Hearst
Castle
Hearst Castle rises above the clouds
on many days of the year and appears to be floating on the mist.
Positioned high on a hill some 1600 feet above sea level, Hearst Castle
looks out over the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding countryside.
Built over a period of 28 years by
William Randolph Hearst, the Castle was considered a mere “ranch.” Take
at least one of the Hearst Castle tours of this “ranch” and discover the
magnificent pools, gardens, and sculptures that make this ranch a
treasure-filled wonder. Hearst Castle contains many priceless treasures
and works of art. Grand rooms with 15th-century carved ceilings house
ancient Greek vases and Egyptian sculpture. The library contains rare
Greek and Roman antiquities in addition to 4,000 books. Outside the
Castle, beyond the manicured gardens, sheep, deer, and zebra roam the
grounds. These animals are descendants of William Randolph Hearst’s
private zoo.
Five Hearst Castle tours are
available, all exploring different areas of the Castle and different
aspects of the lifestyle of William Randolph Hearst and his friends. An
experienced guide will enhance your Hearst Castle experience by leading
your Hearst Castle tour.
|
|
|
Duration: 1 Hour
45 Minutes |
|
Description: This
tour, known as the Experience Tour, presents the best
overview of Hearst Castle and is the best tour for
first-time visitors to the Castle. Tour One, as with all
tours, begins at the Visitor Center at the foot of the hill.
Guests board a bus and hear a short history of the Castle as
they are driven up the “Enchanted Hill.” Once at the top of
the hill, guests alight and enter the opulent world of
William Randolph Hearst. |
|
Tour One includes:
-
Casa del Sol -
one of the three guest houses on the hill
-
Casa Grande –
the main house
-
The Assembly
Room
-
The Refectory
-
The Morning
Room
-
The Billiard
Room
-
The Theater
-
The outdoor
Neptune Pool
-
The indoor
Roman Pool
-
Large screen
movie “Hearst Castle – Building the Dream”
|
Back to tour descriptions
|
|
|
Duration: 1 Hour
45 Minutes |
|
Description: Tour
Two focuses on the architecture of Hearst Castle and takes
you into a number of rooms in the main house including the
Doge’s Suite, Library, Kitchen and Pantry.
|
|
Tour Two includes:
-
The Doges Suite
-
The Cloisters
-
The Library
-
The Gothic
Suite
-
The outdoor
Neptune Pool
-
The indoor
Roman Pool
|
Back to tour descriptions
|
|
|
Duration: 1 Hour
45 Minutes |
|
Description: Tour
Three provides an overview of construction and contrasts the
rooms built in the early years of construction with the more
spacious rooms built later. Unfinished portions of
construction are shown on the North Terrace, which was to
have become the Grand Entrance to the Castle. All ten rooms
of the guesthouse Casa del Monte are shown on Tour Three.
This guesthouse overlooks the Santa Lucia mountains.
|
|
Tour Three includes:
-
The North
Terrace
-
Casa Del Monte
- One of the three guest houses
-
North Wing of
Casa Grande
-
Video of
construction using film and photographs from the 1920s
and 1930s
-
The outdoor
Neptune Pool
-
The indoor
Roman Pool
|
Back to tour descriptions
|
|
|
Duration: 1 Hour
45 Minutes |
|
Description: Tour
Four is a seasonal tour that explores the gardens, Wine
Cellar and Pool Dressing Rooms of Hearst Castle. Some of the earlier gardens
at the Castle have only recently been rediscovered and
restored; these gardens can be explored along with the Wine
Cellar and seventeen colorfully painted Dressing Rooms near
the Neptune Pool. In addition, time is spent in Casa del
Mar, a guesthouse where William Randolph Hearst spent his
final years at the Castle. |
|
Tour Four includes:
|
Back to tour descriptions
|
|
|
Duration: 2 Hours
10 Minutes |
|
Description: This
tour is a seasonal tour that features areas covered in Tours
One, Two, and Four, but includes docents dressed in period
costume. These docents bring Hearst Castle to life and make
you feel as if you are a guest of William Randolph Hearst
back in the 1930s. |
Where you go
Hearst Castle is North of Cambria on Highway One
What you do
Hearst Castle tours depart from the visitors center at the foot of the
hill
When to go
Reservations are strongly recommended.
Call 1-800-444-4445
If you like
Hearst Castle, continue North on Highway One for the
Elephant Seal
Rookery
Back to top
|
