Hearst Castle

Sunday, January 16, 2004

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To see all of the pictures taken in and around Hearst Castle click here!

Hearst Castle is located near San Simeon, California.  San Simeon is between San Francisco and Los Angeles on State Highway 1, the coastal highway.   The State of California operates Hearst Castle as a state park.

The pictures you see on this page are from the "Experience Tour". This is one of a number of Hearst Castle tours. Hearst Castle visitors must always be escorted. Tours run every twenty minutes all day long. Tickets can be purchased on-site or over the Internet. We bought our tickets on-site at the visitor center.

One thing to remember about the Hearst Castle - The pictures don't do it justice. I found the single two hour tour to be sensory overload. The richness of the detail in everything is beyond comparison with anything I have experienced. Every room, patio, vista, etc. on the former Hearst estate is done with an artistic sense and flair that the pictures fall flat in describing. You literally have to see it to believe it.
Click on image for larger format picture. Hearst Castle/01/16/2005/1569  

Above left - Hearst Castle view from the visitor center. I used a telephoto lense for this picture. The castle appears much closer than it would to the naked eye.

Right - Linda and Rob wait in the visitor center for our tour to start. We ate lunch in the visitor center. Good food considering the location. Visitor center has a nice gift shop.

Below left - one of the buses that takes tour groups from the visitor center up the hill to the castle grounds.

Below right - The experience tour drops visitors off just below the outdoor pool.

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Above left - the outdoor swimming pool.

Above right - the outdoor swimming pool and our tour group.

Right - One of the guest houses from a lower terrace.

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Right - Guest house on the Experience Tour.

Below left - Guest room in guest house.

Below right - Guest room in guest house.

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Above left - the Hearst Castle (up-close). Looks a bit like a church.

Above right - detail around the castle balcony. Note the detailed sculpture hanging from the eves.

Left - Castle bell tower.

Below left - Main castle entrance.

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Above left - Castle greeting room

Above right - Castle dining room.

Right - Castle game room. This room has pool tables in it.

Below left - Statuary in the castle movie theatre.

Below right - The indoor pool (below the tennis courts).

 

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Copyright 2005 © Larry Pearson - All Rights Reserved