Is Hearst Castle worth visiting? And will your kids enjoy this museum?
As many of you know, I have four boys. I love traveling and exploring the world with these guys and am mindful of finding cultural experiences we all will enjoy.
We visited Pismo Beach last weekend for a chill, relaxing getaway. The weather was incredible on the central coast of California, and it was exactly what we needed.
While in Pismo, we decided to head up the coast for a quick visit to Hearst Castle. I visited this magnificent creation as a child and wanted to return. Jason and my boys had never visited, and I wasn’t sure if this would be a good family outing or if I would receive many complaints.
Hearst Castle is located in San Simeon, California. It is a 1-hour drive north from Pismo Beach, and this gorgeous drive is worth experiencing.
The visiting center for Hearst Castle is right off Highway 1 at sea level.
I purchased tickets the night prior, but they have tours every 10 minutes, and nothing appeared to be impacted.
We opted for the main tour, a 70-minute guided tour through the “Grand Rooms.”
The rates of $30 for adults and $15 for kids were a great price point for this experience.
After we checked in at the visitor center, we loaded onto the bus.
It is a 15-minute bus ride to the Hearst Castle hilltop.
It’s truly a spectacular sight as you rise 1600 feet above sea level, meandering through California live oaks, looking towards the castle, and peering back at the gorgeous Pacific Ocean.
The story of this epic build during the Roaring Twenties is genuinely incredible.
Hearst Castle was constructed between 1919 and 1947. It would have cost $700 million to build today. The incredible scale of this project in an area that did not have roads has to be admired. I also enjoyed learning about Julia Morgan, a female architect who oversaw every aspect, including the furnishings of Hearst Castle.
At a time when female architects rarely existed and were less sought out, this petite and ingenious architect truly made a mark in the world, bringing William Randolph Hearst’s dream to life.
SOURCE https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/CA-01-079-0050
After the bus ride to the top, the first stop is a massive terrace that provides vast views down to the Pacific Ocean.
This is the terrace below Casa Del Sol, the first house completed on the hilltop, which became one of three large guest homes after the central Casa Grande was completed.
I used my favorite small gimbaled camera for all the video captured and photos shared in this post. I have a lot of camera gear, and I am still returning to this cheap mini camera because it’s that good.
Camera: https://urlgeni.us/amzn/_Xb5qDJIomsmo3
Next, we checked out this massive hilltop pool. This scale is impressive for today, over one hundred years later.
We took one quick photo with the boys before we headed inside Hearst Castle. This mountainside edifice offers so many incredible photo opportunities.
Hearst Castle is set up similarly to a European village, with the central house representing a cathedral.
I’ve lived in Europe and visited it many times. Hearst Castle captures the best aspects of a European village while incorporating priceless antiquities, making it a living museum.
One of the cutest aspects was that our tour guide invited my youngest, Stewart, to open the castle door.
We entered through a back door. Original guests of the castle would have entered through the front cathedral entrance. This original entrance would have placed guests centered in the impressively large and decorated Assembly Room.
This room contains priceless tapestries. The other part of this tapestry collection can be seen in the Leuvre.
Speaking of the assembly room, four original 16th-century tapestries from the Deeds of Scipio Africanus series hang on the walls. Some of the same tapestries are in the Louvre in Paris, but theirs are copies.
“During the French Revolution, the set was broken up and sold,” says Allen. “Today, only these four at San Simeon and a fragment of another from the set are known to exist still.”
SOURCE https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tapestry_-_Hearst_Castle_-_DSC06190.JPG
After viewing the assembly room, we moved through a narrow passage to the Refectory room, which inspired the set design for the Hogwarts dining room in Harry Potter.
Next is this beautiful morning room. The guest houses did not have kitchens, so guests came to the main house for everything, including morning coffee, and they enjoyed it in this fabulous room. I loved the Spanish ceiling inlay. It reminded me of our time in Toledo, Spain.
The details throughout the castle are truly aspects to appreciate, like this stone-carved passageway.
The Billiards room was a great space, and my boys loved it.
There are two tables in this space. The first doesn’t have pocket holes; the second is a traditional pool table. I didn’t realize that pool started out as a bumper concept, but Turner, my second son knew all about this original game and was able to explain it to me:)
The first table has no pockets.
After the Billiards room, we moved into the massive home theatre.
Then it was outside to the tennis courts.
Below the tennis court is the indoor pool, which is completely tiled and includes gold tiles.
This quick 70-minute tour is completely worth it and should not be missed if you are ever on the California central coast. It’s quick, beautiful, and inspirational. The tour guides are also incredible and make it fun for the entire family.
At the end of the Hearst Castle YouTube video, my boys give their reasons for enjoying Hearst Castle.
BONUS
After our morning at Hearst Castle, we returned to Pismo and enjoyed a yummy crab lunch at the Cracked Crab. I highly recommend this yummy crab restaurant; it checked all my favorite boxes, from homemade bleu cheese dressing to great soups and fresh crab. The YouTube video explains what I ordered:)
Now you know, before you go to Hearst Castle, whether it is worth a visit and whether your kids will enjoy it.
xoxo Kim
