Hearst Castle

With the country and world opening up post Covid, many will be looking to take to the road this Spring and Summer.

One destination that should be high on your list if you’re touring the U.S.: Heart Castle.

The historic site is re-opening after being closed due to “severe” damage from rainstorms in 2021. On May 11, 2022 visitors will once again be able to tour the iconic grounds and interior spaces.

“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 news release. “We are confident that these once-in-a-lifetime repairs and improvements to the road facility will serve countless generations to come.”

Per the San Francisco Chronicle the renovations cost $13.7 million and took 10 months to complete.

Heart Castle was conceived in 1919 by publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Construction was completed in 1947. When Hearst died in 1957 his family “gave the castle and many of its contents to the State of California” (Wikipedia). The location was famously satirized in the Orson Welles film Citizen Kane (1941).

You can read more about the various renovation and repair projects on the Hearst Castle website.

Happy trails!

Contributor to Stark Insider for tech, the arts and All Things West Coast for over 10 years.