750 Hearst Castle Road
San Simeon, CA 93452-9741
(805) 927-2020

The Tickets range between $10 and $20 for adults, depending on tour. Children's tickets are half price. We recommend you reserve your tickets at least a day in advance during the summer because all tours may already be full when you arrive. There are four different tours, tour #1 is recommended for all first time visitors. In addition to the tour, we recommend you see the IMAX move "Hearst Castle: Building the Dream" which is the life story of William Randolph Hearst. Official web site:  www.hearst-castle.org

• Photo album: take a complete tour of Hearst Castle inside and out (tour #1)
• Web movie: panorama of the Roman swimming pool (1.3MB)

There really aren't enough superlatives to describe this place.  Incredible. Beautiful.  Amazing.  It is truly mind boggling to realize that this was the work of one man - and hundreds of workers - over the space of 30 years.  William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper giant, built this country home as a labor of love.  He never grew tired of the process of construction.  It is evident in the details.

Our favorite part of the estate was probably the indoor (underground?) swimming pool, which was so exotic and unique that inspires the imagination.  Of course, the dining room was also wonderful.  The tours are guided by well-informed docents - and the really good ones are just treasure troves of 80 year old gossip.  

Directions
Take U.S. Highway 101 north to San Luis Obispo, then California Highway 1 north about 40 miles.  The Hearst Castle is right off the highway.