Offered in the spring and fall of each year, this tour is a seasonal tour that provides a spectacular opportunity to go back in time as Living History Docents in period 1930s clothing appear along the tour route as guests and staff of William Randolph Hearst, adding life to the magnificent surroundings and allowing visitors to the Castle to experience glimpses of the 1930s heyday era. Many socially prominent guests including politicians, journalists, and movie stars visited the estate. Hearst Castle glitters at night against spectacular sunsets and the evening sky.
Guest House
The tour includes a floor of one of the guest houses, Casa del Mar where guests would stay and where Mr. Hearst spent his final years on the hilltop estate.
Casa Grande
Visit the ground floor rooms of the main house, Casa Grande, including the Assembly Room where guests would gather to participate in social activities including card games, music, and jigsaw puzzles and the Refectory where Mr. Hearst and his guests dined. Guests often gathered in the Morning Room and the Billiard Room to socialize and play billiards and pool. In the Theater, guests enjoyed a newsreel followed by a movie after dinner. The Kitchen was a focal point of activity as the staff prepared meals for Mr. Hearst and his guests. This tour does not go upstairs.
Gardens and Pools
The tour includes the historic gardens, a glimpse of the outdoor Neptune Pool and a visit to the spectacular indoor Roman Pool.
Schedule
The Accessibly Designed Evening Tour is scheduled seasonally in the spring and fall. Accessibly Designed Evening Tours for the spring of 2012 will be offered on most Friday and Saturday evenings from March 2nd through May 19th, with additional selected evenings during Spring Break in April. The tour takes approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes including the bus rides to and from the hilltop estate.
Tour Requirement
Accessibly Designed Tours are available for the ground floor only and may be modified to accommodate visitors during inclement weather. All other areas are inaccessible due to the many flights of stairs in the historic structures.
