The historic Hearst Castle sits on the hilltop in San Simeon and is a hot spot for tourists. State Park officials are currently looking for tour guides to share the history of the property.
“We hope to welcome community members from the surrounding area and throughout the county to consider working up here at Hearst Castle,” said Robyn Chase, Museum Director.
Deborah Ivy, a tour guide at the castle told KSBY News that she started working there about three years ago.
“I’d been here on a few visits but I didn’t have a huge background in art or history but I like both of those things so I thought it would be a good place to work and learn more about the history of this fabulous estate,” Ivy said.
Ivy added that the training is a collaborative effort with other tour guides. She said that they each write their own script so no tour is the same.
“Everyone is able to then find the bits and pieces of the story that resonate with them and so when we’re telling a story that is of interest to us, it comes across as more authentic,” Ivy said.
Shea Foresti has been a tour guide at Hearst Castle for about a year and says that the first tour was a bit intimidating.
“After I got the first tour done I just started collecting more and more of them," Foresti said. "It’s fun to have different routes that you take to see different parts of the castle everyday.”
Foresti added that every day is different but their favorite tour is the Julia Morgan.
“You have no tour route," Foresti said. "So I like the freedom of being able to piece together my own tour we all walk at our own pace it’s just more time to get to know the estate.”
“You are going to be able to experience a blend of art, architecture, history and beautiful natural settings,” Chase said.
The position is paid - roughly $18 an hour and you can work up to 1,500 hours a year and the deadline is June 25. You can find the application here.
