Hearst Castle is the palatial estate of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. It is located in San Simeon, California on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Now is a state historical monument, numerous tours are offered featuring various aspects of the estate. The estate was donated to the state of California in 1957. The official name of the estate was actually "San Simeon," which is now the name of the city which has sprung up around the edifice.
Construction on "the Ranch," as Hearst referred to it, began in 1919 and continued through 1947. Most of the buildings were designed by San Francisco architect Julia Morgan. When construction completed (if you could say it ever really did—things were always being improved and changed), the estate boasted 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, swimming pools, walkways and a private zoo (some animals still reside at the estate). Some of the highlights of the estate include the Neptune Pool, which boasts an matchless sculptures and incredible vista of the surrounding area and the main house, "Casa Grande."
Visits to the estate were highly coveted in the early 20th century. The Hollywood and political elite were often invited for visits to the estate. Times and transportation being what they were, these visits were no small affair and most guests were expected to stay for at least a fortnight. While all guests were expected to attend the formal dinners each evening, during the day guests were normally left to their own devices while Hearst directed the affairs of his several businesses. Since "the Ranch" had so many facilities (pools, gardens, fountains, horses and tennis courts, to name a few), guests were rarely at a loss for things to do and enjoy. The property featured a small but elegant movie theater and guests were sometimes treated to a screening of one of the latest features of Hearst's movie studio. Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Charles Lindbergh, Joan Crawford and Winston Churchill are among the famous who visited the estate.
Hearst's longtime mistress, Marion Davies, acted as the hostess of the estate and always saw to the comfort and well-being of the guests. She is rememberred as being a cordial and hospitable hostess. Though Hearst was still legally married, his wife only visited San Simeon once and despised it. Hearst spent most of his time there while his wife resided on the East Coast (they remained married until Hearst's death in 1951).
Despite its enormouse size, Hearst was such an insatiable collector that the estate's warehouse still holds volumes of art and collectibles which have never been displayed.
Part of the agreement of the donation of the estate was that the Hearst family would be allowed to continually use the estate for recreational purposes. Patty Hearst, an heir of the Hearst publishing empire, tells of, as a child, hiding behind statues in the Neptune Pool while tours passed by.
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