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.
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Hearst Castle reviews
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Spectacular Castle set high on a hill in San Simeon. This place is loaded with artwork, statues, carvings, botanical gardens and historic memorabilia of all kinds. Guides will lead you around the... more »
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Interesting architecture, colorful history, the guided tour really helped and our teens seemed to enjoy it as well. more »
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Unlike anything I've seen on the West Coast. I felt like I was back in Italy. The Grand Rooms tour was fantastic. We went with small children in mid Aug and the weather was great! You park and get shuttled in. It's not stroller friendly. You have to walk up stairs. Bring water. No food or gum is allowed. And be prepared to keep your paws off! Its tempting, especially for little hands. Some of the architecture is 300 or 400 years old. The ceiling in one room was from the 1400s. I highly recommend staying until closing to get your money's worth.
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This place is amazing. The architecture and styling are high end and stunning. They've kept much of the original work and it still looks amazing. The outdoor pool was my favorite feature. I just wanted to jump in and swim in it all day! The rooms of the big house were so interesting. There is so much to see and to talk about that I could not possibly do the place justice with mere words. Just go. Check it out. Take a couple of tours. We did. And made a day of it. Thoroughly enjoyed this trip!
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