Hearst Castle, the lavish estate of William Randolph Hearst, stands near San Simeon, California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Donated to California in 1957, it’s now a State Historical Monument and National Historic Landmark open for public tours. Hearst named it “La Cuesta Encantada” (“The Enchanted Hill”), but often referred to it simply as “the ranch.” The architecture reflects Hearst’s admiration for European styles, with the main house resembling a 16th-century Spanish cathedral and the outdoor pool area featuring a Roman temple front. Hearst adorned the estate with art, antiques, and even entire ceilings imported from Europe and Egypt.
Location
Hearst Castle sits near San Simeon, California, about 250 miles from both Los Angeles and San Francisco, and 43 miles from San Luis Obispo. Perched atop a hill in the Santa Lucia Range, it rises 1,600 feet above sea level. The rugged landscape near the Pacific Ocean limits development but offers stunning views. The estate’s surroundings, visible from the mansion, remain largely untouched. George Hearst, William Randolph Hearst’s father, purchased the Rancho Piedra Blanca in 1865, where the castle now stands. William Randolph Hearst inherited the property in 1919 from his mother, Phoebe Hearst, expanding it to 250,000 acres. Despite an existing Victorian mansion, Hearst chose a remote hilltop location for Hearst Castle, accessible only by foot or horseback through five miles of switchbacks.
History
During the 1920s and ’30s, Hearst Castle was a sought-after destination, with invitations highly coveted by the Hollywood and political elite. Guests often arrived via the estate’s airfield or Hearst-owned train car from Los Angeles. A-list visitors included Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, and Winston Churchill, among others. Hearst hosted formal dinners each evening but allowed guests to entertain themselves during the day, given the estate’s numerous facilities. The theater screened films from Hearst’s own movie studio, Cosmopolitan Productions. Notably, Hearst Castle inspired the “Xanadu” mansion in Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane, although the movie used Oheka Castle in New York as a filming location.
The Hearst Corporation’s donation of Hearst Castle included the condition that the Hearst family could use it at their discretion. Patty Hearst, William Randolph Hearst’s granddaughter, recalled childhood memories of hiding behind statues in the Neptune Pool during tours. While the main estate is now a museum, the Hearst family still uses an older Victorian house on the property as a retreat, originally built by George Hearst. The house is secluded by a dense grove of eucalyptus trees to afford privacy. Patty Hearst hosted a Travel Channel show at the estate in 2001, and Amanda Hearst modeled for a fashion shoot there for Town and Country magazine in 2006. Hearst Castle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1976.
Size
The total square footage of the buildings on the estate exceeds 90,000 square feet (8,300 m²). The area of Casa Grande, the “castle”, is 60,645 square feet (5,634 m²). The area of the guest houses on the property are:
- Casa del Mar: 5,875 square feet (546 m²)
- Casa del Monte: 2,291 square feet (213 m²)
- Casa del Sol: 2,604 square feet (242 m²)