Following the two-year closure of Hearst Castle, only members of The Foundation at Hearst Castle and their guests may swim in the Neptune Pool. A handful of charitable swim experiences are scheduled for 2022, limited to 40 guests each, so make your reservation today.
Meet The Foundation at Hearst Castle’s Newest Board Members
In early 2022, The Foundation at Hearst Castle added four new board members, Gail Cayetano-Classick, Sam Mazzeo, Christopher Burgart, and Bob Priola.
Neptune Pool Swim: Sunday, Sept 18, 2022
Following the two-year closure of Hearst Castle, only members of The Foundation at Hearst Castle and their guests may swim in the Neptune Pool. A handful of charitable swim experiences are scheduled for 2022, limited to 40 guests each, so make your reservation today.
Neptune Pool Swim: Saturday, Sept 17, 2022
Following the two-year closure of Hearst Castle, only members of The Foundation at Hearst Castle and their guests may swim in the Neptune Pool. A handful of charitable swim experiences are scheduled for 2022, limited to 40 guests each, so make your reservation today.
Neptune Pool Swim: Sunday, Aug 14, 2022
Following the two-year closure of Hearst Castle, only members of The Foundation at Hearst Castle and their guests may swim in the Neptune Pool. A handful of charitable swim experiences are scheduled for 2022, limited to 40 guests each, so make your reservation today.
Neptune Pool Swim: Saturday, Aug 13, 2022
Following the two-year closure of Hearst Castle, only members of The Foundation at Hearst Castle and their guests may swim in the Neptune Pool. A handful of charitable swim experiences are scheduled for 2022, limited to 40 guests each, so make your reservation today.
Neptune Pool Swim: Saturday, June 11, 2022
Following the two-year closure of Hearst Castle, only members of The Foundation at Hearst Castle and their guests may swim in the Neptune Pool. A handful of charitable swim experiences are scheduled for 2022, limited to 40 guests each, so make your reservation today.
Hearst Castle Fundraising Events Are Back!
We are delighted to share that coveted swims, dinners, and the popular Twilight on the Terrace are back at Hearst Castle for 2022!
The Foundation at Hearst Castle Named “Nonprofit of the Year” by Latin Business Association
The Foundation at Hearst Castle (FHC) was named “Nonprofit of the Year” by the Latin Business Association (LBA), the nation’s largest organization representing the issues and concerns of Latino business owners. The announcement was made during LBA’s Sol Business Awards on March 25, 2022.
A Personal Passion for Preservation
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. […]


