Are the partitions closing in on a historic California Castle?
Central California’s Hearst Castle in San Simeon, once a main money cow in the state’s park system, has seen plummeting customer numbers in latest years. Tourists are skipping the $35 ticket to the lavish property and driving through the standard coastal route that runs proper previous its door.
What’s to blame? Officials are citing several excuses, from climate to street closures to fuel costs.
Central California’s Hearst Castle is struggling to entice guests. Getty Images
The Mediterranean Revival citadel was constructed between 1919 and 1947 by publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst.
The Palace once attracted 700,000 to 800,000 guests yearly. Its picturesque grounds have been the backdrop of movies like 1960’s “Spartacus” and Lady Gaga’s 2014 music video for “G.U.Y.”
But now, California State Parks officers say the citadel’s last “normal” 12 months was 2019, just before the pandemic.
Like many other points of interest, the attraction shut down in 2020 when the pandemic was in full swing. But It did not reopen to the public until two years later in the spring 2022 due to street repairs.
Access to the citadel was impacted by the closure of a 90-mile stretch of Highway 1 close to Big Sur, which was shut down from January 2023 to January 2026 due to landslides. The street closed again in August and September of this 12 months due to the Plaskett Fire.
At its peak, the historic citadel attracted up to 800,000 guests yearly. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The quantity of guests to the citadel has been fledgeling since its opening. During the 2024 busy season, 178,181 individuals visited the citadel, SFGATE reported. The next 12 months, that quantity fell to 162,758.
Traffic elevated barely this 12 months to 168,133 guests, but it was still a far cry from 2019’s 274,025.
“There are a number of impacts that can relate to overall attendance,” Dan Falat, district superintendent for California State Parks’ San Luis Obispo Coast District, advised SFGATE.
“Highway 1 [closure] comes into play. Overall tourism comes into play. We were closed for over two years, and yes, things have changed … Changes with international travelers. Domestic travel [patterns are] different. Gas prices. It’s hard to put all factors into one reason.”
The iconic citadel was featured in movies including 1960’s “Spartacus” and Lady Gaga’s 2014 music video for “G.U.Y.” Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Officials said street closures, fuel costs, and tourism traits have impacted the citadel’s declining foot visitors. The Washington Post via Getty Images
The citadel has launched new excursions in an try to entice more friends. Getty Images
State Parks has launched new excursions in hopes of reviving curiosity in the citadel, including one focusing on architect Julia Morgan, who designed the citadel.
The whole space is dealing with a tourism hunch, some say. Luis Gonzalez, who’s lived in San Simeon since 1989 and works in lodge administration, advised SFGATE that tourism to the space is in the worst state he’s seen it.
“The worst years in San Simeon since I lived here is after COVID,” Gonzalez said. “COVID, then after COVID, the castle was closed because they had to do repairs to the road for a year. After they opened everything, we’re doing good. COVID to 2025, it was bad, a lot of business closed, there’s no business. It was hard.”
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