The Holiday Twilight Tours at Hearst Castle are kicking off and Museum Director Cara O’Brien says the tours tend to fill up quickly, with just over 13,000 tickets available.
“They’ll be Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The week before and of Christmas we run them all week long,” O’Brien said.
The decorating process started on November 1.
“It takes them about two and a half weeks. They have it down to an art,” O’Brien said.
She explains that William Randolph Hearst enjoyed the holidays and was known for being generous to his guests and workers.
“One of the gifts he would give them is five-pound boxes of See’s candy,” O’Brien said.
She says those who tour the castle during the holidays are like children on Christmas morning.
“They are blown away by the size of the trees that William Randolph Hearst would have had and by the presents, being able to see the historic era toys,” O’Brien said.
“There were two big Christmas trees in the living room. A lot of lights on the trees and toys under it. It was pretty grand,” said Sethu Ravichandran, San Diego resident.
Even areas outside of the castle are decorated for Christmas.
“In Hearst's time period, he planted over 500,000 to 700,000 annuals and would switch out color four times a year. We like to keep that tradition alive,” said Shannon Melendy, park landscape maintenance technician. “This will complement the holiday décor inside with the holiday trees and poinsettias.”
The Holiday Twilight Tours start Friday and run through December 30.
