Search Results for: ġ

Join us for a walking tour of Old San Simeon, including the rarely explored white stucco warehouse designed by Julia Morgan, followed by wine tasting and a gourmet picnic lunch at Hearst Ranch Winery.

The Foundation at Hearst Castle invites you to a special Members-only event at the Hearst Hacienda at Fort Hunter Liggett! Tour Mission San Antonio de Padua Lunch at Julia Morgan-designed Hacienda Lodge (outdoors) Learn what’s new with The Foundation at Hearst Castle The Hearst Hacienda sits on the grounds of what is now the Army’s Fort Hunter Liggett in southern Monterey County. Many famous actors, including Will Rogers and Marion Davies, were honored guests of the Hacienda. Several movies, including Clear and Present Danger, We Were Soldiers, and the 1966 film Incubus, used Fort Hunter Liggett and the Hacienda as filming locations. The property was placed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1977. Join us for a tour of Mission San Antonio de Padua, explore the Hacienda at Fort Hunter Liggett, enjoy lunch and short presentations by representatives of both the Hacienda and Hearst Castle. Free event. Space is limited. First come, first served.

While we are disappointed that we cannot welcome members and visitors back to the Enchanted Hill sooner, we remain steadfast in our mission: The Foundation at Hearst Castle continues to support ongoing conservation efforts and we will ramp up our popular virtual STEAM Program at the Castle again in the fall.

The Foundation at Hearst Castle—a nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation and education around the historic Hearst Castle—announced the launch of an exclusive tour opportunity within Airbnb’s Online Experiences.

I’ve always looked at preservation as a very personal passion. Whether you are interested in preserving old houses, keeping family memories alive, revitalizing your downtown, helping the sick, feeding the hungry, rescuing animals, or looking after our vast natural resources, everybody has a “passion”—although they may not know it. That passion lies deep within your heart and it fuels your day-to-day travels through life, even when you’re not aware of it. Some of us may have just one passion; some of us have many. Whatever drives you to be the caretaker of a cause becomes your passion. And it doesn’t have to be on a grandiose scale. The tiniest bit of what’s in your heart will do it! Growing up in Pasadena, I became fascinated early-on with the grand homes and mansions throughout the area—large Mediterranean estates, grand Craftsman bungalows, sprawling ranchers, and ultra-modern mid-century structures. I did not live in one of these houses. I grew up in a modest house built by my dad’s own hand after WWII, when the only lumber available was green and plumbing fixtures and appliances were second-hand. My dad even built me a playhouse out of scrap wood from a refrigerator packing crate. It was rustic, but to me it was a castle and made me feel like a princess. My dad worked as a milkman for a local dairy. His delivery route took him to the prestigious estates of Pasadena’s wealthy upper-class, where he would interact with maids and butlers up before dawn, long before their employers stirred. Dad’s stories about his milk delivery adventures gave me a glimpse into a life I would have otherwise not known about. His stories left an impression on my adventurous imagination and I began to see far beyond the confines of my little world. Imagine living in a real castle… or a palace. Imagine being a real princess! When I grew up, I went to college, where I studied art and found I was particularly interested in architectural history. I became fascinated with one particular style of architecture abundant throughout Pasadena—the imposing, shingle-style, American Craftsmans that stood in the older neighborhoods. I was saddened to see so many of them demolished and replaced with big, blocky apartment houses or strip malls. These old homes were solid structures designed by architects who meant for them to last. They had survived earthquakes, wildfires, multiple owners, and being chopped up into rundown boarding houses with peeling paint and iron bars across the windows. But the “bones” of these once grand structures were still there, solid and strong.  What stories could they tell? How could we hear them? How could we preserve them? Years later, I moved to the Central Coast of California… and there it was! A mansion, in fact a Castle, perched on a hilltop overlooking an 18-mile stretch of Pacific coastline in a place called San Simeon. One man’s dream—one man’s passion—brought to fruition by a diminutive woman architect: La Cuesta Encantada, the Enchanted Hill. Hearst Castle was once home to media mogul William Randolph Hearst and the diminutive woman architect was the incomparable Julia Morgan.  […]

The historic landmark in San Simeon closed on March 15, 2020, due to the pandemic. Now more than a year later, it’s still closed as State Parks tackles emergency repairs to the road that leads to the castle.

Kristin Rasmussen shares a story about her Grandma Norma, who grew up in San Simeon, CA at the foot of Hearst Castle. She was awed by W.R. Hearst’s warehouse treasures.

Superintendent Dan Falat of the San Luis Obispo Coast District of CA State Parks says the torrential rains which washed out part of Highway One also created issues for the road that architect/civil engineer Julia Morgan designed up the hill to the historical monument.

Kristin Rasmussen describes the village of San Simeon, Sebastian’s General Store, and the Bay View Hotel during the time Grandmother Norma grew up there.

Hearst Castle tour guide and PORTS Programs lead, Tracy Kosinski, has played an instrumental role in building our free educational program.