Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle is the opulent estate built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst atop "The Enchanted Hill" overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Construction began in 1919 and continued for 28 years, resulting in 165 rooms filled with art and antiquities. The estate hosted legendary parties for Hollywood's elite during the 1920s-40s. The mysterious death of film producer Thomas Ince during a 1924 cruise hosted by Hearst has fueled speculation for a century.

Hearst Castle, formally known as La Cuesta Encantada ("The Enchanted Hill"), rises above San Simeon on California's Central Coast. Built between 1919 and 1947 by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan, this opulent 165-room estate hosted the greatest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, and Marion Davies—Hearst's longtime mistress—all walked these halls during the Roaring Twenties.

The castle's grandeur attracted the elite, but so did tragedy. The mysterious death of film producer Thomas Ince aboard Hearst's yacht in 1924 spawned rumors and conspiracy theories that have never been fully resolved. Some believe Ince's spirit, and those of other guests who met untimely ends in Hearst's circle, have attached themselves to the castle.

Caretakers have heard splashing in the Neptune Pool during evening hours when no one is around. The unmistakable sounds of a party—shuffling feet, laughter, conversation, and music playing—drift through the castle late at night. When caretakers investigate and turn on the lights, the sounds stop abruptly, as if the ghostly revelers have simply stepped back through time.

Visitor Lester Shaw had a particularly striking experience when he heard "Moonlight Serenade" by Glenn Miller echoing through the castle. When he asked the tour guide about the music, the guide heard nothing—yet two other people in the tour group confirmed they heard the same song while others did not.

The apparition of a mysterious woman, believed to be Marion Davies herself, has been spotted wandering the grounds. Davies was Hearst's companion for decades, and the castle served as their home until Hearst's failing health forced them to leave for the last time in May 1947. He died in Los Angeles in 1951.

Staff and tour guides reportedly refuse to discuss the castle's ghosts, though paranormal investigators who have conducted investigations claim to have captured EVP recordings of disembodied voices and recorded anomalous EMF readings in certain areas. The enchanted hill, it seems, remains enchanted in more ways than Hearst could have imagined.