Neptune Pool facts for kids
The Neptune Pool is a stunning outdoor swimming pool at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. It's not just a pool; it's a whole area with beautiful fountains, decorative pools, amazing sculptures, and fancy marble buildings. There are also alabaster lanterns and dressing rooms for swimmers. A big part of the pool's design includes a reconstructed ancient temple facade.
The Neptune Pool area sits high up on the Hearst Castle ridge. It has huge walls supporting it and offers amazing views of the ranch, the coastline, and the Pacific Ocean.
In 2014, the pool had to be emptied because of a serious drought in California. It was leaking and losing a lot of water every day. Big repair work started in 2017 to fix the leaks and replace the pool's tiles. The pool was filled temporarily in August 2017 to check for leaks. After the repairs were confirmed, the water was returned to the local area. By August 2018, the pool was completely restored and refilled. In 2019, people could visit the pool by buying special tickets. These tickets helped fund the castle's art and education programs. The castle closed to visitors in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contents
Designing the Neptune Pool
How the Pool Was Built
The famous architect Julia Morgan designed the Neptune Pool and its surrounding area. Construction began in 1924. Albert Solon and Frank Schemmel from the Solon and Schemmel Tile Company did all the beautiful tile work.
The Neptune Pool was actually built and rebuilt three times! Each time, it became bigger and grander. After changes in 1926 and 1934, William Randolph Hearst, who owned the castle, finally considered it finished in 1936.
How Big Is the Pool?
The Neptune Pool is about 58 feet (18 meters) wide. However, it's even wider, about 95 feet (29 meters), at the main fountain section. The pool is 104 feet (32 meters) long. Its depth changes from 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 itself holds a massive 345,000 gallons (1.3 million liters) of water!
Art and Architecture
Beautiful light-colored Vermont marble covers the floors and walls of the swimming and decorative pools. It also decorates the areas with columns.
The swimming pool is surrounded by buildings and columns designed in the style of Ancient Roman and Greek Revival buildings. The most important part of the pool's design is the facade of an ancient Roman temple. William Randolph Hearst bought this temple in Europe and brought it to San Simeon. It stands at the north end of the pool, framed by the columned buildings on either side.
On the sides of the columned buildings, you can see 17th-century Italian Neoclassical bas-reliefs. These are sculptures carved into flat surfaces. The statues of 'Neptune' and 'Nereid' were first at the top of a waterfall. They were later moved to their current spot in the triangular part (pediment) of the Roman temple. New classical sculptures were also made by artist Charles Cassou. His 'Venus' statue was placed there.
Neptune Pool in Movies and TV
The Neptune Pool has been featured in several films and television shows.
- It was used as a set for the entrance to Crassus' villa in Kubrick's movie Spartacus.
- The Lady Gaga music video "G.U.Y." was filmed at various spots at 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.
- The pool was also shown by Huell Howser in his TV show California's Gold Episode 702.
See also
- List of works by Julia Morgan
- Pedimental sculptures in the United States
