How to Tour Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle, the former estate of the newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, is located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, in San Simeon, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The 250,000-acre estate was given to the State of California by the Hearst family after Mr. Hearst's death, and the property opened to the public in 1957. The estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Read on to learn how to tour Hearst Castle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Obtain tickets. Admission to Hearst Castle is by tour only and tickets for the various tours are available online or at the property's ticket office. Advance reservations are recommended. Discounts are offered for children between six and 17 and for disabled veterans with children under six years of age free when accompanied by a paying adult. Hearst Castle is open daily, except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year's Day.
2. Take the Experience Tour. Recommended for first-time visitors, the one-hour and 45-minute Experience Tour lightly covers many aspects of the Hearst property, including the Neptune Pool, the main house--the Casa Grande--and the gardens. It is the least physically demanding of the Hearst Castle tours.
3. Tour Casa Grande. Hearst Castle offers two different tours of the expansive Casa Grande. The 56-bedroom, 61-bath mansion is just too large to be covered in one tour. The "Upper Floors" tour includes the Gothic study, the library (with its more than 4000 books), the Venetian-style Doge's Suite and the kitchen. The "North Wing" tour shows visitors the last additions to the house, including the wing of Spanish-style guest suites.
4. Enjoy the Gardens Tour. The Hearst Castle Garden Tour visits the Greek revival-style Neptune pool, the acres of manicured gardens and the Hearst wine cellar, among other points of interest.