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Built on the rugged Pacific coast of central California at San Simeon, Hearst Castle sits on 270,000 acres (1093 sq.km.) at an elevation of 1600 feet (488m). It consists of the main house (Casa Grande), three guest houses, outdoor and indoor Roman Pools, and a tennis court, all on 127 acres of gardens, terraces, and walkways.

Casa Grande is large, with 115 rooms including 38 bedrooms and 41 bathrooms in 60,645 square feet of space. The three separate guest houses average 3600 sq.ft. and six bedrooms each.

Construction was started in the 1920s by William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), who owned one of the largest communication companies in the world, which included up to 35 newspapers and 16 magazines (Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping), and produced more than 100 films. The film "Citizen Kane" is based on his life.

Guests to the estate included Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Lionel and John Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Gary Cooper, Erroll Flynn, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, David Niven, and Howard Hughes.

In 1957, the Hearst Corporation gave the Castle to the state of California to create a State Historical Monument, which is open to the public.