SAN SIMEON, CALIFORNIA, USA -- When you're a child, the word "Castle" conjures up certain images. When I was a young child, my family visited Hearst Castle. My mother convinced me it wasn't what I imagined. Thinking I'd be bored, she left me forelornly behind with an older sister while the adults toured the fabulous estate. I never got to actually visit Hearst Castle until I was in my 40s.

I have to say my mother was wrong. This "Castle," while not the turreted gothic fortress of typical childhood imagination, still delivered on its title. And no wonder, an architectural masterpiece built with no consideration of cost, filled with priceless works of art certainly qualifies this estate a Castle, although its former owner, publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst, never referred to it that way. Hearst and his mistress, movie star Marion Davies, were certainly the American royalty of their day. They entertained heads of state, Hollywood heavyweights and true European royalty at their "Castle" in San Simeon.

A tour of Hearst Castle is the chance to glance back in time to a life so filled with luxury and wealth, it's difficult to comprehend. Hearst, who worked hand in hand with famed architect Julia Morgan to design the estate, spared no expense, often tearing structures down and rebuilding to get it exactly right. He used only the finest materials - for instance the tiles in the indoor mosaic pool are actual gold. Art treasures are found at every turn inside the building and on the grounds -- paintings and sculptures, along with antique furnishings, tapestries and textiles, rugs, and antique architectural elements like ceilings, mantles and doors imported mainly from Spain and Italy.

Despite the overwhelming abundance of art and architecture, the most interesting part of a visit to Hearst Castle is the intimate peek it offers of what life might have been like during Hearst's heyday. Informative tour guides, who go through a minimum of 168 hours of training with additional in-service training -- give insights into the quirks and eccentricities of one of the world's most powerful men, making him somehow more human. For instance, in spite of the formality of the main dining room, Hearst always used paper napkins. Everyone who visited Hearst Castle had their own bedroom and the host allowed no fraternization between the sexes. While he spared no expense for the constant stream of guests staying at what Hearst referred to as his "ranch," anyone who had the audacity to not show up for the nightly pre-dinner cocktail party and evening meal was promptly asked to leave.

Echoes of Hearst, Davies and architect Morgan can be found throughout the Castle's tours. To get even greater insight, take time to see the 40 minute documentary Hearst Castle-Building the Dream, in the National Geographic Theater. The film documents Hearst's early history, the inspirations for his architectural visions and his ongoing collaboration with Julia Morgan. Viewers will learn of the challenges Hearst and Morgan overcame to build this incredible estate in such an (at the time) isolated area. The film also looks at what life was typically like for the hosts and guests of Hearst Castle.

In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated Hearst Castle to the People of the State of California. Hearst Castle has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Touring Hearst Castle

The estate is so large, don't expect to see it all in one day. Currently (2005), the state offers four daytime tour routes in addition to an accessibility designed tour, curriculum focus tour, special focus tours and an evening tour, each with a knowledgeable guide to lead you through different areas of the estate.

The "Experience Tour" includes Tour #1 (guesthouse, esplanade and gardens, 5 rooms of the ground floor main house, and the Neptune and Roman pools) combined with the National Geographic movie Hearst Castle-Building the Dream for a single ticket price. Other tours highlight different areas of the estate.

Especially popular are the Evening Tour and Living History programs, where visitors experience, in addition to the documentary film, highlights from several of the daytime tours lead by costumed docents.

All tours are limited in size and some tours only run at certain times of year.

Accessibility Tour

Reservations for the accessibility designed tours must be made directly with Hearst Castle at least 10 days in advance. The tours are offered 3 times daily. Wheelchairs are available at no extra charge, or if the visitor has his/her own, it must be capable of fitting through doorways 28 inches wide. Tour includes rooms on the ground floor of the main house, a guesthouse, the gardens, and views of the Neptune Pool and the Roman Pool. For more information regarding an Accessibility Designed Tour please call 800-444-4445 or 805-927-2115.

For More Information

Hearst Castle is located at 750 Hearst Castle Rd. in San Simeon, California. For more information call 805-927-2020 or visit www.hearst-castle.org.

Hearst Castle is one of the most visited attractions in California -- reservations are recommended especially in peak seasons and for evening tours (when available).

For tour reservations, call 800-444-4445. If you are calling from outside the US, call 916-414-8400 ext. 4100, you can also make tour reservations online at www.hearst-castle.org.

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.