Hearst Castle Large State Buildings Square Involved Visitors

Hearst Castle is a "mansion" (a large home for very rich people) on the California "coast" (land next to the ocean). Its construction began in 1919 and lasted almost 30 years. It was built for William Randolph Hearst, a newspaper "magnate" (leading businessman) but after his death it was donated to the State of California, which "maintains it" (keeps it in good condition) as a state historic park.

The mansion has 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 "sitting rooms" (living rooms), "extensive" (very large, covering a large area) gardens, tennis courts, swimming pools, a movie theater, and the largest "private" (owned by an individual or family, not by a government) zoo in the world. The buildings cover more than 90,000 square feet (8,300 square meters) and have a lot of European "ornamentation" (decoration).

During the 1920s and 1930s, many politicians and the "Hollywood elite" (famous people involved in the American entertainment industry) "coveted" (strongly wanted to have) invitations to Hearst Castle. Visitors included actor Charlie Chaplin, "aviator" (pilot) Charles Lindbergh, and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, among others.

Today, the Hearst family is still allowed to use the property, but they "primarily" (mostly) use just one home. Visitors can go on many different tours of the rest of the castle "grounds" (the buildings and the land surrounding them), paying 12 to 30 dollars per ticket. Tourists go there to admire the "skill" (technical expertise and ability) involved in designing and constructing the buildings, as well as the "fabulous" (very impressive) art collections found in and around the castle buildings.