Begun in 1919, this princely estate situated on La Cuesta Encantada near San Simeon was to be a permanent family residence, a place of retreat, and a showcase for the many art treasures amassed by William Randolf Hearst. With the assistance of architect Julia Morgan, a protege of his mother and graduate of the Paris School of Beaux Arts, Hearst constructed a cluster of buildings that includes the magnificent Hispano-Moresque mansion, La Casa Grande. Hearst expanded the mansion steadily in order to display his ever-growing collection of priceless artifacts. - NPS

La Cuesta Encantada, "The Enchanted Hill" high above the ocean at San Simeon, was the creation of two extraordinary individuals, William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Their collaboration, which began in 1919 and continued for nearly 30 years, transformed an informal hilltop campsite into the world-famous Hearst Castle - a magnificent 115-room main house plus guesthouses, pools, and 8 acres of cultivated gardens. The main house itself, "La Casa Grande" is a grand setting for Hearst's collection of European antiques and art pieces. It was also a most fitting site for hosting the many influential guests who stayed at Hearst's San Simeon ranch. Guests included President Calvin Coolidge, Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Charles Lindbergh, Charlie Chaplin and a diverse array of luminaries from show business and publishing industries. - Ca State Parks