While the world around us changes rapidly, we are thankful for the constant peace and beauty provided by CA State Parks, especially Hearst Castle.

Unfortunately, this extraordinary museum is closed for now (check all park closures here); but our community continues to turn to the Castle for inspiration and serenity via social media, while dreaming of the day we can all visit in-person once again. 

We are happy that parents and teachers are turning to virtual visits, too. The free Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) Distance Learning Program offers one-hour interactive visits where interpreters will read books, tell stories about their parks, tour iconic museums including Hearst Castle, and explore majestic redwood forests and marine protected areas. 

CURRENT PROJECTS

As “investors” in our mission, we thought we’d take the opportunity to let you know how we are using this time to accomplish our mission. The online learning programs that CA State Parks has developed are incredible, but we know nothing replaces an in-person experience at Hearst Castle. That’s why we are reaching out to hundreds of underserved middle schools throughout California, inviting them to book a date for this fall or winter, now, for their students to participate in our STEAM Program at the Castle — free of cost.

In addition to coordinating dozens of school visits and continued conservation efforts, we’re so excited to show the world what our nonprofit has accomplished, what we’re aiming to do, and how we have painstakingly created unrivaled events that authentically depict what it was like to be a personal guest of William Randolph Hearst at “La Cuesta Encantada” (The Enchanted Hill).

We are working on a variety of strategic initiatives to help get the word out about our mission, youth programs, and fundraising events. Here are some of the projects currently in the queue:

• New Blog – We’re putting the finishing touches on a brand new blog, which will house news and stories designed to enrich our members’ knowledge around the history and future of Hearst Castle.
• New Newsletter – As soon as we launch our blog, we’ll also launch a quarterly email newsletter, keeping everyone up-to-date on our youth and conservation programs, along with featuring member events.
• New Videos – We are currently producing three short videos, each with the goal of getting the good word out about our mission and how to support our work. 
• Website Updates – While the site we launched last spring with our new name, new membership tiers, and new events serves its purpose, we can do better. Soon our digital presence will better represent our youth programs, clarify member benefits, and generally demonstrate an improved user experience.
• Planned Giving – Our partnership with Morgan Stanley’s Aegis division allows us to offer planning tools to include gifts through wills, trusts, life insurance, retirement plans and more. Ask us about these new gifting opportunities that allow you to enjoy your future gifts now.
• Visitor Center Presence – We’re working on new signage and interactive displays that will demonstrate our mission and showcase member benefits to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who walk through the Visitor Center and theater at Hearst Castle each year.
• Docent Desk – The volunteers who greet visitors at the front of the Visitor Center have been very supportive of our nonprofit foundation. We’re working to arm them with beautifully designed reference sheets and a display for their desk to efficiently deliver our message.

We will continue to communicate our efforts as we progress through this surreal time. Stay safe and take care of one another!