Contact

Hello everyone! This is a friendly reminder that any of these fun places we may visit, we are a guest at. Please treat both businesses and trails with the utmost respect. We here at Hidden San Diego follow the 'Leave no Trace' mantra, meaning whatever you bring with you comes back with you. If you see trash on a trail, please do your part to help remove it. Remember, we are not picking up trash from another person but instead cleaning up for Mother Nature. Happy adventures!


Share me!

1925 K St,
San Diego, CA 92102

Phone: 619-239-2211
32.708079, -117.146088

Dog-Friendly: Outside, yes   Kid-Friendly: Yes

Website

About the Villa Montezuma

Just on the outskirts of downtown stands an unusually-stunning piece of Victorian-era architecture. This intricate mansion known as the Villa Montezuma was built by several members of a local spiritual society in 1887 for famous musician and author Jesse Shepard.

Shepard was a worldly composer, known for giving elaborate performances, oftentimes for royalty. He was quite the eccentric, rumored to have held seances in his home in order to channel famous composers, musicians and even Egyptian spirits.

villa montezuma

Due to his connections, the Villa Montezuma became an instant hit with spiritualists in the community. Shepard would hold seances and recitals in his home believing that he had the great ability to channel powerful spirits of the past. People would say that it sounded like a whole orchestra was playing when he performed despite there only being one person.

It is said that he could play the Grand Egyptian March using only his voice and piano. He would tell people that he communicated with the spirits of Beethoven, Mozart, Shakespeare, Chopin and Julius Caesar during his seances.

No detail is left out in this house and I highly recommend taking one of their tours when they are open to the public. The house is brimming with beauty from head to toe.  Stained glass windows, gargoyles with the perfect amount of gothic touches.

The master and guest bedrooms were all located on the first floor while the second floor was mostly used as a museum housing Shepherd’s prized possessions and gifts that he had received from European nobility.

There were rumors of secret passages running throughout the house as well as concealed spaces behind some of the ornate fireplaces.

 

After Shepard left San Diego in 1889, the house went through multiple owners, all suffering from financial ruin due to the severe downturn of the economy. Some chalked up the misfortune to a curse put over the house.

Several ghosts are claimed to haunt the house, the first being Jesse and the 2nd of a man who hung himself in the observatory tower. Occasionally one can hear the piano playing in the dead of the night even though nobody is actually playing.

Others have said to see the figure of a person hanging in the room where the man killed himself. People on tours have reported seeing and feeling things and the stained glass window of Peter Paul Rubens, an artist, is said to have a beard that is slowly graying over time. Near one of the corners of the house, plants refuse to grow.

After years of being closed to the public, the Villa Montezuma has finally opened its doors again–although there are very select dates for when you can visit.  Make sure to check out their website to book a tour!

Share me!

Subscribe to our E-mail Newsletter

10.0
Superb

4 Reviews

Rating 0
Overall Rating 0
Difficulty Finding 0

4 Reviews

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Rating Overall Rating Difficulty Finding

    I believe that I have spent the night here in the ‘80’s…would that have been possible Jessica??? Was it privately owned then??

    July 20, 2019

  • Anonymous
    Rating Overall Rating Difficulty Finding

    Wonderful to learn about treasures like this that had somehow escaped my experience downtown,

    May 23, 2020

  • Denise S.
    Rating Overall Rating Difficulty Finding

    Three days a week, three times per those three days. Friends of the Villa Montezuma. I’m not a member, I just love this house.

    March 7, 2024

  • Denise S.
    Rating Overall Rating Difficulty Finding

    Beautifully designed, wonderfully restored. I highly recommend!

    March 7, 2024

Write a Review