Hearst Castle Tour
Information Brochure

Hearst Castle is located on California Highway 1, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Driving time from either city is approximately six hours.

Reservation Information

Online Reservations: www.hearstcastle.com
Tour Ticket Reservations: 1-800-444-4445
Outside the U.S. (916) 414-8400 ext. 4100

Tone Dialing for the Deaf (TDD): 1-800-274-7275
Group Travel Professionals: 1-800-401-4775
Tour Gift Vouchers (805) 927-2070

Cancellation & Refund 1-800-695-2269

VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express cards are accepted.

Prices are subject to change without notice. Reservations may be made from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., every day (Pacific Time). Group Travel Professionals may call Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Castle may be reserved for special events, focus tours and school curriculum tours.

FEES:

TOUR DESCRIPTIONS

All tours include the Neptune Pool – a Greco-Roman style outdoor pool and the Roman Pool – an indoor pool lined with blue Venetian glass and gold tiles.


EXPERIENCE TOUR
Casa del Sol – an 18-room guesthouse facing the Pacific coastline. Four bedrooms, four baths and a sitting room are shown. Esplanade and Gardens – one of the most beautiful sections of the grounds, featuring marble sculptures and flowers in season. Casa Grande – the main house. Five rooms on the ground floor are shown: Assembly Room – the largest of 14 sitting rooms, once the gathering place for Hearst’s guests. Refectory – the only dining room on the Enchanted Hill. Morning Room – an east-facing sitting room filled with Spanish antiques and Flemish tapestries. Billiard Room – a game room featuring two 1920s era billiard tables and including the Gothic “mille fleurs” tapestry. Theater – largest room in Casa Grande. National Geographic Movie – National Geographic Movie - 40 minute, large format movie at the Visitor Center. May be seen before or after tour. (1hr. 45min.)

TOUR 2
Casa Grande upper floors: Doge Suite – an Italian-style suite with a balcony inspired by the Doge’s Palace in Venice. “The Cloisters” – 4 guest rooms flanked by open walkways. The Library – over 4,000 books and a collection of ancient Greek and Roman antiquities. Gothic Suite – occupying the entire third floor, Hearst’s impressive private suite includes the enormous library and office where he conducted business. Kitchen and Pantry – large-scale food preparation area for Hearst and his guests. (1hr. 45min.)

TOUR 3
North Terrace – an unfinished area that would have been the estate’s Grande Entrance. Casa del Monte – a 10-room guesthouse overlooking the Santa Lucia Mountains. All rooms are shown. North Wing of Casa Grande – three floors of guest suites completed during Hearst’s final years. These rooms exhibit more modern and spacious interiors, featuring antique Spanish ceilings. Video – a short film illustrating the enormous amount of change and complexity involved in the construction of Hearst Castle, using photographs and film from the 1920s and 1930s. (1hr. 45min.)

TOUR 4
Available April through October. Hidden Terrace – an early staircase, pond and terrace completely concealed by later construction and rediscovered during modern restoration. Neptune Pool Dressing Rooms – 17 colorfully painted dressing rooms. Overview of Gardens and Grounds – follows the Esplanade, taking in virtually all of the estate’s extensive gardens, terraces and walkways. Casa del Mar – overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the largest and most elaborate guesthouse where Hearst resided during his final years on the estate. Wine Cellar of Casa Grande – featuring rare European vintages and California wines. (1hr. 45min.)

EVENING TOUR & LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM
Available Fri. & Sat., Mar.–May & Sep.–Dec. Additional nights available during holidays. Highlights from the Experience Tour, and tours 2 & 4. Docents in period dress from the Living History Program and a newsreel shown in the Theater add life to the magnificent surroundings and take visitors back to the Castle’s 1930s heyday. (2 hr. 10 min.)

TOUR INFORMATION
Hearst Castle is open for tours daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Day tours start at 8:20 a.m. The last tour usually starts at 3:20 p.m. in winter, later in summer. Daytime tours take about one hour and 45 minutes, which includes the round trip from the Visitor Center. Tours depart from the Visitor Center by bus at the time printed on the ticket. An audio tape program provides background information during the 15 minute, five mile trip to the Castle. Although the Experience Tour is considered the least strenuous, persons with crutches, walking aids, or medical problems such as heart conditions may want to consider an Accessibly Designed Tour. All tours, except Accessibly Designed Tours, include a half mile walk and 150 to 400 stairs, so you should wear comfortable shoes.

Accessibly Designed Tours – Call 800-444-4445 for reservation information. Reservations to accommodate persons with disabilities may be made by calling at least 10 days in advance. Please let the operator know what kind of assistance you require.

Foreign Language Tours – Tours for foreign language groups may be available. After making reservations, call (805) 927-2085 for information on the availability of multilingual guides. Brochures in several languages are available.

Photography – Photography for personal enjoyment is encouraged. Please note: tripods and flash are not permitted. Photography for publication requires written permission. For more information, call (805) 927-2074.

Children – Adults with small children may find the stairs, museum restrictions and group format challenging. Strollers are not permitted. Special Tours and Events – The Castle can be reserved for special events and tours. For more information, call (805) 927-2070.

Christmas at the Castle – The Castle is decorated for Christmas throughout the month of December.

Other Restrictions – Large, bulky backpacks, folding chairs, camera bags, etc. are not allowed due to the narrow hallways and numerous stairs. No food or drink is permitted on tours.

Hearst Castle – The Enchanted Hill WM. RANDOLPH HEARST
In 1865, George Hearst, a wealthy miner, purchased 40,000 acres of ranchland that included the Mexican Ranchos of Piedra Blanca, San Simeon and Santa Rosa. In 1919, his only son, William Randolph Hearst, inherited the land from his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst. By then the ranch had grown to encompass 250,000 acres. Originally nicknamed “Camp Hill,” its wilderness offered a place for family members and friends to “rough it” on camping trips. While the arrangements for these trips were elaborate, with separate sleeping and dining tents, they would not satisfy Hearst for long. In 1919, his instructions to famed San Francisco architect Julia Morgan were simple, “...Miss Morgan, we are tired of camping out in the open at the ranch in San Simeon and I would like to build a little something...”

Hearst and Morgan’s collaboration was destined to become one of the world’s greatest showplaces. As they were planning and constructing his dream home, Hearst renamed the rocky perch from which it rose “La Cuesta Encantada”–– The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, Hearst and Morgan had created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways.

The estate’s magnificent main house, “Casa Grande,” and three guesthouses are of Mediterranean Revival style, with the imposing towers of Casa Grande being inspired by a Spanish cathedral. The blending of the architectural style with the surrounding land, and Hearst’s superb European and Mediterranean art collections, was so seamless that world-renowned architectural historian, Lord John Julius Norwich, was moved to say that “Hearst Castle is a palace in every sense of the word.”

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT TO THE CASTLE.

MUSEUM SHOP
Everyone who visits Hearst Castle leaves with a new understanding of an era gone by. The majesty, craftsmanship and attention to detail that make Hearst Castle a place quite unlike any other is all but gone in today’s world.

There is, however, an opportunity to take a small piece of the Hearst Castle magic home with you. Visit the museum shop, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by meticulously authenticated reproductions of actual architectural details, art pieces and furnishings that make Hearst Castle truly a treasure.

GIFT SHOP
You just can’t leave Hearst Castle without a stop at the gift shop. Among all the wonderful gifts you’ll find an unparalleled collection of books and tapes about Hearst Castle – just the thing to help you relive the wonder of your visit any time you like. And don’t forget the folks back home. You’ll find a variety of gifts and mementos that people love to get as much as you’ll enjoy giving. Visit the online Gift Shop at www.hearstcastleretail.com.

SNACK BAR
While you’re waiting for your tour to start, give in to that little voice telling you you’re hungry. We invite you to enjoy a light snack or, if you like, something a little more substantial. Come – sit, relax and enjoy. It will be our pleasure to serve you.

ESPRESSO BAR
When you’re ready for a pick-me-up, the Espresso Bar is just the place to relax and re-energize. Sit and leisurely sip a luxuriously frothy cappuccino or a deep, rich espresso and nibble on a pastry or two. What could be better? Please pay us a visit, you’ll be glad you did. For more information on shopping at Hearst Castle, call 805-927-8601. Retail shops at Hearst Castle are managed by ARAMARK, an authorized concessionaire of California State Parks.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LIFE OF WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST AND THE CREATION OF HEARST CASTLE AT THE FREE EXHIBIT LOCATED IN THE BACK BUILDING OF THE VISITOR CENTER. HEARST SAN SIMEON

STATE HISTORICAL MONUMENT
750 Hearst Castle Road San Simeon, California 93452 (805)927-2020

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
Reasonable accommodation will be provided to visitors with disabilities upon request. Please see “Accessibly Designed Tours” under Tour Information. This brochure is available in large format at the Hearst Castle Visitor Center or by calling 1-800-777-0369. © 2001 California State Parks The mission of the California Department of Parks and Recreation is to provide for the health, inspiration, and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. For general State Park information, contact the Information Office at P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, CA 94296-0001, call 1-800-777-0369 or visit our website at www.parks.ca.gov.

To make camping reservations, call 1-800-444-PARK (7275).

Hearst Castle Cooperating Associations

Friends of Hearst Castle
A nonprofit organization that assists Hearst Castle with educational activities such as information displays, and interpretive programs such as the Living History Program. Public members welcome. Call (805) 927-2138 for membership information. www.friendsofhearstcastle.org

The Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation
A nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration and enhancement of Hearst Castle. For more information call (805) 924-1145.
A portion of the donations to these associations is tax deductible.