Winchester Mystery House offers axe throwing, new escape room this fall

Winchester Mystery House has announced that it will offer new activities and attractions for the fall season, including axe throwing, a Houdini-themed challenge room, and an expanded Explore More Tour.

“From riveting historical accounts told through our Explore More Tour to fun games, interactive challenges, and ghoulish stories experienced during ‘Unhinged,’ Winchester Mystery House is sure to be the ultimate destination this fall.”

Designed for anyone to play, Axe Throwing at the Stables gives guests five outdoor lanes to throw axes at dartboard-like targets while scoring points. All lanes and targets are built to meet the requirements of the World Axe Throwing League. This offering is now open to guests ages 18 and up during operating hours, but private rentals are also available for groups of 15 or more. Axe throwing hosts are available on-site to offer detailed instructions to guests.

The Houdini-Themed Challenge Room is an escape room featuring puzzles inspired by the famous magician, who visiting Sarah Winchester’s home in October 1924 with his wife, Bess, during his nationwide spiritualism lecture tour. His intention was to debunk the theory that the house was haunted, but was unsuccessful. The escape room will open this fall in the former Firearms Museum, which has been temporarily closed while the collection is cleaned and curated by firearms experts.

The Explore More Tour, which debuted in 2017, allows access to areas of the house that have never before been open to the public. The tour now showcases additional areas – like the stables, estate garden walk, and third-floor servants’ area – that have been closed for more than 90 years. The tour now also includes new stories of Sarah’s estate workers, including her private secretary and foreman, whose stories and letters inspired the updated tour.

Also new to the house this fall is “Unhinged,” an immersive horror experience starting Friday, Sept. 6 and running on 28 select nights through Saturday, Nov. 2. General admission tickets start at $44 and can be purchased online.

Guests can also watch a 3D projection-mapped light show on the home’s exterior in the Estate’s front gardens, as it runs multiple times on the nights that “Unhinged” takes place. There will also be a giant edible replica of the Winchester Mystery House created by Christine McConnell of Netflix’s “Curious Creations of Christine McConnell” on display in the Mercantile.

To learn more about Winchester Mystery House, and to purchase tickets, visit WinchesterMysteryHouse.com.