Hearst Castle, which closed during the pandemic and then stayed closed after stormwaters forced major road repairs, will reopen May 11, with slightly lowered admission prices.
The move is sure to please travelers planning spring and summer road trips but may mean even more to state parks officials, concessionaires and businesses in San Simeon and nearby Cambria, which have relied on spending by legions of castle-bound visitors since the state park system acquired the mansion from the Hearst family and opened it to the public in 1957.
Rangers have counted up to 860,000 visitors yearly to the ornate site, where at least nine different tours are offered. Park revenues in 2019 amounted to $16.2 million, superintendent Dan Falat said.
