SAN SIMEON, Calif. (KNX) — After a two-year COVID-related closure, California State Parks is reopening Hearst Castle to the public, the agency said in an update Thursday.
The San Luis Obispo County gem, conceived by publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan, is a world-renowned museum that people from around the world once visited annually. It was closed due to both the pandemic and severe rainstorms that damaged roadway access to it in early 2021.
"Hearst Castle is a state treasure and we are thrilled to reopen this wonder to the public to enjoy in a safe and responsible manner," California State Parks Director Armando Quintero said in a statement.
"We are confident that these once-in-a-lifetime repairs and improvements to the road facility will serve countless generations to come."
The castle, first known as "La Cuesta Encantada," or "The Enchanted Hill," is located in San Simeon, Calif. and was completed through a collaboration between Hearst and Morgan that began in 1919 and continued for 30 years, according to State Park historians.
The estate is comprised of a 115-room main house plus guesthouses, pools, and eight acres of cultivated gardens.
Early in 2021, severe rainstorms damaged the access road to the castle — which is typically traveled by some 850,000 visitors per year.
"This includes approximately 22,000 bus trips per year, some running as frequently as every 10 minutes in the busy summer season," state park officials said, explaining that for 10 months of the two-year closure, parks officials worked to reconstruct and re-engineer the upper 2.25-mile portion of the road for a total of $13.7 million.
"Old asphalt was removed and recycled into a thicker, stronger new roadway by a process known as full-depth reclamation. New concrete retaining walls were installed and some of the historic stone retaining walls were restored by hand," officials said.
"The storm-damaged, clay pipe culverts dating from the 1920s were replaced and enlarged to withstand modern storm systems such as the atmospheric rivers that recently damaged the road. The total estimated cost of the project is $13.7 million."
Reopening to the public
The reopening of the castle, along with its delayed 100th anniversary of construction, will be celebrated with a new tour titled The Julie Morgan Tour.
The tour takes an in-depth look at the life and career of the architect behind the castle, and focuses on "rarely seen areas of Hearst Castle that highlight her gift for design, and photographic displays of architectural drawings, family photos, and personal items," officials said.
Ticket pricing will also change as the castle reopens on May 11. The overall price will now have all fees integrated into one total, and will include a reservation process online.
Tour reservations are strongly recommended, and starting on March 31, reservations can be made online at HearstCastle.org or by calling (800) 444-4445.
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