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Where It's At
William Randolph Hearst, a 20th century media magnate
who controlled many magazines and Newspapers all over the
country in depression era America, built Hearst Castle
as a personal retreat and place to network with the movers
and shakers of the time.
Located near the south central coastal town of San Simeon,
the Castle is perched high on a hill with a beautiful view
of the Pacific. A railway was built from Los Angeles to bring
the guests from Hollywood, who made up the bulk of the visitors.
Opulence and Celebrity
In the 1930's it became the place to be for Hollywood celebrities
among them Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant and Greta
Garbo. Importing almost everything to complete this mammoth
project, Hearst brought in British monastery pews, Austrian
tapestries, Italian marble and other artifacts from Europe.
Though he was criticized for looting many historical periods
in Europe, Hearst built a magnificent home that spared no
expense. Moving huge trees to make the pool fit in the correct
place was one of the many things accomplished. To please guests
Hearst had oranges hung from fruit trees to give the impression
of the Garden of Eden and gave legendary parties to which
only his favorite people were invited.
When Hearst died the whole of Hearst Castle was handed over
to the State of California as it was deemed too expensive
to keep up. It is now administered as a State Historical Landmark.
You can see the Castle as you drive along Highway 1, the Pacific
Coast Highway.
Visiting Hearst Castle
Though it can be a stop on a day long drive between Northern
and Southern California, this will be rushed and hectic. Hearst
Castle is best visited as a stopover on Highway 1 or as a
day trip from San Luis Obispo, which is 34 miles south
of the Castle.
There are numerous tours that cover different aspects of the
castle, though they are not cheap. They tend to be rushed
as the huge volume of visitors is immense during the summer
months, so if you can visit Hearst in the off season between
September and March.
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