Thursday, January 4, 2024

Hearst Castle Gardens

 






The Hearst Castle Gardens are located near San Simeon, California, along the Central Coast, off of Highway 1.  They are part of the impressive estate of newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst.  The castle and gardens were designed by Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947.  The castle showcases Mr. Hearst's vast collection of antiques.  Getting up to the castle and gardens is an interesting ride.  Visitors will take a bus that travels up a 1600-foot high hill, winding past grazing cattle and an occasional zebra.  Yes, that's right.  Mr. Hearst had a zoo up on his hill with a collection of exotic animals.  The zebras escaped when the zoo was being dismantled. The herds of zebras are descended from the original zoo animals.



  
Once at the castle, visitors will see luxurious gardens designed on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Terraces are adorned with glazed tiles and fountains.  One of the most beautiful fountains is the Neptune Fountain, pictured at the left.  Mr. Hearst wanted a garden that displayed blooms throughout the year, so the gardens were planted with flowers and plants that offered continuous color.

When I was there, I saw star jasmine, hydrangeas, myrtle, oleanders, petunias, roses, succulents, and orange trees.


To see the gardens, you must sign up for a tour of the castle.  There are three varieties of tours.  I took one of the Great Rooms.  It was quite fascinating.  Tours cost $25.00 for adults and $12.00 for children.  The castle is open daily from 8:20 AM to 6:30 PM.  The last tour is around 4:00 PM.

12 comments:

  1. A herd of zebra? Now that is wild. Sounds like quite the place to visit.

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  2. A castle, a garden, and animals - that's fantastic.

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    1. It's one of the most interesting places to visit if you're driving up the coastline of California.

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  3. Hi Sherry - oddly enough the film, which Birgit posted today, RKO 281, mentioned cruelty to animals ... so your zebra tales have been interesting to note. A Rothschild here had a zebra and buggy ... cheers and Happy New Year ... I'll be posting again on the 13th ... Hilary

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    1. How funny that two of us mentioned zebras in our posts!

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  4. This place was amazing. My family visited after my mother died. She never made it to CA, but we did the tours for her. Crazy rich and over the top place to visit. Happy New Year to you!

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  5. Wow, looks beautiful; but I just can't fathom someone having so much money. I just don't comprehend it. Zebra's. I want to know how he kept the wild animals from eating all the pretty gardens!
    Traveling Suitcase

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    1. The zebras were kept in a large field. Unusual to have zebras, though!

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