Villa Montezuma is the most theatrical Victorian building in San Diego — an 1887 Queen Anne mansion in Sherman Heights commissioned for concert pianist and spiritualist Jesse Shepard, designed with a tower, multiple gables, elaborate stained glass depicting Greek myths and literary figures, and more decorative woodwork per square foot than seems structurally advisable.
The house operates as a museum run by the San Diego History Center, open for tours on weekends. The interior retains most of its original appointments — the music room where Shepard held performances, the elaborate plaster ceilings, the period furniture. The stained glass windows are exceptional; each one is a distinct composition and they fill the house with coloured light in the afternoon.
The neighbourhood around the house — Sherman Heights — is a working-class Latino district that sees few tourists. The contrast between the mansion and its surroundings is part of the visit.