the Winchester Products Company.
They offer hotel pick-up, which is always nice, especially if you’re in a city where you’re not renting a car. (We wouldn’t rent a car while there.)
It must be a decent tour. As of this writing, there were 68 reviews averaging four out of five stars.
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR GHOSTS
I’m very familiar with the legends surrounding the Winchester Mystery House. I toured it when I was a little girl. I wasn’t all that impressed with it then. (Although, I was like nine. Touring old houses didn’t hold a lot of interest for me. I may find it more interesting now.) I know it’s more of a touristy thing to do, which is okay. I don’t mind, but I’d rather find something less popular and cheeky.
I wonder if the Muir Woods part of the tour goes by The Pelican Inn at all? It’s rumored there’s a “woman in grey” who haunts the hotel. That’d be neat to scope out.
Anyway, it’s on our list of potential tours we may take when we head to San Fran.
Have you been to any of these places? Have any other suggestions for things to see in San Francisco? If so, please leave a comment.
Winchester Mystery House, Muir Woods and Sausalito Day Trip
from: Viator
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
If you’re going to do the Winchester Mystery House, you may want to swing by the haunted Toys R Us in Sunnyvale; it’s relatively close by (much closer to Winchester Mystery House than Muir Woods is, that’s for sure!). Not sure if there’s any official tours of the haunted Toys r Us — we went on our own and had a couple ‘whoa’ moments.
We did the Winchester Mystery House, haunted Toys R Us and the (now debunked but still fun) Moss Beach Distillery and had a great time.
I forget the Moss Beach Distillery is up that way too. I’ll have to be sure to look for the haunted Toys R Us if we go. So glad you took the time to share this. THANKS!