thndrstm

I have posted this question under another heading, but no direct responses. I am going with wife and 3 sons(10, 19, 19) with no particular interest in architecture or art. Its kind of expensive but its on the route we are taking.

Jun20

The two swimming pools are included with all the tours, and tours 2-3-4 are a little less expensive. The pools, and the view is worth the trip. It is quite a beautiful sight to see, the views, the furniture and the lifestyle at that time...I think you would regret to have passed it by.
www.hearstcastle.org

loangalsal

It would be a shame to miss something so awesome if you are going to be in the area. We loved it, as did our daughter who was 9 at the time. Enjoy!

richbutnot

We drove past it two years ago but skipped the tour. Personally, I didn't want to see how a billionaire squandered (IMO) his money. But to each his own. An alternative for beautiful gardens, art and architecture is the Getty Museum in LA. My kids were 8 and 11 at the time and enjoyed it. The museum is free, but it is $5 to park and you need reservations.

Rich

massteacher

Hearst Castle is magnificent and not to be missed. There is so much to see that it is visually overwhelming. The swimming pools alone are worth the trip. The anecdotal information provided by the guide is also interesting. GO!!!!

moneygirl

It's true, Hearst Castle is amazing, but if your family has no real interest in it, I'd say spend your time at the beach! Depending of the time of year, whale watching is incredible and there are usually lots of seals that are very entertaining to watch. I can't imagine that your boys would like Hearst Castle..it's very stuffy and sedate.

soccr

Do they still have a bathroom tour? I would think 3 sons could find that intriguing.

RLA

I have to disagree with moneygirl. Stuffy? Sedate? Sorry, perhaps you totally missed the point.

No matter what your age, interest, and level of education, you will be so glad you stopped. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought it was a waste of time.

babette

There is a fabulous tour guide there named Judy who does this wonderful tour where you imagine that you are arriving for a party at the castle as a guest of William Randolph Hearst. Magnificent!

Kallie

If you've been to Europe and seen the "real thing," I think Hearst Castle will be disappointing. But, it could be that you need to see it once in your lifetime and judge for yourself!

Cassandra

(See the other thread someone topped for you.)

The bathroom tour is long gone. They take themselves WAY too seriously for that now.

Your boys will take their cue from you, thndrstm, and it sounds like you don't want particularly to go.

If one has "no particular interest in architecture and art," there are still reasons to visit, but it helps a lot to know who Hearst was and about the appalling excesses and in some cases near-thefts that went into this place. The tour guides won't, of course, put it that way -- they'll just point out that this piece came from that place in Europe, etc. Nor will they point out that Hearst's taste was so incredibly weird that he put the strangest things together -- Tyrolean with ancient Greek -- just because he liked the stage it set for himself and his guests.

If it were my kids, I would give them a little background on Hearst and put it into context, comparing his guests maybe with some celebrities of today. (A great parallel is this place with Michael Jackson's Neverland.) Then I would suggest they choose which room they would most like to live in, which bathroom they think is the most amazing, which thing is the ugliest, which the most awesome (I'll bet they'll like the pools). In sum, I find the whole place NOT a great architectural classic monument but a big, elaborate hoot!

But if you would consider going there a chore, they will for sure, and it wouldn't really be worth the detour.

xaimimgr

How could " richbutnot" drive past it two years ago, but not take the tour. The castle is up a huge hill and you have to take a tour bus up. You can't drive "past it". Now, maybe in the last 5 years they have opened a road, but I doubt it.
I and my two grandchilden ages 12 & 9 enjoyed it. Pools were awesome.

moneygirl

I know RLA, I know... I was just trying to look at it from a teenage boys point of view. It seemed to me like thndrstm had no enthusiasm for going and I was trying to be realistic!

jason888

So many suggestions! So little time!

If you want to see how the rich in America spent their money, then go to Hearst Castle, the Getty Museum, Stanford University, etc. etc. in California. After all, are we not going to see how the rich people in Europe spent their money when we visit the castles, palaces, museums over there?

But that's not the point is it?

I don't know what a visit to Hearst Castle will do for your boys - maybe it'll inspire one to make lots of money and build a castle of his own, or maybe another child will be inspired to serve the poor seeing how the rich squander their riches - but to drive along the Central Coast of California and not visit Hearst Castle - never!

As someone has posted, your children should know a bit of the history of Hearst and of that region. After all, if I'm not mistaken, the Hearsts still have huge land holdings in that area. And the quirky way in which the castle was built can be interesting in itself.

Go and have a great time! Better Hearst Castle than Venice Beach for the kids!

Just my opinion!

richbutnot

By "driving past it" I meant on Rt 1.

dg

rich -
most of us knew that's what you meant...

dg

thndrstm -
as previous posters have mentioned, i would suggest you do a little research on the topic, let the boys look it over, and then decide. i personally tend to agree with moneygirl and rich... as a teenager, i would have rather spent time on the beach, and as a 50 yr. old, i still chose to spend my time on a beach tidepooling(June '03). we did rich's 'drive-by', stopped at the visitor's center, looked up the hill, and that was enough for me. BUT i am so much more into the natural beauty of the area...
you know your kids - visit with them and then decide.
d

Jenn

All I can add is that my 12 yrs old son
loved our visit. He still talks about
it a year later. It is a great, fun way to show your children a part of California history. Not at all stuffy !

JennyL

I agree, if you're passing by, you should check it out, especially if you're not likely to be in the area for a long time. I found it more interesting historically than anything else. It's like Graceland or some of the Newport, RI mansions- completely gaudy but interesting in how the very rich chose to spend their money. I've heard the night tours are the best, but haven't done one myself. I'd also recommend watching Citizen Kane or Cat's Meow (with Kirsten Dunst, whom your kids might recognize from Spiderman)- both of these are loosely based on Hearst's life and would give a little of his history in an entertaining manner.

kkj

I guess I was lucky. My parents raised us to believe in opening our minds through the world of travel. This is a great opportunity to show your kids a piece of history. I find it sad to believe that a 19 year-old has no interest whatsoever in this. Why not take time to enrich your mind instead of always going to resorts and Disneyland.

Have your children read up on Hearst. Let them find out about his power and influence (both good and bad) in journalism. Teach them about yellow journalism. Heck even get them to understand the excess with which he lived.

Hearst Castle is unbelievable and shouldn't be missed.