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Hearst Castle is one of the largest of approximately
5,000 historic house museums in the U.S., with
one of the most sophisticated guided
tour programs in the country. Once
the home of William Randolph Hearst, California
State Parks strives to keep the estate looking
like a private residence. The tours take the
visitor back into time through the interpretation
of a combination of many aspects regarding the
estate, including William Randolph Hearst and
his family, and the collection, architecture,
gardens and lifestyle at the Castle. Formal
guide training is an integral aspect of Hearst
Castle. Castle tour guides are initially trained
a total of 168 hours with additional in-service
training and ongoing independent study between
tours, resulting in a high quality interpretive
experience for all who visit "The Enchanted
Hill."
As early as 1952 President Sproul of UC Berkeley
proposed that William Randolph Heart's ranch at
San Simeon be given to the Division of Beaches
and Parks as a monument. Trial tours undertaken
in September 1952, lasted over two hours but were
quickly pared down to one hour plus the bus ride
up and down the hill.
Donated to the People of the State of California
in December 1957 by the Hearst Corporation, dedication
ceremonies for the Hearst San Simeon State Historical
Monument were held June 2, 1958 at the old visitor's
center. Following the ceremonies, tours opened
to the public at 1:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served
basis. Tickets were $2 for adults and $1 for children
6-12. There was only one tour, now called Tour
1, and its route was similar to today's
Tour 1, covering the first floor rooms of Casa
Grande and one of the three guesthouses. Today
there are four distinct daytime tour routes, each
with a guide leading visitors through different
areas of the estate.
In the summer of 1964, the State introduced Tour
2 to provide viewing and interpretation
of the upper rooms of the main house, Casa Grande.
In June 1968, Tour
3 was added, and in 1982, Tour
4. Accessibly-Designed
Tour began in 1974, and cover the ground
floor of the main house (including the kitchen),
the gardens and pools, and the main level of one
guesthouse, Casa del Mar.
Over the years the public indicated an interest
in touring the estate at night. In response, a
pilot program for an Evening
Tour was developed and presented for the first
time on April 21, 1989. The interpretive objective
of this program is to recreate an evening at Hearst
Castle in the 1930's, with a general emphasis
on the social history of 1930-1935 and, more specifically,
on Hearst employees and former guests. Docents
in the Living
History Program, dressed in period clothing,
provide tableaus illustrating the social history
discussed on tour. The Evening Tour is available
most Friday and Saturday nights in Spring and
Fall.
"Hearst Castle", "Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument", "La Cuesta Encantada",
and "The Enchanted Hill" are registered trademarks of Hearst Castle®/California State Parks.
©2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 California State Parks, All rights reserved.
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