Grand makeover for Hearst Castle visitor center

William Randolph Hearst never did anything small. Witness the late publisher’s sprawling estate in San Simeon, Calif., which draws nearly 2,000 admirers on an average day.

But until recently, the gateway to Hearst Castle, where visitors board shuttles for a five-mile ride up to La Cuesta Encantada (“The Enchanted Hill”), was anything but grand. Think “bus terminal.”

That’s all changing, thanks to a $4-million makeover of the visitor center by the state park’s concessionaire.

“We tried to bring some of the castle into the visitor center,” said Jody Bell, general manager for Aramark Hearst Castle.

Although the new facilities won’t make their official debut until June 2, most are already finished.

Among the changes:

New facade: Matching the castle’s style, the facade is now Mediterranean Revival, with a wood-and-tile roof overhang.

Weatherproofing: Once a three-building complex, the visitor center is now one structure under a single roof. It’s “more open, airy,” Bell said. And you don’t have to stand in the rain.

Trellises: Reminiscent of those on the estate’s grounds, these are also in Mediterranean style.

Remodeled gift shop: Additions include a video wall showing films about Hearst history and a mahogany-lined bookstore modeled after the castle’s elegant library.

Outdoor garden: This area, outside the gift shop, displays garden art and sells live plants such as Mediterranean fan palms and red trumpet vines that grace the Hearst grounds.

Updated menu: The food court’s offerings have been freshened to include paninis and other items. You may also buy frozen, organic beef from the estate’s grass-fed cattle and ship it home.

The visitor center has been open throughout the remodeling, which began last fall, but the gift shop, food service and other facilities were shifted to temporary areas, Bell said.

All the new facilities are now open, except the food court, which opens June 2, she added.

In other news at the castle, the giant Neptune Pool outside Casa del Sol, where stars from Hollywood’s golden era partied and lounged, was refilled with 345,000 gallons of water last week after several months of renovations.