Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA
Molly McNair, WithIt
Despite being located in California, Hearst Castle was still built by royalty-newspaper royalty, that is. In 1919, publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst inherited 40,000 acres near San Simeon. While he initially envisioned a more down-to-earth family home, the project soon expanded to a grand, European-style estate. Hearst, an avid art collector, dreamed of making the castle “a museum of the best things that I can secure.”
The story of Hearst Castle isn’t only about William, though. The true visionary behind the project was architect Julia Morgan. Born in San Francisco, Julia was not only the first woman to study architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, but the first licensed woman architect in California. Her designs for the castle combined classical European and North African design with a distinctly Californian twist. In addition to her work on Hearst Castle, Morgan designed buildings for the YWCA and Mills College, a women’s university in Oakland.
As one of the finest homes on the West Coast, Hearst Castle welcomed many of the early 20th century’s biggest stars. Hearst’s guests included actors Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, and Greta Garbo; politicians Calvin Coolidge and Winston Churchill; and British comedy writer P.G. Wodehouse. The castle, and Hearst himself, were also major inspirations for the classic film “Citizen Kane.”
After Hearst’s passing in 1951, his family donated the castle to the state of California. These days, Hearst Castle is a public museum where visitors enjoy a glimpse into a uniquely glamorous piece of American history.
Hours: Tours daily from 8:00 am-6:00 pm.
Admission: $35 adults, $18 children
Website: hearstcastle.org
