Hearst Castle is a must see destination when visiting California. There are plenty of historic homes to visit but Hearst Castle is the premier stop when you’re on the west coast.  Read on for a guide to Hearst Castle!

William Randall Hearst, an American Newspaper Magnate,  inherited a 250,000 acre ranch from his mother on her death in 1919. He proceeded to build Hearst Castle later in 1919 and this magnificent home was finally completed in 1947.

It started out as a moderate campsite and quickly morphed into a great estate with a 60,000+ square foot main house featuring  56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms and  19 sitting rooms.  Located in the  vast acreage of gardens  are an indoor swimming pool modeled on Roman baths, featuring  ‘smalti’ mosaic tiles and  8 large marble statues; an outdoor swimming pool that features a the front of a Roman temple that was transported from Rome and a there are Neptune, god of the sea; tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, the world’s largest private zoo and 3 guesthouses.

Hearst Castle is a sumptuous feast for the eyes where you can see all the trappings of total indulgence experienced by the Hearst family and friends.

Where: Hearst Castle is located between San Francisco and Los Angeles in San Simeon California. It’s approximately 250 miles between both San Fran and LA. You can get to it off of Highway 1.

Price: Tours of Hearst Castle start at $24.00 U.S. for adults and $12.00 for children. Behind the scenes tours cost $75.00. There are different tour packages to suit every desire. Some focus on the main house, others on the botanical gardens. You’ll need to take several different tours if you want to see the entire estate and all the out buildings. Unfortunately there isn’t a huge inclusive tour that lets you see everything all in one trip. It’s just too big to take in all at once.

What to see: There’s plenty to see at Hearst Castle. Of course there’s the Grand Casa, the main house, as well as the guesthouses, pools, gardens and wine cellars.

When to go: It’s California! The weather is gorgeous year round!  The only thing to worry about is if it’s closed, luckily it’s only closed a few days or the year on the  3 major holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

This is just a brief guide to Hearst Castle. Be sure to book your tickets in advance so that you are sure of getting in on the day you want to go.

holiday-inn-express-hotel-paso-robles

Stay at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Paso Robles so that you can make the most of your time in San Simeon and as it is only minutes from the Hearst Castle you will be able to take a number of tours at your leisure.