sssteve

Is hearst castle an entertaining place for 11-12 year olds??

Swartz

Kids that age may find it to be somewhat boring. They probably would appreciate it more when they are older.

janis

That's really unanswerable - it entirely depends on the child.

The first time I went to San Simeon I was about 13 and really loved it - back then there was only one tour and the two swimming pools, the guest houses (each bigger then our home), the Great Hall and stories about movie stars, paper napkins and ketchup bottles are what stuck with me for decades.

My younger brother on the other hand was interested in the sarcophagi, stories about the private zoo, the views and not much else.

in the last 30 years I have taken kids as young as 8 - some like it and get a lot out of it and others are bored silly.

Would they enjoy things like a major museum or Biltmore?? Then yes. You know your children better than strangers on this forum - you decide.

ellen_griswold

Hmm.... is 'entertaining' the word you want to use?

IMO, much of traveling means exposing yourself (and our children) to new ideas, cultures, history etc. Learning something new, expanding your mind can be enriching while also entertaining.

I think your kids are the perfect ages for Hearst Castle. If YOU think it's interesting, THEY will think its interesting. If you give them the idea BEFOREhand, that they may NOT find it interesting, they won't! In Hearst Castle, or anywhere else, find aspects of the site/ attraction / trip that THEY can relate to, and then POINT them out. Actually verbalize WHY its so interesting/ important/ relative to their lives, etc, whatever the case may be.

I first saw Hearst Castle when i was 6-7 and was totally impressed (maybe because MY parents were?!) So much so that it was at the top of the list of things i wanted my children to see. They first saw it at ages 13 & 10, LOVED it, so we made a return visit two years later.

Besides that, what 11-12 y/o
would NOT be impressed with the BIG BUCKS that they'll see at Hearst??!

sssteve

Thanks for the input.

irishdame

When I was 13 I had the chance to see Hearst Castle with my Mom, but chose to do something else wtih my Dad and brothers that day. I still can't remember what I did with Dad, but will remember forever the way my Mom described the grounds and mansions when she returned. She had taken out a pen and an old receipt to jot down all that she saw because she wanted to remember everything to tell us. I've forever since regretted that I didn't go with her that day.

curmudgeon

Hearst castle is one of those places that bring out different responses in people. As a kid, it was one of those school field trip destinations, so over the years I was there several times. I've never bothered to take my kids there, though we get down to SLO several times a year. My daughter who is graduating from Cal Poly soon says she really ought to see it before she leaves the area. Maybe because I'm not much of a movie fan, the whole Hearst/movie star etc thing never resonated much with me.

loangalsal

My daughter was 9 when she saw it and she loved it. Took the general tour, it wasn't that long. We also watched that movie they have about it being built. Kids are not allowed to run around unsupervised, so if they are the "uncontainable" type of children, they won't like it and you will be miserable trying to control them. It is awe inspiring for any age, I think. She loved the pools and the view the most.

audra

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