Hearst Castle

A testament to extravagance, Hearst Castle sits five miles inland from the ocean, perched atop a 1,600 foot tall hill in San Simeon. Commissioned by media magnate William Randolph Hearst, the estate was constructed over the course of nearly thirty years, although never finished. Years after his death, the property was donated to the State of California and now operates as a California State Park. It is a popular tourist destination located right off of Hwy 1, about ten miles north of Cambria.

The entry directly off of Hwy 1

Access to the property is limited to guided tours which leave at regular intervals from the visitor center. There are four separate tours available. I opted for the Grand Rooms Tour.

Understatement of the century--the purported quote from Hearst when he first propositioned architect Julia Morgan:  "I would like to build something up on the hill at San Simeon. I get tired of going up there and camping in tents, I'm getting a little old for that. I'd like to get something that would be more comfortable."

From the visitor center, buses ferry people to the hilltop. It's about a winding, fifteen minute ride with many cutbacks that provide dramatic views of the nearing manor. A recording from Alex Trebek narrates the journey and provides a history of the property.

The bus drops groups off at the base of the main courtyard. This is where the various tours begin and also where the opulence of the castle makes its first impression.

 

The bell towers function but only sound once a day (at noon)

The front door

  

The courtyard directly in front of the main entry

Looking southwest from the courtyard. On a clear day, the ocean would be visible.

Looking northwest from the courtyard

To better control the crowd, the tours enter from a side door and not the large, ornate door pictured above. The first sight on the Grand Rooms Tour is an ornate sitting room referred to as the Assembly Room. The most striking features of the room are all imported: Flemish tapestries, a French mantle, and an Italian carved ceiling.

The front door is just through this threshold

The next stop and the adjacent room is a formal dining room referred to as the Refectory. This is where Hearst and his notable houseguests socialized over dinner after gathering in the Assembly Room.

The banners as well as the carved ceiling are Italian in origin

Silver is displayed as an homage to Hearst's father, who earned his first fortune in silver mining. Like the Assembly Room, the mantle is this room also originated in France.

A smaller sitting room provides a transition from the Refectory to the Billiard Room.

A small alcove just to the side of this room had an interesting feature: a large safe (though it's hard to make out--the tour prohibits flash photography, a hurdle that is compounded by zooming in). A tour guide revealed that its purpose was to store alcohol during Prohibition.

The black door in the background was the entrance to a giant safe

The Billiard Room consists of two large billiard tables surrounded by extravagant European decor.

The elaborate ceiling of this room was imported from Spain

The final stop of the Grand Rooms tour was the Theater Room, where Hearst entertained his guests with films and newsreels.

This was the end of the formal tour. The theater exits into the courtyard, where visitors are permitted to explore the surrounding gardens and designated areas of the property. Three guest houses surround the courtyard, which is spotted with marble sculptures, ornate fountains, and sophisticated reliefs.

Relief from a guest house balcony

A fountain composed of Egyptian artifacts

Rear view of one of the guest houses

View of the winding road from the lowermost portion of the courtyard. The marine layer obscures what would otherwise be an ocean view.

One of the most recognizable elements of Hearst Castle is the Neptune Pool, located just steps below the the main courtyard. At this time, it had been drained to allow for repairs.

At the opposite end of the hilltop (behind the main house) is a set of tennis courts.

Rear view of the main house

Though the landscape provides a beautiful backdrop for a match, what's more remarkable is what's located beneath the courts.

This second pool is known as the Roman Pool and its decorative mosaics consist of Venetian glass tiles, many with gold inlays. Marble sculptures and light posts surround the pool.

The Roman Pool is the last sight for all visitors, as it also serves as the boarding point for the bus ride back down to the visitor center. In addition to a food court and souvenir shop, the visitor center also houses a small museum dedicated to Hearst's life as well as a theater that shows a film about the history of the site.

The last sentence of this placard was the closest anything on the tour came to painting Hearst in an unflattering light

In addition to housing works of art, the castle grounds were also home to what was at one time the world's largest private zoo. Animal enclosures can be seen from the bus on the return trip from the castle and, more commonly, zebras can be spotted from Hwy 1 on the grasslands surrounding the estate, often co-mingling with the cattle.

Perhaps the only detraction of Hearst Castle is that it lionizes one of the most controversial figures in the history of American journalism. Hearst is considered a founder of yellow journalism and used his papers to support his own political goals. His media influence was so great that many consider him at least partly responsible for the Spanish-American War. Hearst served as the primary inspiration for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.  

Still, his character notwithstanding, Hearst Castle is a remarkable architectural feat with a glamorous history, decorated with fascinating antiquities. With multiple tours available, it is a destination worth revisiting, especially as the landscape changes throughout the year.

The original name of Hearst's father's cattle ranch which was to become the site of Hearst Castle, which can be seen just to the right of the sign