Page 61 - SLO Visitors Guide - Spring 2025

slovisitorsguide.com SPRING 2025 61
Cambria, San Simeon, North Coast
Behind castle gates, a glimpse into
the Gilded Age at Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle, one of California’s
world-famous landmarks, is
not to be missed when visiting the
Central Coast. The castle offers sev-
eral tours, not counting privately
arranged tours. Some of the most
popular tours are wheelchair-ac-
cessible and accommodate visitors
(with their support dogs) who have
standing and mobility difficulties.
William Randolph Hearst
started building the legendary
estate on family ranchland over-
looking 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.
Regular visitors to the castle
included a long
list of Hol-
lywood greats,
political leaders
such as Win-
ston Churchill
and Calvin
Coolidge, and
other notables
such as How-
ard Hughes,
George
Bernard Shaw,
Hedda Hopper,
and Louella
Parsons, well-
known gossip
columnists of their time.
The castle was donated to the
State of California in 1957 and
managed 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 avail-
able by prior
arrangement.
Daytime tours include a
viewing of the film “Hearst
Castle – Building 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.
Art, architecture,
and the glamour
of a golden era
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The Roman Pool at Hearst Castle.