A large parking lot at the Hearst Castle Visitors Center provides ample visitor parking.  Located inside the Visitors Center are the Ticket Office windows where visitors may pick up previously reserved tickets or purchase tickets on-site.  Just outside the doors, visitors board the Hearst Castle bus as they begin their five-mile journey of spectacular scenery to the historic hilltop estate of William Randolph Hearst.

The William Randolph Hearst exhibit located in the Visitor Center offers guests an insightful look into the Castle, its architect Julia Morgan, and its owner W.R. Hearst. Family histories, vintage photographs, and historical documents provide a more intimate look at Mr. Hearst’s personal life. Beautiful works of art from his collection give a glimpse of the treasures seen on tour. A display dedicated to Mr. Hearst’s career in media, publishing, and politics features an audio recording of a political address he made. A short video highlights the film career of Marion Davies.

Young visitors to the Castle can explore the exhibit with a free Treasure Hunt map provided at the desk inside the exhibit doors. A prize is awarded to participants.

Children and adults alike will enjoy the “touch gallery” – a display of tiles, marble, textiles, and other materials used in the art and architecture of the Castle that allows guests to experience the collection in a tactile way not allowed on tour.

This permanent exhibit is free to the public as a service of Hearst Castle San Simeon State Historical Monument.

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The Gift Shop *Award-winning*

features a comprehensive collection of books, DVDs, audio tapes and other gifts and mementos to commemorate every visit to Hearst Castle®. The gift shop is also a premier source for literature and biographical information on the Castle, William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan, architect of Hearst Castle®.

Visit our Online Retail store!

* The Hearst Castle Gift Shop won the Gold Award for Store Design/Redesign at the 57th Annual Retailer Excellence Awards in August 2008.

The Museum Shop

offers guests the chance to take home a special memory of the Hearst Castle® experience. The shop features reproductions of Hearst Castle® art pieces, as well as gifts and home furnishings reflective of the time period décor in the Castle. Each piece comes with informative literature that details the item’s architectural, historical and artistic significance.

The National Geographic Theater

at the Visitor Center shows Hearst Castle-Building the Dream on a five-story screen. This original 40-minute large-format movie chronicles the design and construction of the Castle and includes vintage clips and stills of the castle from the 1920s and 1930s plus breathtaking aerial scenes of the Castle and the Pacific coastline.

The movie plays every 45 minutes daily (see schedule page in this folder for show times). The lobby of the Theater features a notable display of 17th-century tapestries from the Hearst collection. For more information, email Shane Wood at swood@ngtheater.com.

The Driver and Guide Lounge*

invites you to relax in comfort. It features a climate-controlled rest area with anti-gravity Shiatsu massage chairs and a clean and private workspace. Located inside the National Geographic Theater, the lounge also provides complimentary Internet access, hookups for laptops and an entertainment cabinet with DVD/VHS capabilities. For more information, email Shane Wood at swood@ngtheater.com.

Contact Info
Visitor Information/Tour Tickets: 800.444.4445
Group Sales: 800.401.4775

*Not available to the public