I Want to Visit

The Hearst Castle, sitting on 127 protected acres, was once the estate of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. The 165 room estate includes the 115 room main house, and three guesthouses as well as gardens, art work, and swimming pools. After being donated to the State of California it was designated a State Historical Monument, and may be visited through a number of tours. No one tour will allow you to see the entire estate, so if you enjoy your first, you may wish to return for further tours.

The Hearst Castle is as busy a tourist attraction as any in California, so it pays to purchase tickets in advance for the time slot in which one is interested. The $20- per person, per tour price is certainly much higher than is required for a California State owned attraction, but the Hearst family still owns at least part of the pie and wants things run in a certain way.

The buses pick passengers up according to a strict schedule, and during the ride up the winding hill, a recorded presentation provides a quick run down of the Hearst fortunes that led to the construction of the exotic structure. Except for dignitaries, all visits must by by one of five 1-1/2 hour tours:

- Tour 1: Experience Tour includes Main Floor of Casa Grande and 45 minute I-Max Video Presentation

- Tour 2: Second Floor Rooms of Casa Grande, Including Hearst's Own Gothic Suite, Guests Rooms, Libraries, Kitchen, and Tennis/Swimming Pool.

- Tour 3: Casa Del Monte Guest House, Casa Grande North Wing, Tennis/Swimming Pool

- Tour 4: Gardens of Hearst Castle and another Guest House

- Tour 5: Special Event Evening Tour with Actors in Period Costumes and Other Festivites (less frequently scheduled)