Page 59 - SLO Visitors Guide - Fall 2024

slovisitorsguide.com FALL 2024 59
Cambria, San Simeon, North Coast
Hearst Castle—The Enchanted Hill
Hearst Castle, one of California’s
world-famous landmarks, is
not to be missed when visiting the
Central Coast. The castle offers at
least nine tours, not counting pri-
vately arranged tours. Some of the
most popular tours are wheelchair-
accessible and accommodate visitors
(with their support dogs) who have
standing and mobility difficulties.
Hearst started building the
fabulous estate on family ranch-
land overlooking the village of San
Simeon in 1919. He called the estate
"La Cuesta Encantada" - Spanish for
The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, the
hilltop complex included the iconic
twin-towered main building, three
guesthouses frequently occupied by
Hollywood’s famous, and 127 acres
of terraced gardens, fountains, and
pools.
Hearst’s mother Phoebe Hearst
is often credited with the inspiration
for the castle by taking him on a
grand tour of Europe and exposing
him to castles, museums, and vari-
ous cultural centers. This 1873 trip
would prove to be a pivotal inspira-
tion for William’s later endeavor to
construct Hearst Castle.
Phoebe Hearst was an accom-
plished woman in her own right,
founding the University of Cali-
fornia Museum of Anthropology,
among other major contributions.
With Phoebe’s influence in his life,
it’s no wonder Hearst was drawn
to hire Julia Morgan to build his
castle on the enchanted hill. Hearst
met Morgan through his mother,
who had commissioned her as the
architect of a palatial residence in
Pleasanton, California.
Morgan designed the castle on
the hill, the Hearst San Simeon
property, and other family proper-
ties. As one of America’s preeminent
architects, Morgan’s designs graced
private homes, college campuses,
women’s clubs, and religious build-
ings.
Regular visitors to the castle
included a long list of Hollywood
‘A museum like
no other’
greats, political leaders such as Win-
ston Churchill and Calvin Coolidge,
and other notables such as Howard
Hughes, George Bernard Shaw,
Hedda Hopper, and Louella Par-
sons, well-known gossip columnists
of their time.
The castle was donated to the
State of California in 1957 and man-
aged by the California State Parks
System. The doors first opened to
the public in 1958. The castle sees
over 850,000 visitors from all over
the world every year.
So many tours, so little time
The guided tours include year-
round and seasonal tours. The
year-round tours include the private
rooms and suites, the guest cottages,
the kitchen, and the Julia Morgan
Tour. Seasonal tours, only available
at certain times of the year, include
The Art of San Simeon, Hearst, and
Hollywood Tour, an evening tour,
and a holiday tour. Private tours for
schools and other groups are also
available by prior arrangement.
The seasonal two-hour Julia
Morgan tour gives visitors an
in-depth look at Morgan’s life and
career and tours of rarely seen
areas of Hearst Castle. Hearst hired
Morgan as the castle's architect
after the death of his mother. Hearst
reportedly hired Morgan to create
“something a little more com-
fortable up on the hill.” The tour
highlights Morgan’s gift for design
and includes photographic displays
of architectural drawings, family
photos, and personal items.
Daytime tours include a viewing
of the film “Hearst Castle – Build-
ing the Dream” in the Hearst Castle
Theater at the visitor center. The
film is not included in the evening
tours but visitors who wish to see it
can do so for a discounted cost.
Hearst Castle is located on
Highway 1 above the village of San
Simeon, a four-hour drive from
either Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Reservations are strongly encour-
aged. For directions, reservations,
ticket prices, and information about
the tours visit hearstcastle.org or call
(800) 444-4445.
The Roman Pool at the castle.