Education at Hearst Castle

Illuminate. Inspire. Empower.

We’re inspiring and empowering future generations with educational tours, art lessons, conferences, scholarships, and authentic historical experiences.

Featured Program

STEAM Program at the Castle

Designed to inspire and empower middle school students from underserved communities throughout California

Watch students from the Boys & Girls Club experience our STEAM Program at Hearst Castle. Click above to view.

Sponsored by The Foundation at Hearst Castle, the STEAM Program is a unique educational opportunity offered in collaboration with the CA State Parks PORTS Program.

The program includes a custom tour of Hearst Castle and a guided exploration of nearby San Simeon Bay and Pier, aligned with grade-appropriate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum.

For qualifying groups,* our nonprofit organization covers all costs of your day trip, including a hearty lunch and transportation (if your district does not provide a bus).

The STEAM program will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays on a first come, first served basis.

This special program incorporates:

Pre-visit: Classroom engagement with California State Parks interpreters using high-quality interactive videoconferencing
Film: Screening of Hearst Castle: Building the Dream in five-story screen theater at Hearst Castle’s Visitor Center
Custom tour: Hearst Castle tour aligned with STEAM curriculum
Coastal study: Guided exploration of the nearby pier and beach life, also aligned with STEAM

*Some restrictions apply. This program is designed especially for students in underserved communities who do not have the opportunity to take field trips to museums or state parks. Please review the School Qualification Guidelines.

More Programs

An interpreter with California State Parks San Luis Obispo Coast District engages with students via Zoom.

Virtual STEAM Program

Social distancing has provided us an opportunity to collaborate with Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument and State Park to expand our STEAM Program at the Castle to a new, virtual format where students receive a “STEAM kit” with activities that pair with a live, customized multi-day virtual experience.

This unique program is fully funded by The Foundation at Hearst Castle. Review the guidelines to see if your school qualifies for this free program that explores both Hearst Castle and the nearby coast.

Apply Now

Kids Art Smart

The Foundation at Hearst Castle and Studios on the Park partner to provide unforgettable art experiences for middle school students.

Through the Kids Art Smart program, students have the opportunity to tour Hearst Castle followed by a two-point perspective plein air drawing lesson on the Enchanted Hill under a local teaching-artist.

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Summer Bridge to Success

Cuesta College’s Bridge to Success, a collaboration between college and high school counselors, helps to address student barriers to college, along with diversity and equity components. And a new concurrent enrollment program puts college classes right on local high school campuses for free, allowing high school students to get a jump-start on college without having the added work of getting financial aid and transportation to the college campus.

We’re proud to support the annual Summer Bridge program, which takes place at the San Luis Obispo campus and provides graduating high school seniors a great introduction to the college experience as well as an inspirational tour of Hearst Castle.

Learn More and Apply

Future Programs

Though currently focused on raising funds to expand our STEAM Program, we endeavor to build empowerment conferences and scholarship funds. For these new programs, The Foundation at Hearst Castle plans to invite back those students who initially demonstrated the most interest and engagement in our STEAM Program.