Hearst Castle Visitor Center

There is one tour guide here, Michael Paserole, that ruined what was otherwise would have been a beautiful trip-​gift for my mother. This impatient hot tempered, yelling man came after me as I was taking a photo in front of one of the outdoor statues. He shocked us as he yelled «Those are 2000 year old statues!!! Stop leaning on them!!! God!!! They are 2000 years old!!! What are you doing!!!» before we even had a moment to figure out what he was talking about as neither of us were touching anything with our bodies.
He did this in front of 40 or so visitors and it was really embarrassing.
I think it goes without saying, if you are going to make such hostile accusations, you should be certain what you are saying is true. A 4 year old boy’s behavior is not something that should be in the list of qualities of a tour guide here.

Bathrooms are pretty dirty (not a surprise for a state park) but visitors center is well kept and getting tickets is very easy. Staff is well trained.

Did you know you can buy Hearst Ranch beef? Me neither. You can purchase it here.
What else makes this place unique lies past the obligatory gift shop: There’s a free small museum in the back that contains some of the actual items that used to be in Hearst’s castle, as well as some replicas, and a whole section about his family life and achievements. I felt that it also provided a wealth of information about his overall background.
For the touchy-​feely types who remember hearing «Keep your hands to yourself!» a lot as a child, there’s a section at the end that re-​creates some of the textures of the materials found in the castle. Satisfy your curiosity before you take the shuttle!
There’s even a side-​by-​side comparison of what happens when everyone and their mom touches the same piece of marble over and over. Icky.
Enjoy your stay in the San Simeon area, and enjoy experiencing a piece of California history!

Auf unserer Tour durch Kalifornien hatten wir es in Erwägung gezogen das Hearst Castle zu besichtigen. Ein riesiges Anwesen nahe San Simeon das vom Zeitungsverleger William Randolph Hearst auf einem Berg mit fantastischem Blick auf den Pazifischen Ozean gebaut wurde.
Wir hatten uns vorher nur wenig informiert und sind auf gut Glück dort hingefahren. Um das schlossartige Gebäude zu besichtigen, braucht man allerdings Karten, die man vorher im Internet buchen sollte. Das war uns leider vorher nicht klar.
Vor dem Visitor Center haben wir nach einigem Suchen einen freien Parkplatz gefunden, es war schon morgens recht viel los. Das Gebäude ist wirklich sehr nett und man kann im Inneren sehr viele Informationen über das Hearst Castle erfahren und einige Ausstellungsstücke bewundern. Der obligatorische Gift Shop steht für die Gäste auch zur Verfügung.
Die Mitarbeiter im Visitor Center waren sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit. Die Preise fand ich doch sehr happig und man konnte zwischen verschiedenen Touren wählen:
Grand Rooms Tour — $ 25.00 /​$ 12.00 (Erwachsene, Kinder)
Upstairs Suites Tour — $ 25.00 /​$ 12.00
Cottages & Kitchen Tour — $ 25.00 /​$ 12.00
Evening Tour — $ 36.00 /​$ 18.00
Accessibly Designed Grand Rooms Tour — $ 25.00 /​$ 12.00
Accessibly Designed Evening Tour — $ 36.00 /​$ 18.00
Es waren nicht mehr alle Touren an diesem Tag frei. Wir hatten uns aufgrund der Wartezeit und den immensen Preisen gegen einen Besuch entschieden. Wir hätten für eine Tour mit unserer Familie mindestens 87 $ bezahlt und unsere Kinder wären sicherlich gelangweilt gewesen. Die Führungen werden darüber hinaus auch nur auf Englisch durchgeführt. Die Option den Highway 1 bei strahlendem Sonnenschein abzufahren war im Nachhinein die bessere Wahl.
Das Visitor Center ist bequem über den Pacific Coast Highway Number 1 zu erreichen. Aufgrund der Wasserknappheit gibt es nur Dixie-​Toiletten. Öffnungszeiten sind täglich ab 09.00 Uhr.

The visitor center is not that informative… I left a review on Hearst Castle itself and the point taken was on the visitor center. I have copied the problem we had over here:
— @ visitor center. There was one clean lady that was pretty rude and was very difficult to understand. Long story short, she made my family extremely uncomfortable, while we did absolutely nothing wrong.
— @ visitor center — the drinks. They have a small starbuck shop here, carrying a small variety of drinks. But what they don’t tell you is that ONLY WATER is allowed on the tour. We purchased a large tea preparing for the trip, only to discard it 10 minutes later (couldn’t drink much since it was way too hot still). Money not well spent is one thing but wasting resource is just completely wrong.
— @ visitor center– as mentioned above, we purchased tickets and I told the lady we came with a toddler. It would have been nice for them to let us know about the rules before hand (doesn’t have to walk us through but let us know there are rules we need to comply and we could look them up), so we could prepare, such as feeding the toddler while waiting at the visitor center and not buying the tea. We had to wait about 30 minutes at the visitor center before boarding the bus/​tour.
Two points kept for the facility they had. I do understand they handle a large volume of tourists daily and it is difficult to make everyone happy. But we have been to many visitor centers before, handling large volume of tourists too. This center seems to be properly staffed. With the appropriate amount of staff, I would naturally expect to be reasonably informed, which was not the case.

Visitor center was disappointing for the night tour. Place was empty and almost everything was closed. The line to pick up tickets took forever and there was only 1 window opened. Thought we were going to miss our tour, but luckily a second window opened right when the shuttle was about to leave. One of my friends had to walk over to ask the shuttle to wait, because there was a line of people waiting for tickets. Also, the gift shop was closed when our tour ended, which was disappointing.

I dealt with the Visitor Center a few times before and during our last trip.
I’d booked an Grand accessible tour and they both wanted to double check that as well as let me know I had technically double booked the tours. I ended up working it out and switching the tour to another, and we checked in the first day for both tours, receiving our wristbands and tickets for the next day beforehand.
The gentleman at the counter was friendly and polite (and the person I had spoken to about straightening out the tours) but a bit short. It would have been nice if they had conveyed that the buses leave on the dot. It’s not really clear when you book that there is 14 minute bus ride prior to getting to the castle, so make sure you get there on time — otherwise you may get left!
Finally, I really loved the photos they took of us before the tour that can be purchased after your return. We ended up getting the two little frames, just because they were so cute! All in all it was a great experience, and one we hope to do again!

Visited on July 4^th.
They were so busy! Great place to hang out until your tour starts. A lot of interesting stuff to look at and possibly buy. There was a little museum there that had interesting facts about the Castle and about the man himself who lived there.
There’s also a really nice movie theater that gave you more info about the Castle.
Due to the drought, the bathrooms were closed for a little while.

Such a magical place! The grounds are well maintained and the indoor pool is stunning with a touch of eerie. Not sure that we necessarily had the best tour guide, I would’ve almost enjoyed an unguided tour where we could take our time and explore.

Horrible phone customer service. Each person we talked to told us something different. For evening tours the bathrooms are locked up. Only the outhouses are available. Also all the shops are closed in the evening. Tour guides were awesome. Pool has been empty and under construction for over 2 years, if you go at night you’re unable to get the pics you would in the day. Bus driver was wonderful.

This is one big visitor’s center. We entered the Hearst Castle Tour through the VC where I saw a pressed penny machine, a huge gift shop, ticket booth and then a photo area. You can eat here as well or walk through to visit the movie theater and see some more memoriabilia that is not available in the gift shop.
The bathrooms were not in service due to the drought, so I had to use the (surprisingly, decent) porto-​lets.

Hearst castle is a lot of fun. This was my 2^nd time here, the first being back in late 2000s. I’m glad it still looks great, unfortunately the main pool didn’t have water in it, but fun.
The tour was good, our guide was. interesting, but the self guided part was fun. I can’t wait to come back and hopefully renovations are done!

The Hearst Castle experience is amazing. Way better than I expected. We did the grand rooms tour. Great guide who was exceptionally knowledgeable and was really able to paint a picture of the heyday. We will be back.
FYI– visitors center lacks AC, is crowded and noisy.

Of course this is where the tours begin for the trip up to the beautiful Hearst Castle. Got to say that this Visitor Center beats most other visitor centers out there. The visitor center includes a nice gift shop filled with plenty of merchandise. Good spot to browse and shop. There are a couple of dining spots for folks to eat at so you won’t starve. We did not dine at any of the places though.
They have an informative exhibit here as well. Reminds me of a little museum. At this Hearst Castle exhibit, one can learn more about Mr. Hearst, Julia Morgan (the architect), and the amazing castle! Very educational experience and it’s free!
If you do not browse the Visitor Center before your tour, then make sure to check everything out after your tour. It’s worth it!

The visitors center is a total disappointment. Other than their Hearst-​Branded tshirts, mugs, & typical tourist merchandise, everything they sold was stuff you could purchase at at seaside tourist shop– items made in India, China, Mexico. Cheap stuff. Stuffed toys with big eyes. Nothing was locally sourced, grown, etc. A TOTAL disappointment considering California manufactures a lot of food, drink, & physical goods.
Oh to the tickets– the website doesn’t post hours other than when they open. If you want to see the last tour, you must select the particular tour you’re interested in as well as the date, then, if tickets are available, it will show you the last available tour. If not, you must try another tour or date. There is absolutely no way to see which of the many tour options is the latest each day in one location. Quite cumbersome on desktop computer and even more so on mobile.
On to the viewing deck– they have the typical observatory metal binoculars for $ 1.00 — and you can see the castle way up on the hill — much like servants of the past! If you’re lucky, the zebras will be galloping around out front which you can SORT OF see for free without the binoculars.
I would’ve LOVED a tour, but by the time I arrived I was 15 mins too late for the last one.
Regarding the tours– you can get partial segments of the castle for about $ 30/​person (adult) and $ 18/​child age 5 & up. I think it’s a bit costly for a $ 5 year old who may not understand or have zero interest in a place they must not only be quiet but also not touch… I would suggest a 3-​tiered pricing structure, or charging less under age 8.
Again, if you are using a mobile device or tablet, it’s very difficult to tell which type of tour you’d want, and I don’t know many people searching from their laptops while traveling the 101 or 1 on the California Coast. You would think a major publishing corporation would manage to have a modern, functional website that works on the most common devices, but it doesn’t.
On to the final moment where I truly felt like a peon not privileged enough to enter the Hearst property… The restrooms at the visitors center are all GROSS, not maintained port-​a-​potties facing the parking lot for regular folk (Limo & chartered parking was away from these).
All in all, I was pretty disappointed with my experience– I normally LOVE visitors centers and have a pretty high tolerance for typical cheap souviener stuff (I usually buy some!), but this stuff was extremely overpriced and totally something you could get at Jersey shore. One example was a decorative plate I found an exact one from the same manufacturer online for $ 50 on the low end and $ 175 on the high end. Sold at Hearst visitors center for $ 3,013. Ugh– no thank you!

The Hearst Castle Visitor Center (my other review for the Hearst Castle will talk about the castle itself) is the first step on your journey of H.C. You park in front of the visitor center, where you will buy your tickets. It is about $ 25/​pp for a ticket, which sounds pretty steep, but the views you get– even better: O
The visitor center has a theater in the back, which is free of charge with the ticket. It is a huge theater that you can watch a 40 minute movie about the history of the Hearst Castle.
You have the bus on the left side, which takes you to the Hearst Castle :3
In the front, there are food places and there is a gift shop.
In the back, you can «barely» see the castle, and there are some small exhibition rooms that you can go to to see some of the materials.
Also your «time» for your tour– they start calling for boarding 10 minutes prior.
Follow the signs (:
Plenty of parking.
ALSO, no restrooms cuz of the water issue in CA, so portapotties are outside for people to use:-/

Except for maybe 3 reviews, the reviews of this visitor center are abysmal. If they’re even reviewing the right place most are just talking about the porta potties or food.
First of all, this is a review of the Hearst castle visitor center, not the castle itself. Visitor center. There is a separate page for the castle.
Secondly, if you’re going to the visitor center yes the inside bathrooms are closed. Yes there are tons of porta potties outside. Not even focusing on the drought, it just looks tacky as hell for a place that’s supposed to be the epicenter of success and money and lavish life. But to go back to why there is porta potties. California is an emergency drought, disregarding my politics and others politics, Hearst Castle is a state monument, they have to follow those guidelines, that means saving water. Flushing toilets takes water. Therefore no flushing toilets. I feel like people’s whole experience is based off their politics not the center itself. Go down the 101 and look at all the dead farms, it goes on for hundreds of miles.
Thirdly, I can’t comment on the food because we had the impression we were not going to eat there so we got breakfast before hand knowing we wouldn’t eat until we left. We picked up something on the way out of town. Can’t remember if we researched that or were told that.
Fourthly, this visitor center was the best ones we had been in for our entire trip. We had been in lot of them touring national parks and state parks the last two weeks. Movie time, café, museum, and gift shop that has amazing and different ideas. Very surprised at how they promote the castle itself. People around to help you. Nice people. The cashier was funny and helpful while I was purchasing my items.
Lastly, this is where you order your tickets for the tours and such. The bus takes you up to the castle, a 12 minute winding road. The Hearsts wanted to move with the mountains not against them. The tours are expensive but remember you’re going to a lavish place, it has castle in its name, you should get the impression tickets aren’t cheap.

The Hearst Castle is a must-​see park/​museum! The tour of the residence and grounds takes you to a place that I can only compare to Neuschwanstein Castle. Even then, much of the German castle is limited to the grandiose appearance as it nestles into the mountain side. The Hearst residence offers stunning architecture, but also nonpareil views of the majestic Pacific Ocean and immaculately manicured grounds. Moreover, it melds classical Renaissance pieces like tapestries, ceilings, and even altar chairs seamlessly into the interior design.
Even for those that are less museum oriented, this place is still a required visit if you’re in the area. Anyone and everyone can appreciate the beauty of the hilltop mansion.
The only downside is the price. There is a steep $ 25 per person charge for admittance to one of the three offered tours. In order to see the whole place, each visitor would have to cough up $ 75 (yikes!). Along with the cost of admission there is a movie that runs about 45 minutes. I would recommend viewing it ahead of time because after walking the area the mentality for most of us is that it’s time to leave. I would also recommend the Grand Rooms tour for all beginners. It introduces you to the ground floor, and upon completion of the tour there is unlimited access to the rest if the grounds.

Very informative, educational and entertaining. I was at awe of what W.R. Hearst achieved in gis lifetime. Granted that he was born into a well-​to-​do family, he still pursued beyond what he had and made it into something greater.
Although I do not condone the extravagance of his time, where he entertained guests with lavish forms of accommodation and entertainment. Because I think it could’ve been used for a worthuer cause. I did feel a bit intruiged as to the kind of interaction and experience one would’ve had as a guest at the Hearst castle during its hey days. Rubbing elbows with High-​profile personalities and celebrities. Well, at least he left a great legacy and his castle offers a place for people to learn more about the American culture and History. It also offers guests a great view of the San Simeone coast. And helps create jobs for people involved in running and maintaining the Castle.

Welcome to the chem-​cans!
Because of a local area emergency water shortage, there is no running water available for guests. That doesn’t mean there isn’t working bathrooms or running water. You have to be savvy to find them.
I’ve been to the Castle a few times, so it’s still a fun place to check out. I’m not discouraging you, rather just informing you of the water shortage and ramifications.
Tip — There are secret bathrooms within Hearst Castle (which are used by guests that spend the night). The guides know about these but are reluctant to tell guests about them… However if you say it’s an emergency they will guide you to them.

BAD MOVIE.
The lines move smoothly, staff is courteous and professional, gift shop is full of over-​priced chachkies (as it should be), and the limited meal selections are equivalent to fare you get around the area. I just hated the movie, «Building the Dream.» Lame lame lame. Well produced, but horrible story. You learn next top nothing about Mr. Hearst other than he went to Europe with his mother, got inspired, and owned a plane. –2** for wasting 1 hour of my life I could have spent investigating Hearst themed night lights and refrigerator magnets in the gift shop.
p. s. About the smart Unilocaler who said this is NOT the castle, she is right.