Imagine taking a dip in one of Hearst Castle’s ornate pools on a warm summer evening. The historic swimming pools at the famously opulent private residence built by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst will open for pool parties on selected evenings — with a $1,250-per-person ticket price.

The pools have been among the most photographed parts of the 165-room mansion designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947.

The Neptune Pool, famous for its sweeping colonnades and Italian relief sculptures, will be open 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 6, Aug. 3 and 24, and Sept. 21. It’s 104 feet long, and more than 3 feet at the shallow end and 10 feet at the deep end. It was drained in 2014 to fix cracks and refilled in 2018 in a project that cost $10 million.

Pool parties are limited to 40 guests.

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