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State Park Involvement
 On
December 31, 1957 the Hearst Corporation deeded the property and
associated structures, which comprise the Hearst San Simeon State
Historical Monument, to the State of California. Tours of the Monument
began on June 2, 1958. The route for this tour, now Tour 1, included
the ground floor of Casa Grande, Casa del Sol guesthouse, the gardens,
and the two pools. A Tour Reservation System was initiated in 1960.
The tour operations were enhanced and expanded with the addition
of Tour 2 in 1964, Tour 3 in 1968, and Tour 4 in 1982. Tour 2 takes
visitors through the upper rooms of Casa Grande. Tour 3 shows Casa
del Monte guesthouse, the North Wing of Casa Grande, the North Terrace,
and a video titled "The Building of a Dream." Tour 4 shows
the Hidden Terrace, an overview of gardens and grounds, Casa del
Mar guesthouse, Neptune Pool dressing rooms, and the Wine Cellar
of Casa Grande.
To serve the diverse needs
of visitors, foreign language translations of Tour I were made available
in 1971 and a wheelchair accessible tour was added in 1974. Broadening
the interpretive program further, a pilot for an evening tour began
in 1989, in which docents in period dress, appearing as Hearst’s
guests and staff, recreate the social life at Hearst Castle in the
1930s. The tour route included the pools and gardens, highlights of
Casa Grande, and Casa del Mar. A School Tour Program targeted for
California sixth-grade curriculum was established in 1990. In October
1998 the Family Tour pilot program was initiated and is expected to
be inaugurated in the summer of 1999. The Family tour is designed
to create a special experience for Hearst Castle’s youngest visitors.
Following the acquisition
of the Monument, the security program, the maintenance program,
and other unit operations became the responsibility of State Park
personnel. In 1964 a crew of restoration specialists from the State’s
Office of Architecture and Construction established an office at
the Monument to perform work necessary for the preservation and
restoration of the architectural elements of the historic structure
and other associated facilities. Security intrusion detection and
fire detection systems were installed in the historic structures
of the Monument in the late 1970s. These systems have been regularly
upgraded in subsequent years. In 1984 the Collections Management
Section was established to conserve, maintain, and manage the collections
of the Monument.
Friends of Hearst Castle,
a non-profit organization incorporated in 1985, has contracted with
the Department of Parks and Recreation to support the restoration,
conservation, information, and interpretation programs of the Monument.
A new Hearst Castle Visitor
Center was constructed in 1987. It replaced the temporary facilities
that had served the Monument since 1958. The new facility offers
many amenities: a visitor information desk, a ticket office, a gift
shop, a snack bar, a conservation room, and an exhibit gallery housing
the William Randolph Hearst exhibit, opened in 1988.
In 1994, the restoration
crew of the Office of Architecture and Construction merged with
State Park Technical Services Section and a new Historic Services
Section was established to conduct maintenance and preservation
work. In the same year, the non-profit Hearst San Simeon Historical
Monument Foundation was founded for the purpose of supporting the
restoration and preservation of Hearst Castle.
The National Geographic
Theater, located at the Visitor Center, had its grand opening in
1996. The giant screen film "Hearst Castle - Building the Dream"
is featured.
In 1998, Hearst San Simeon
State Historical Monument celebrated its 40th Anniversary.
The forty-day celebration featured thematic exhibits, programs,
and activities.
"Hearst Castle", "Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument", "La Cuesta Encantada",
and "The Enchanted Hill" are registered trademarks of Hearst Castle®/California State Parks.
©2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 California State Parks, All rights reserved.
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