What’s up there at the famous Hearst Castle

William Randolph Hearst. I remember that name from Journalism Class. That he is known as the ‘Father of Yellow Journalism’ has been printed in my mind for a long time, now. Back when I learnt about him, little did I know that he was not just a print media mogul but also an art collector of a class of his own. Neither did I know that he had built himself a palatial building where he housed his collections nor did I ever think I’d get to see his estate someday. 

Last summer, when we were on California’s Central Coast, we made an attempt to see Hearst Castle. Unfortunately, when we got there, we were told that all the tours for the day were sold out. So this summer when we decided to hit the coast again, we made sure to do some online bookings for a tour, several days before we actually visited Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. 

Hearst Castle’s official site recommends the Grand Rooms Tour for first-time visitors. So we made reservations for that tour. When we got to the visitor centre we picked up our wristbands and lined up at Gate 1 for the bus ride to the castle.

Note: The only way to Hearst Castle is to sign up for one of the tours the castle offers. 

Some Hearst Castle History

Let me start this part by telling you that Hearst Castle is located on top of a hill on the Santa Lucia Mountains. During the tour, we learnt that William Randolph Hearst’s father George Hearst once owned the land and that he was the one to set up the still-functioning ranch here. We also understood that he often brought his family to camp at the ranch and that their campsite used to be where Hearst Castle now stands. 

William Hearst, they say, continued to visit the ranch, regularly. He later worked on expanding it, too. At some point, he is quoted having said that he was getting too old to camp out in the open at the ‘ranch at San Simeon’ and that he would like to build a ‘little something,’ there.  Then he and San Francisco architect Julia Morgan built this sprawling mansion with over 160 rooms.

It took around 28 years to build this place. Then the newspaper publisher’s art collection from all over the world was added to the opulence of the house on the ranch. 

Our guide James told us that the Hearst Castle was built in the style of a Mediterranean Village with a main structure surrounded by smaller buildings. The features of the building, however, are Italian, Spanish, Greek and Roman. There are some Egyptian statues too in the neatly landscaped gardens. 

Hearst Castle Gardens:

Talking of the gardens, they are delightful in themselves and a perfect complement to the castle and the artistic wealth it holds. Hearst’s artefacts seem to flow out of the buildings and into the well-kept, green surroundings. The many statues that adorn the outdoors are proof of that. Then there is also the Neptune Pool surrounded by Italian statues and a portion of a Roman temple. Yes, his art collection ranges from small showpieces to statues, building-façades and even ceilings. As such, you can see that The Hearst Castle is a museum of not only some the finest art but also the most unusual. 

As part of the Grand Rooms tour,  we got to enjoy a bit of the castle’s garden and terraces before we went indoors. 

He called this place La Cuesta Encantada meaning ‘The Enchanted Hill.’ 

Casa Grande

The enchanted hill is today a California State Park —

There are terraces on both sides of the main building.

Enchanting indeed, is it not?

Neptune Pool

Before I show you wee little bit of the inside of the main building, you must see the Neptune Pool and the Roman Temple.

This pool is close to the shuttle unloading area so this was one of the very first sights we saw as we got to the top of the hill. Later, just before we boarded the bus back, we got to see a stunningly beautiful Indoor Pool. That, in the next post .

Nest post —   a glimpse into the grand rooms of Casa Grande. And all you need to know for a trip to Hearst Castle.

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