Hearst Castle needs some special events for common folk. Here’s how to do it
The Foundation at Hearst Castle just announced its 2020 lineup of swanky shindigs, and is it just me, or is the San Simeon estate that went from playground of the famous to property of the people starting to sound a bit too elite?
Throughout the Castle’s existence as a state park, administrators have been fiercely protective about how the property is used.
It’s not a place you can reserve for any old party, and special events operate under strict guidelines and limitations.
Nevertheless, the estate is too spectacular to be a simple museum, and in recent years, efforts have been made to make it more accessible.
One notable improvement the state instituted a few years back was changing the tour structure so that guests could stay on the hilltop and wander the gardens unguided after their formal walk-through.
William Randolph Hearst built the Castle as a spot to be enjoyed, so it’s more than fitting that the state find well-regulated ways for people to experience the property as it was intended.
Getting the chance to sit on the patio outside the magnificent Casa Grande offers visitors a small taste at what life was like for those who received the privilege of a Hearst invitation.
The events put on by the foundation cater to that same ambition, but at a level beyond what most of us can swing.
This year, the foundation is hosting four swims in the Neptune Pool, two swims in the Roman Pool, two Dinner and a Movie nights and the annual Twilight on the Terrace event.
All of these events are pricey affairs, with the cheapest tickets starting at $175 a person.
The majority are targeted to foundation members and their friends. Before you can even buy a ticket, you must first join the foundation at a cost of $500 a year.
Then, you can spend another $950 for a swim or $750 for the dinner.
Fortunately for you richies, that tab is largely tax-deductible, because the money you’re shelling out to live like a 1920s Hollywood star goes toward the foundation’s mission, which includes conservation, preservation and bringing more underserved youth to the hilltop.
The most affordable of these activities is Twilight on the Terrace, which has a capacity of 400 people and isn’t limited to foundation members. But even for a couple to attend that event, you’re talking $350.
Which brings me to my point.
Hearst Castle needs more opportunities for the unwashed hordes to enjoy a special event, and that means coming up with occasions that cost less than the price of 15 movie tickets per person.
Fortunately, I have a great suggestion modeled off some other creative deals I’ve seen elsewhere.
The foundation should create a new tier of lower-priced events, with tickets sold to the general public via a lottery.
This could be a great money-maker while creating a more egalitarian experience at the Castle, between the standard $25 tour and the existing events.
Here’s how it would work: Create some number of new occasions, say a couple of swims (which are limited to 20-40 people depending on the pool) and another big sunset terrace activity. Charge $5 to enter the lottery for a chance to buy two $50 tickets for the terrace party or two $100 tickets for the swims.
I bet you’d get a heckuva lot of people willing to take that shot, and it would further achieve the foundation’s goal of opening access while raising money.
This is not an unusual model.
Yosemite National Park uses a lottery to sell last-minute sites in its Camp 4 group campground. You pay $10 to enter the lottery and if you win, you get to stay in the Valley for $6 per person.
Broadway shows also employ this benefit, to open access to people who would not otherwise be able to afford tickets to a world-class production.
One time in New York, we won the chance to buy tickets for two front-row seats to see “Phantom of the Opera” for less than $30 apiece. The kids got those seats while we paid $100 each to sit in the nosebleeds. They left the show raving about what was a once-in-their-short-lifetime experience.
This kind of offering would be a creative way for the Castle to continue widening its reach while opening special experiences to even more people.
Also, while we’re on the subject, Castle administrators should reconsider their decision to cancel the much-loved perk that allowed employees the occasional chance to swim in the Neptune Pool.
For five years, the famous blue pool was dry and barren while work proceeded to fix longtime leaks.
It’s a bad look that as soon as the pool is refilled, the foundation rolls out a menu of luxury events while the state slams the door on its own workers.
So, what do you think, Hearst Castle keepers? Isn’t there room to offer a few events for the hoi polloi?
William Randolph Hearst, who treated his staff well and was not known as an elitist, would probably concur.
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 5:06 AM with the headline "Hearst Castle needs some special events for common folk. Here’s how to do it."
