flickr.com via iancarvell
Despite its ever-changing monikers—over the years, the castle has been called Hearst Castle, La Cuesta Encantada ("The Enchanted Hill"), and The Ranch—the impressive acreage and architectural scale of this property has endured. The 90,000-square-foot estate, the dream and life's project of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, comprises the Mediterranean-style Casa Grande and three guest houses, which sit on a 127-acre landscape complete with gardens, pools, and even a private zoo.