It took William Randolph Hearst, the famed newspaper magnate, nearly three decades to complete Hearst Castle, one of the largest houses in the United States. Architect Julia Morgan envisioned the house with 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, tennis courts, movie theaters, an airfield, and the world's largest private zoo. Part of a state park since 1958, the house Hearst called his "Enchanted Hill" now offers public tours, attracting visitors with its considerable collection of art and antiques. The estate's focal point is an outdoor swimming pool, rebuilt three times to suit its owner's tastes. The centerpiece of the pool, which offers expansive vistas of the mountains and the ocean, is the facade of an ancient Roman temple Hearst imported from Europe. Add Hearst Castle to your San Simeon travel itinerary, and discover new vacation ideas by using our San Simeon tour planner.
Hearst Castle reviews
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We did the "upstairs" tour. Our tour guide, Jenette, was excellent! Very knowledgeable and funny too. I definitely recommend this tour. Ask for Jenette. She's great!
We did the "upstairs" tour. Our tour guide, Jenette, was excellent! Very knowledgeable and funny too. I definitely recommend this tour. Ask for Jenette. She's great! more »
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Amazing work of architecture. Definitely recommend a visit. Breathtaking views, stunning landscaping, exquisite and opulent. Very interesting to learn how it was built and the tremendous amount of work, planning, detail, and effort that went into creating this masterpiece, especially for its time. The tour takes about 2 hours so plan accordingly. There is sufficient parking. It was closed until May of this year due to Covid but is now open again.
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I didn’t expect to enjoy this castle as much as I did. But the whole family loved it. A castle, art gallery and a beautiful view with a wild story of it being built and the the people that stayed here. It is way better than it sounds and well worth the time to take a tour. We took the introduction tour and it was fantastic… Highly recommend a visit here if you’re in the area or passing by in the coast.
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