COVID-19 Response

Following guidance from the California Department of Public Health and local public health authorities, we are increasing public access and services in a phased approach at Hearst Castle®/Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument®. Before visiting, please review the COVID-19/FAQ tab on the home page. There you will find information and frequently asked questions regarding your trip to Hearst Castle. Updates about the overall Department of Parks and Recreation response to COVID-19, including safety information, are posted on parks.ca.gov. For more information from the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department click readyslo.org

Reserve your tickets

Plan Your Visit

Hearst Castle tours and the Visitor Center is currently closed. When we reopen, advanced reservations will be required to visit Hearst Castle and/or the Visitor Center

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Designing the Dream Tour

Explore the evolution of style and design from the early 1920s through the last days when Hearst left the hilltop in 1947.

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For anyone who is passionate about architecture and interior design, this 75-minute tour offers a comprehensive itinerary to explore how Hearst’s astounding idea was realized. Collaborating for decades with Julia Morgan (1872-1957), the first woman to hold an architect’s license in California, Hearst created an environment that is unique in the USA. Design and construction of the Enchanted Hill took more than three decades, and the estate was never really finished. This tour features Casa del Sol (the most elaborate of the guest cottages), the dressing-rooms behind the Roman Pool, and the more “modern” Art Deco esthetic of the North Wing of Casa Grande, which was built and furnished in the late 1930s – early 1940s.

TOUR RESERVATION, CHANGE AND CANCELLATION POLICY
Reservations can be made, changed or cancelled online at ReserveCalifornia.com or by calling 1-800-444-4445.

There is an $8.00 per ticket registration fee to reserve tickets.

Changes to tour date or time can be made in advance for a service fee of $8.00 per ticket.

Cancelled reservations will be assessed a $7.00 cancellation fee.

Physical Requirements

The Designing the Dream tour is 75 minutes long and includes approximately 320 steps, both up and down, and 1.2 mile walk. For those who have difficulty walking or standing for lengths of time, we recommend Accessibly Designed Tours.

 

 

Visit the Grounds

Roman Pool
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The Gardens
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  • 1 Roman Pool

    Located where you board the bus to return to the Visitor Center, the intensely decorated indoor Roman Pool is the perfect place to stop and relax. Modeled after ancient Roman baths, this meticulously detailed, majestic pool is tiled from ceiling to floor, and features marble copies of eight ancient Greek and Roman deities and athletes.

  • 2 The Gardens

    After the guided portion of your tour concludes, explore the expansive garden grounds that surround “La Cuesta Encantada”—Hearst’s Spanish name for The Enchanted Hill. Look for native plants, rare flowers and lush foliage that have been at the Castle since Mr. Hearst resided here.