Hearst Castle
Hearst renamed the hilltop that crowned his huge ranch "La Cuesta Encantada“ The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, Hearst and Morgan had created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways – an American castle! William Randolph Hearst died in 1951 and in 1954 the Castle became a California State Park. The site was opened to visitors in 1958. Since that time it has been operated as the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument. The Hearst family continues to use an older Victorian house on the property as a retreat – the original house built by George Hearst in the late 19th century
Highlights of any tour could include: the Neptune Pool and the Roman Pool, the Wine Cellar which was constructed during the Prohibition Era and featured vaults to protect Hearst's collection, the Hearst Airport which is original airstrip built in the 1920s providing an easier and much faster way for W. R. Hearst's architect and guests to reach the estate, the Zoo which was once the site of the worlds largest private zoo and the lush and serene Gardens of Hearst Castle.
