what to do at hearst castle

The tours at Hearst Castle are not well-suited for some young children. The main two things to do at Hearst Castle are visiting the Visitor Center and taking a tour to the hilltop to see Hearst Castle. There is a total of 161 rooms across these four buildings! There are very few places like this in the United States and we believe this is a place worth seeing at least once. You can reach Hearst Castle by bus or a mix of bus and train.

For more to do in this area, see our article about things to do in Cambria, but here are some ideas to get you started: For those planning to explore further in California, check out our Pacific Coast Highway road trip guide and our suggested 2 week California itinerary for more ideas. Your email address will not be published. Hearst Castle is Throwing an Exclusive Pool Party, The October event invites 250 guests to hang poolside—and 50 VIPs will get to swim in the iconic Neptune Pool, Here Is What California Looks Like Right Now, Considering a trip to the Golden State? P.G. Hearst Castle is most accessible for drivers by car. The infamous newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst with the aid of San Francisco architect Julia Morgan began construction of his dream mansion in 1919, a project that would continue for the next 30 years.

I appreciate the insider’s scoop on how to make the most of a visit to this fascinating place. It was also used for evening cocktails, conversation, and reading. I am not sure what Hearst would make of the hundreds of thousands of uninvited visitors wandering around his home, but it is pretty amazing that Hearst Castle still attracts so many people fascinated with his dream home. Today the pool is 104 feet long and holds up to 345,000 gallons of water! We didn’t stop with the kids though – too pricey for an attraction they weren’t interested in. Oh, to swim in them. Another day, and I should have been feeding on the floor.”. Among these sculptures is the Venus Italica by Antonio Canova, one of Hearst Castle’s most treasured pieces. I’m curious to see the kitchens. Be sure to ask where you need to meet when collecting your tickets. Thanks for the run through and the travel tips – no doubt they’ll come in handy! But perhaps his most lasting legacy is his former home, Hearst Castle. thank you for sharing the beautiful photos of elegant buildings and wonderful place. I’d recommend booking your tickets and having them before your first time begins. We’d love to visit again to see the Upstairs Suites and other areas of the house on a future visit. The Grand Rooms tours is a great introduction the house. The temperature may be hotter or colder on the hill than at the Visitor Center, so dress in layers. But you can also get here via public transit, day tour, or taxi. Later, just before we boarded the bus back, we got to see a stunningly beautiful Indoor Pool. Overall, we really enjoyed the tour, the scenery, and walking around the gardens. My husband is from California but we have never made it to the “Hearst Castle”.

Note that during periods of drought in California, portable toilets (porta-potties) and chemical toilets are often used to conserve water. The art and decorative elements in the buildings are amazing. Some of the highlights for us were the gardens which were very pretty in Spring, the two stunning swimming pools (the outdoor Neptune Pool and indoor Roman Pool), the Assembly and Refectory rooms of Casa Grande, and being able to watch some short film clips in the private theater at Casa Grande.
This palatial house on the hill is a showcase of William Randolph Hearst's art collection: sculpture, tapestry, furniture, even doors, ceilings and building facades. The place totally deserves to be preserved for its art collection and its history. Succinctly put, if you’re taking a road trip up Pacific Coast Highway, Hearst Castle is a must-do …
So this summer when we decided to hit the coast again, we made sure to do some online bookings for a tour, several days before we actually visited Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. Despite the glitzy house and elaborate parties, Hearst still tried to maintain the ranch atmosphere that he had always loved. Next we headed out of Casa Grande to see the swimming pools and also take a peek at the tennis court.

The seaside town has a nice range of places to stay, from mainstream to majestic accommodations. This is done to better control visitor numbers and keep track of groups.

The film is included with the price of all daytime tours, and it can be added to most evening tours for an additional fee. © Copyright 2013 - 2020, Visiting Hearst Castle: An American “Castle” along California’s Central Coast. The Roman Pool is 1,665 square feet, and it can hold 205,000 gallons of water. The best view on the hilltop is from the balcony on Casa del Mar which is why Mr. Hearst used that house from 1945 to 1947. The land would be primarily used for ranching and stud farming. Note: The only way to Hearst Castle is to sign up for one of the tours the castle offers. We’d like to return and do one of the evening tours at some point. You can try the local grass-fed Hearst beef from the ranch here. The guided tours visit the pools and give you a good overview of them both, but as with the gardens, you can revisit the pools after your tour ends if you want to spend more time looking at them or taking photos.

Look up to see intricate mosaics depicting a star-filled night sky, spreading across the roof and dome. ~ Jessica. We were shown a short film with clips of Hearst and his guests spending time at Hearst Castle in the early 20th century. The room is a bit overwhelming to try to admire all the art, furniture, and decorations, and the guide helps direct you to the most important pieces. Over the years, Hearst Castle has become the most visited paid attraction in Central California. The indoor Roman Pool has the look of a decadent Roman bath, with rich details including cobalt blue and gold smalti, or glass tiles. The pools impressed me the most. Beautiful views and beautifully described. If you are interested in learning more about Hearst or Hearst Castle after the visit, some great books and videos are for sale here. It is and it should be. As an adult he became an avid collector of art, furniture, and antiquities from Europe. There is also a free exhibition at the Visitor Center, and parts of it change over time with rotating collections. Please check your e-mail to confirm your sign-up. William Randolph Hearst. At some point, he is quoted having said that he was getting too old to camp out in the open at the ‘ranch at San Simeon’ and that he would like to build a ‘little something,’ there. It still looked very imposing from the highway. Overlooking the Refectory is a minstrel’s gallery or Musician’s Loft as it was called by Hearst and Morgan.

He wanted to donate La Cuesta Encantada to the University of California but they did not accept the gift as they felt they would be unable to manage such a large undertaking. There are hotels, motels, apartments, and bed-and-breakfasts in both towns. Being a subscriber also makes you eligible to enter our monthly travel and photography giveaways! In 2015, the film Citizen Kane was shown in the theater at Hearst Castle for the first time with permission by the Hearst family. It really is a well-done and organized tour, although better for older kids and adults. Thanks for the additional info on the history and Heart Castle’s status as an art museum. This post may contain affiliate links. While his guests enjoyed the amenities, Hearst would spend most of his days in his office running his businesses, and then join his guests in the evenings for dinner and entertainment. There are also some amazing views from the various parts of the gardens and terraces here over the estate and the Central Coast. It is up to 10 feet deep. After Hearst married and had his own children, he and his wife Millicent and their children often visited San Simeon to go camping on Camp Hill. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Churchill wrote the following in a letter to his wife Clementine on September 29, 1929: “Hearst was most interesting to meet, & I got to like him – a grave simple child – with no doubt a nasty temper – playing with the most costly toys. It can be a bit overwhelming to try to take it all in and so it was great to have the opportunity to visit more than once. Since we live near San Simeon, the 9th year is a trip to Hearst Castle .. .. .. 4 down and one kid to go, we will take him up the enchanted hill next week. We’ll have to plan a return visit soon! Tours are offered in the day time as well as in the evenings during certain times of the year.

~Jessica, I think the tour you took is now called the “Grand Rooms” – that was also the tour I did on my first trip there.

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