Hearst Castle Discount Tickets Aaa (2024)

FAQs

How much does it cost to go to Hearst Castle? ›

Plan to be at Hearst Castle for a minimum of three hours. The guided portion of the tour is indoors and lasts about 60 minutes. The Bus ride up and down the hill is about 30 minutes each way and the movie is 40 minutes. With a one hour tour, our total visit was 3 hours, 45 minutes.

You have the chance to go behind the scenes and swim in the San Simeon, California, pool. But it'll cost you. First, you have to be a member of the Foundation at Hearst Castle, which costs $500 annually. After that, you can book a reservation for $1,000, which gives you access to the iconic Neptune pool.

It really depends on how you want to spend your time. An afternoon is definitely enough time to drive through Big Sur and to stop and see the scenery. If you want to spend time hiking or exploring, then a whole day is better. Hearst Castle is excellent and definitely worth the time.

Parking is plentiful and free for guests during their stay. Continental Breakfast is also free every morning.

In order to ensure visitor safety and to protect the historic estate, framed backpacks are not permitted. In addition, items such as skateboards, roller shoes and bicycles are not permitted. Items such as paint, crayons, chalk and sketch charcoal are also not permitted on the hilltop.

Purchase tickets to visit Hearst Castle and enjoy the movie, “Hearst Castle – Building the Dream,” or shop for souvenirs and grab a bite to eat before your bus transports you up the hill to tour Hearst Castle. Visit the historic exhibition for free in the east end of the Visitor Center.

Only bottled water may be brought on tour. Please call the district office at Hearst Castle at (805) 927-2065 to arrange for this unique and personalized tour experience of Hearst Castle.

Personal Photography

Photography for personal enjoyment is encouraged. However, due to operational impacts, photography related to birthdays, engagements, weddings, graduations, etc. is prohibited. Tripods are not allowed either inside the buildings or on the grounds, but monopods are in both locations.

The main pool is 81' x 31' and 10' deep. All the surfaces are covered with blue and gold mosaic tile--gold leaf is fused in the glass. Decorative and marine motifs and copies of Greco-Roman sculpture add to the sumptuous effects. Curvilinear marble ladders indicate Morgan's consistent attention to detail.

Is the Hearst Castle pool heated? ›

The pool, like the baths, is located indoors. Its water was heated as in a tepidarium. However, in Hearst's complex there were no hot or cold baths as there were in the ancient complex. The Roman Pool complex was designed to contain an exercise room, sweat baths, a handball court and dressing rooms.

In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the estate to the State of California and it's been operated by the State as a museum ever since. One of the conditions of the donation was that the Hearst family still have access to the property for personal use at their discretion.

Home to stately Hearst Castle, the unincorporated town of San Simeon sits along one of the most pristine stretches of California Highway 1 and the Pacific Ocean.

Their guest list included many of the Hollywood stars of the period; Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Greta Garbo, Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford, Jean Harlow and Clark Gable all visited, some on multiple occasions.

Shoots at the state historical site are extremely rare. It was the first film shoot to happen at Hearst Castle since the movie "Spartacus" 50 years ago. The castle was built by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in San Simeon, Calif. KSBW is a Hearst television news station.

In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the estate to the State of California and it's been operated by the State as a museum ever since. One of the conditions of the donation was that the Hearst family still have access to the property for personal use at their discretion.

Personal Photography

Photography for personal enjoyment is encouraged. However, due to operational impacts, photography related to birthdays, engagements, weddings, graduations, etc. is prohibited. Tripods are not allowed either inside the buildings or on the grounds, but monopods are in both locations.

Works of Art

This great museum is filled with Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities – along with Old Master European paintings, sculptures, and decorative art; Chinese and Near Eastern art; and about thirty historic carved and painted ceilings from Renaissance Italy and Spain.