Hearst Castle facts for kids

Hearst Castle La Cuesta Encantada
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Casa Grande, inspired by the Church of Santa María la Mayor, Ronda, Spain, forms the centerpiece of Hearst's estate.
Location in California Show map of California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	San Simeon, California, United States
Area	More than 90,000 sq ft (8,400 m2)
Built	1919–1947
Architect	Julia Morgan
Architectural style	Spanish Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, other late 19th and 20th century revival styles
NRHP reference No.	72000253
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 22, 1972

Hearst Castle, also known as La Cuesta Encantada (which means "The Enchanted Hill" in Spanish), is a famous estate in San Simeon, California. It's located on the beautiful Central Coast of California. This amazing place was dreamed up by William Randolph Hearst, a very rich newspaper owner. He worked with a talented architect named Julia Morgan.

The castle was built over many years, from 1919 to 1947. Today, Hearst Castle is a popular museum. It's part of the California State Park system. It's also recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark.

William Randolph Hearst's father, George Hearst, bought the land in 1865. The family loved to go camping on "Camp Hill," which is where the castle stands today. In 1919, William Randolph Hearst inherited the land. He decided to build a more comfortable place there. He asked Julia Morgan to design it.

Julia Morgan was a groundbreaking architect. She was the first woman to study architecture at a famous school in Paris. She also had her own architecture business in California. She was the first woman to win a top award from the American Institute of Architects. Working with Hearst for over 20 years, Hearst Castle became her most famous project.

What is Hearst Castle?

Hearst Castle was a huge, fancy home. It was meant for William Randolph Hearst, his wife, and their five sons. By 1925, Hearst often hosted guests there with actress Marion Davies. Many famous people visited, especially Hollywood stars.

Some of the well-known guests included Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, and the Marx Brothers. Other visitors were Greta Garbo, Buster Keaton, and Clark Gable. Important political figures like Winston Churchill also came to stay.

Guests would gather for drinks in the Assembly Room. They would then eat dinner in the Refectory. After that, they watched movies in the private theater. They stayed in luxurious guest houses. These were called Casa del Mar, Casa del Monte, and Casa del Sol.

During the day, guests enjoyed the views. They could also ride horses, play tennis, or swim. The castle had one of the most amazing swimming pools ever. Construction on the castle continued almost constantly until 1939. Work started again after World War II and finished in 1947.

Hearst Castle's Unique Design

Owner William Randolph Hearst with architect Julia Morgan in 1926.

William Randolph Hearst first talked to Julia Morgan in 1915. He wanted to build "something a little more comfortable up on the hill." His first idea was just a small house. But soon, his plans grew much bigger!

They first thought about Japanese or Korean styles. But they decided on Spanish Revival style instead. Hearst liked the look of old Spanish buildings. He especially admired a church in Ronda, Spain. He asked Morgan to make the main building's towers look like it.

Construction began in 1919. It continued until 1947, when Hearst left due to health issues. Morgan suggested starting with the guest houses. These smaller buildings could be finished faster.

The estate mixes many old architectural styles. Hearst bought art and antiques from all over Europe. He had so many items that he built the castle to hold them all! This led to some unusual combinations. For example, the private movie theater had walls lined with rare books.

The main building's layout is a bit confusing. This is because Hearst bought centuries-old ceilings. The size and style of these ceilings often decided how rooms were built.

Hearst Castle has 56 bedrooms and 61 bathrooms. It also has 19 sitting rooms. There are 127 acres of gardens. It features indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There are also tennis courts, a movie theater, and an airfield. It even had the world's largest private zoo.

Zebras are a popular attraction on the Hearst ranch. They are descendants from Hearst's private zoo.

Today, zebras and other exotic animals still live on the grounds. Julia Morgan was also a skilled civil engineer. She designed a system to bring water to the castle. It used gravity to move water from wells to a reservoir.

One of the most famous parts is the outdoor Neptune Pool. It sits on the edge of the hilltop. It offers amazing views of the mountains and ocean. The pool has a front from an ancient Roman temple. Hearst brought this temple from Europe and rebuilt it here.

Hearst loved to change things. He would often tear down parts of the castle and rebuild them. The Neptune Pool, for example, was rebuilt three times! Because of these constant changes, the castle was never fully finished during his lifetime.

Even though the castle looks old, its main structure is modern. It uses steel reinforced concrete. This shows Julia Morgan's engineering background. She designed many of the tiles for the castle. Different companies helped make them.

When Hearst lived there, a private power plant supplied electricity. Many of the castle's chandeliers have bare light bulbs. This is because electricity was very new when the castle was built.

How Big is Hearst Castle?

The total size of all the buildings is over 90,000 square feet. The main building, called "Casa Grande," is 60,645 square feet.

Here are the sizes of the guest houses:

• Casa del Mar: 5,875 square feet
• Casa del Monte: 2,291 square feet
• Casa del Sol: 2,604 square feet

Hearst Castle's History as a Landmark

Spanish style guest house, designed by Julia Morgan

During the 1920s and 1930s, getting an invitation to Hearst Castle was a big deal. Famous people from Hollywood and politics often visited. They usually flew into the estate's airfield. Or they took a private train car from Los Angeles.

Guests were expected to attend formal dinners each evening. But during the day, they were free to explore. The "Ranch" had so many things to do. The estate's theater often showed films from Hearst's own movie studio.

Hearst Castle inspired the "Xanadu" mansion in the 1941 film Citizen Kane. This movie was a fictional story about William Randolph Hearst. However, the film was not actually shot at Hearst Castle.

The Hearst family gave the castle to the State of California in 1958. One condition was that the family could still use it sometimes. Patty Hearst, William Randolph's granddaughter, said she used to hide from tours as a child. The family still uses an older Victorian house on the property. This house was built by George Hearst. It is hidden from tourist paths for privacy.

Hearst Castle became a National Register of Historic Places site in 1972. It was named a United States National Historic Landmark in 1976. Forbes Travel.com called it one of America's "10 Amazing Castles." They noted how Hearst brought European architecture to California.

Where is Hearst Castle Located?

Hearst Castle as seen from the southwest

Hearst Castle is located near San Simeon, California. It's about 250 miles from both Los Angeles and San Francisco. It's also about 43 miles from San Luis Obispo.

The estate is five miles inland. It sits on top of a hill in the Santa Lucia Range. The hill is about 1,600 feet high. The area around the castle is mostly undeveloped. This is because the mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. This creates beautiful views but few places for building.

Hearst Castle was built on land called Rancho Piedra Blanca. William Randolph Hearst's father bought this land in 1865. William Randolph loved camping here as a child. He inherited the ranch in 1919. It had grown to 250,000 acres and 14 miles of coastline.

Even though there was an old Victorian house, Hearst chose a new spot. He built the castle on a steep, undeveloped hill. The only way up was a dirt path.

What is the Climate Like?

The Hearst Castle area has a warm-summer mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The nearby Pacific Ocean helps keep the temperatures moderate.

Gallery

• 

  Egyptian Artifacts - Oldest Pieces In The Collection

• 

  Door detail, Casa del Monte

• 

  Hearst Castle dining room

• 

  Terrace and vista

Images for kids

• 

  The bell tower of the restored Mission San Miguel Arcángel

• 

  Marion Davies – a frequent guest and hostess at Hearst Castle

• 

  Casa Grande at night

• 

  Hearst Castle from the southwest

• 

  The Church of Santa María la Mayor, Ronda – Hearst's main inspiration

• 

  The rear of Casa del Sol, one of the guest houses

• 

  Casa Grande from the Esplanade

• 

  The assembly room

• 

  The refectory

• 

  The library, with some of Hearst's collection of ancient Greek vases

• 

  The Gothic Library, with a portrait of Hearst

• 

  The billiard room with a large tapestry

• 

  A Greek rhyton (drinking horn)

• 

  A beautiful millefleur tapestry in the billiard room

• 

  Gérôme's Bonaparte Before the Sphinx painting

• 

  The Neptune pool

• 

  The Roman pool

• 

  Sunset at San Simeon Bay

• 

  The sitting room in the Doge's Suite

See also

In Spanish: Castillo Hearst para niños