#8 // San Simeon Ranch

p68 // San Simeon (Heart’s Castle) // Julia Morgan // 1919-1937

The Ranch also known as ‘Hearst Castle’ sits on top of the mountains over a vast cattle farming property started by William Hearst, a newspaper magnate, in the 1920s. He worked with a single San Franciscan architect building the mansion for 28 years, at the location where he had been camping with his grandfather as a child. Tourists take a shuttle bus that winds around revealing and hiding the castle as you go up the hill.

The castle has 152 rooms and looks back towards the Pacific Ocean. Hearst was an animal lover and had the largest private zoo in America at the time with polar bears (we saw their enclosures), monkeys, buffalo, zebras etc. We saw some remaining Zebras from the highway in amongst the black Angus cows.

There are three Spanish style guest houses around the main house, which has a Renaissance looking style. However, all the buildings are made using modern techniques from concrete due to the volatile earthquake nature of the area. Hearst was an introvert but was famous for inviting important guests to the ranch for extended stays and making Gatsby-like appearances at cocktail hour and dinner. Guests were encouraged to spend the day outdoors, Hearst providing many activities, but were required to assemble in the main hall for cocktails, dinner and an after dinner movie in the theatre. Hearst hosted many famous actors and politicians in the 1920s & 30s.

Hearst collected art and antiquities. He had his architect build rooms to special dimensions in order to fit the largest fireplace in the US, imported from a chateau in France. Antique choir seats were used as wall panelling. The wooden ceilings were antique Spanish panels etc. However, the highlight of the castle is the Neptune pool…

Visitors today can relax around the pool (but not swim) until Sunset. There is also a cool modernist Tennis court behind the house…

Under the tennis court is Hearst’s rarely used gorgeous indoor pool. He left the estate to California State Parks in the 1950s for visitors to enjoy his large art collection.

// 255 Remain // RM