Hearst Castle is one of the few castles in the United States. I had been wanting to visit it for over 10 years and finally got to tour the mansion with my daughter on a California road trip.
Fashioned and made famous by magnate William Randolph Hearst, Hearst Castle is also referred to as “La Cuesta Encantada, or Enchanted Hill. The Mediterranean Revival estate is a must see when visiting coastal California.
Hearst was the king of a mega-publishing empire. He built this dream home in San Luis Obispo County, in the town of San Simeon. California’s first female licensed architect, Julia Morgan, oversaw the enormous project which took 28 years to complete.
Hearst referred to this estate as his “simple summer home”, but after taking one look at it, simple does not describe anything found at this mega mansion.
My first glimpse of the Hearst Castle.
The 250,000-acre Hearst Castle estate offers guest houses, huge gardens, impressive ranch lands, a zoo, and beautiful swimming pools. All of this and breathtaking views of California’s rugged coastline. The outdoor Neptune Pool was named after the Roman God of the Sea. It was built using Roman columns from the 1st-4th centuries and was easily one of the crowd’s favorites.
Casa Grande, the main house, is home to impressive bell towers that give the property a church-like look. Hearst Castle’s grounds are adorned with fruit trees, boxwood hedges, a variety of palms, and blooming azaleas which offered beauty at every turn.
Casa Grande contains 115 rooms with 38 bedrooms, a library, and amazing artifacts throughout. The impressive home was “the” place for Hollywood stars, politicians, and European royalty to escape their homes in Los Angeles back in Mr. Hearst’s day. Here, they could all bask in the expensive tastes and luxuries shared by the owner.
The inside of Hearst Castle was not nearly as impressive as the outside. My favorite part was the indoor Roman pool. It dazzled with over a million Murano glass tiles and 8 statues of gods and goddesses—crazy impressive!
At the end of the guided tour, we watched footage from Hearst’s home movies. The short film depicted the building of the mansion. Our movie was shown in the same theater (movie room) that once entertained Hollywood royalty.
Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument, as it is now referred to, housed a large visitor center filled with exhibits and included a movie theater, shopping, and food. Around 750,000 people visit the castle annually.
Souvenirs can be purchased at the gift shop. It was one of the better museum-quality gift shops I had been in. Guided tours run daily from 8 AM to 5 PM (except Thanksgiving, New Years Day, and Christmas).
FYI: Museum docents will advise you not to touch anything, only concrete or metal handrails and to remain on the designated paths. Word of warning, if you step off of the carpet or touch anything, alarms will sound.
Fun Fact: The Hearst Castle dining room was the inspiration for the one at Hogwarts in the “Harry Potter” films.
Be Warned: Due to the droughts in California over the past several years, the bathroom facilities at Hearst Castle were closed to the public. Only port-o-potties (which I think they call “Honeybuckets”) are available to guests. I feel that there could have been a better solution than having to send guests at this classy establishment to these disgusting facilities.
***Per a note from the social media manager at Hearst Castle, he explained that they have been mandated by the Governor of California (as have all state agencies and Californians) to cut their water usage by at least 20% while in this severe drought. By closing the Visitor Center restrooms at Hearst Castle, they have met that mandate plus more and are doing their part as long as the drought continues. He adds that though it is a complete inconvenience, it is a necessary one. They are hopeful that their visitors understand the predicament they are in.
Gosh, I’d love to stay here….who’d have thought there’d be a castle in the U.S?
Any idea how much the rooms go for? I think I might have to save a while!
Ahh, the lives of the rich and famous! Looks like a cool place to explore.
Love the photos, thanks! Did you make it to see the Elephant Seal rookery across the highway nearby?
Absolutely! My daughter had to tear me away. They are so flipping cute!
It is hard to imagine the level of opulence at which daily life occurred in this place not so long ago. I think the more interesting story is that of Marion Davies, for whom this “great pile” was built by her wannabe Svengali. She appears to have managed him quite well, even bailing him out with $1 million check. These people are just so fascinating.
Wow, that is fascinating. Are you a history fan Betsy? I love it!
I think I agree about the indoor pool being a favorite, if not THE favorite for me. I remember once long ago when the guide said the visiting guests would have their choice of a room full of bathing suits. THAT was really impressive. Perhaps my favorite visit was during the Christmas holidays, when the castle was decked.
I just visited the Hearst Castle a little over a week ago and you can colour me impressed too. I’d like to go back and take one of the other tours someday. And I also saw the elephant seal rookery – fascinating.
OMG, I am such a sucker for animals of any type and those cute, fat seals really made my day. Glad you got to experience it and I agree, I would like a more detailed tour next time. Did you get to see any birds while you were there? I loved the woodpeckers.
I have lived in California my entire life and have never been. I am embarrassed! What a lovely tour and your photos are fantastic!
Thanks Suzanne! As much as you are on the road, I’m sure you can squeeze it in. I feel sure you would love it!
After all the times I’ve seen Citizen Kane and visited California, I can’t believe I haven’t been here yet. Soon, I hope. In the meantime, thanks for the pictures and the warning about the bathrooms.
Haha, thanks Tom. 😉 It just really took me by surprise that the potties were outside this mammoth, iconic visitor attraction.
Hi, Thanks for the nice write up about your visit! I work at the Castle (guide supervisor and social media manager). I just wanted to let you know that we have been mandated by the Governor of California (as have all state agencies and Californians) to cut our water usage by at least 20% while in this severe drought. By closing our Visitor Center restrooms we have met that mandate and more. We are doing our part as long as the drought continues. It’s a complete inconvenience but a necessary one. We are hopeful that our visitors understand the predicament we are in. Again, thanks for your lovely write up.
I just loved this post. I’ve always wanted to visit Hearst Castle and seeing your photos make me want to get there soon. We go to Cali every year to visit family where going to have to make it Hearst next time looks amazing.