Neptune Pool facts for kids
The Neptune Pool is a famous outdoor swimming pool at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. It's not just a pool; it's a whole area with fountains, smaller decorative pools, cool sculptures, marble buildings, fancy lanterns, and even parts of an old Roman temple!
This amazing pool area sits high up on the Hearst Castle hillside in the Santa Lucia Mountains. It's a bit lower than the main house (Casa Grande) and has awesome views of the ranch, the coast, and the Pacific Ocean.
In 2014, the pool had to be emptied because of a big drought in California. It was losing about 5,000 gallons of water every day due to leaks! Big repair work started in 2017 to fix the leaks and replace the pool's tiles. The pool was filled up again for a short time in August 2017 to check for leaks. Once everything was fixed, the water was returned to the local area. By August 2018, the pool was completely restored and refilled, ready to shine again!
Contents
Pool Design and History
How the Pool Was Built
The Neptune Pool and its surrounding area were designed by a famous architect named Julia Morgan. Work on the pool began in 1924. Albert Solon and Frank Schemmel from Solon and Schemmel Tile Company did all the beautiful tile work.
The Neptune Pool was actually built and rebuilt three times! Each time, it got bigger. After changes in 1926 and 1934, William Randolph Hearst finally felt it was finished in 1936.
How Big Is It?
The Neptune Pool is about 58 feet (17.7 meters) wide. At its widest point, near the main fountain, it stretches to 95 feet (29 meters). The pool is 104 feet (31.7 meters) long.
The water depth changes from about 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) at the shallow end to 10 feet (3 meters) at the deepest parts. Spring water from the Santa Lucia Mountains fills the fountains and the pool. The pool alone holds a huge 345,000 gallons (1,306,000 liters) of water!
Special Features and Art
The floors and walls of the swimming pool and other decorative pools are covered in light-colored marble from Vermont.
The swimming pool is surrounded by buildings and rows of columns that look like they came from Ancient Roman and Greek Revival times. The main part of the pool, at the north end, uses pieces from the front of an Ancient Roman temple. William Randolph Hearst bought this temple in Europe and brought it all the way to San Simeon!
On the sides of the columned areas, you can see 17th-century Italian art called bas-reliefs. These are sculptures that stick out from a flat surface. The statues of 'Neptune' and 'Nereid' (sea nymphs) were first at the top of a waterfall but were later moved to the front of the Roman temple. New classical sculptures were also made by an artist named Charles Cassou.
Neptune Pool in Movies and TV
- The Neptune Pool was used as a filming location for the entrance to Crassus' villa in Kubrick's movie Spartacus.
- The music video for Lady Gaga's song "G.U.Y." was filmed at different spots in Hearst Castle, including the pool. Even though the pool was drained in 2014 due to drought and leaks, it was filled just for the music video!
