A Guide to Filoli Historic House and Garden in California
Published June 2021 | Updated November 2023
Filoli Historic House and Garden is one of my favorite places. It feels like you just stepped into a French garden, but you’re still in California! I love it so much that I got a membership so I can visit more often and get special members-only perks.
I’ve visited every season and have experienced all the changes to the gardens and the house each season.
If you’re looking for unique things to do in the Bay Area, look no further! Filoli is the absolute best garden in the Bay Area.
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What is Filoli Gardens?
Filoli Historic House and Gardens, best known as Filoli Gardens, is a large property with an estate and perfectly manicured gardens.
The house on the property was built between 1915-17 for William Bowers Bourn II and his wife, who lived in San Francisco. William was the president of Spring Valley Water Company and the owner of a California gold mine. With these fortunes, he and his wife purchased what is now known as Filoli Historic House and Gardens in Woodside, California.
William P. Roth and Lurline Matson Roth purchased the estate and property after the death of the Bourns in 1936. It’s thanks to them that Filoli has many of the florals it has now — and the pool!
The name “Filoli” comes from the first two letters of each sentence in William Bourn’s principle: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life."
Tickets and Membership
It does cost money to visit Filoli, but it is absolutely worth it!
Ticket prices range depending on the season. The most expensive time to visit is during the winter when the house and gardens are decked out for the holidays.
Prices typically range from about $25-40* per person, depending on the time of year.
Children ages 5-17 are less expensive.
Children under 5 are free!
If you plan to visit often, you can purchase an individual membership, which includes you plus one guest each visit. They also have memberships for seniors and families at discounted rates.
*Always check the website for the most up-to-date information as the prices fluctuate between seasons.
Free Admission at Filoli
Filoli offers free admission through two partner programs:
Museums for All: Get free and reduced admission with a SNAP EBT card. Visit the Museums for All site for more information. You will need to email tickets@filoli.org to reserve your tickets.
Discover and Go: Get free admission if you live in California and are a member of your local public library. Visit the Discover and Go site to see if your library participates in this program and reserve tickets.
Best Time to Visit Filoli
No matter what time of year you visit, Filoli is magical thanks to the employees and volunteers! There is truly not a bad time to visit. Depending on your own preference, you may find some seasons to be more desirable than others. I am partial to spring and summer!
Spring
Spring is by far the most popular season to visit Filoli, which means insane crowds — especially on weekends. It’s peak flower-blooming season, the weather is lovely, and everything just feels right in the world.
There are bright and blooming tulips and daffodils throughout the entire property, the incredible cherry blossom trees are filled with pink blossoms, and there are food trucks parked in the Meadow ready to serve you.
Member Mornings
Filoli offers special member mornings on weekends throughout spring since it can get so crowded.
Member mornings allow members to reserve tickets on weekends that allow you to enter an hour before general admission opening hours. This gives you a full hour to explore the property with other members before every one else arrives!
Summer
Summer at Filoli can be hot, so pack accordingly. My favorite thing about visiting in summer is the rose garden! The roses are all blooming and smell so good.
The daffodils still look bright and happy, there are pots of flowers throughout, and food/drink trucks are in the Meadow. It can get crowded in summer as well, but not as packed as in spring.
Summer Nights
Filoli is open later on Thursday nights throughout the summer and you can visit by reserving the special “Summer Nights” tickets. From 5-8pm, you can explore the garden, grab a bite at a food truck, or grab a drink at the Hummingbird Bar. These tickets must be purchased in advance, even if you are already a member.
Fall
There aren’t as many flowers in fall, but the orchid is open to explore and the roses are still blooming! They also have Orchard Days on weekends where you can learn about the harvest season while you eat and listen to live music.
You will still get some flowers in the fall, plus some fall-related decor like this old pickup truck with hay bales and pumpkins.
Winter
Winter has the least amount of blooms, as expected. They do have camellias blooming throughout the gardens, and there are a ton! The main attraction for winter is the extended nighttime hours for Holidays at Filoli.
Holidays at Filoli/Christmas at Filoli
Holidays at Filoli are special nights throughout the winter season when you can walk through the gardens that have been fully decorated in lights! They have a holiday bar with festive drinks and the mansion is filled with holiday decor. I wrote a full post about Holidays at Filoli because they’re so special!
What to Wear to Filoli
Wondering what to wear to Filoli? There’s a big range of fashion at Filoli. I like to dress up a bit to fit in with the flower-filled gardens and French vibes of the property.
Many people just wear their comfy, everyday clothes though! It’s easy to do lots of walking, so comfy shoes are nice to have (but I managed in short heels on my first visit).
You’ll usually see a few people very dressed up taking photos around the property as well. I always wish I could see what their final photos look like!
If you want to dress up a bit, below are my recommendations:
I also have a post with all my favorite brands to get cute clothes for travel and day trips! Some of the brand on there are perfect for getting cute dresses for a day at Filoli.
Things to Do at Filoli Gardens
Map via Filoli.com
Tour the inside of the house
The house itself is incredibly well maintained on both the inside and outside. You can walk right through the front door and tour the whole first story.
The ballroom with minty blue walls is my favorite room. You can also see many other areas of the house, including a library/study with commissioned portrait sketches by John Singer Sargent! The kitchen is the most perfect vintage-style kitchen, complete with black and white checkered floors.
Each season the house decor gets changed out, with lots of cut flowers in spring, goards in fall, and winter wonderland holiday decor in winter.
Take photos outside of the house
The grand entrance at the front of the house is a beautiful spot for photos. There are blooming flowers on the porch throughout the year and the magnolias bloom in spring!
There are also multiple doors/windows with steps around the back of the house that make for great photo spots. In February, they had pots of paperwhites lining the steps. There is also a terrace area next to the Estate Trail entrance with some sculptures and a stone bench.
Admire the Sunken Garden
The Sunken Garden is a large, rectangle pond situated in front of the clock tower. There are potted flowers lined up along either side and in summer there were clusters of lily pads growing in it. It’s one of the most gorgeous spots on the entire property and can be viewed from either end (but you cannot walk on the grass as it’s roped off).
During spring, it’s filled with flowers blooming along the sides!
Walk through the Garden House
The Garden House is an all-glass l’orangerie, or greenhouse, that unsurprisingly gets beautiful light flooding through it. You can walk through it or hang out at one of the small tables on either side of it next to the brick walls.
Have a picnic in the Meadow
The Meadow is a large grassy area with sets of chairs placed throughout. There are some chairs under the shady trees and some others further out in the field under the sun. You can bring your own food/drinks and have your own picnic!
In spring and summer they have food trucks in the shady area! They didn’t have any in this area in February, but there were multiple groups of people who brought their own food and drinks for a picnic.
Relax by the pool
The incredible mid-century pool, surrounded by grass and rows of yews (the tall trees) looks like it came straight out of a Slim Aaron’s photograph in Palm Springs.
There’s a table at the end of the pool where you can sit and enjoy the views, watch people walking by, and pretend you live there for a few moments.
The pool was added after William Roth had a stroke. He used it for his rehabilitation and his wife had the yews transplanted there for him from other areas of the garden.
Run Through the Yews
There are a few rows of yews on either side of the pool. During my first visit, I ran down the center of two rows and it felt so nice! It also ended up being a perfect spot for some photos.
Since these photos were taken, they have removed the grass from down the center and it is now a nice tanbark. It will look a bit different when you visit!
Stroll through the Rose Garden
When I visited in June, the Rose Garden was in full bloom and one of the most crowded areas on the property!
The rose bushes were just stumps in February (2022) and were still not blooming in April (2023). In October (2023), the roses were in bloom, but there were not as many as summertime.
If you don’t want to miss the rose bloom, visit between May and September.
Visit the High Place
The High Place is at the far end of Filoli Gardens. If you walk the trail next to the Rose Garden, it will lead you through a field up to a grassy area with columns.
In June, the field on either side of the trail is yellow and dry grass, but in early to mid spring it is lush, green, and filled with Daffodils of all different varieties!
You can actually book the High Garden as a wedding venue for a small wedding. It’s a really beautiful spot and I had actually reached out to the coordinator for Filoli when I was planning my wedding because I loved it so much!
Explore the Walled Garden
There are many raised garden beds, which is where the name Walled Garden likely comes from. The plants in the Walled Garden change throughout the season, as most areas of the property do. It was mostly dry in June, but had Daffodils in February and tulips in April!
The Walled Garden also flanks the main pathway and steps through the property. You have beautiful views of grassy steps leading up from a pond in the center.
Climb up the Woodland Garden Court
Find the staircase alongside Woodland Garden Court and climb it to the top. You can stop to take some photos on the steps here!
From here, you can look over the pool and surrounding area. There isn’t a whole lot at the top most of the year, but during Holidays at Filoli it’s filled with tables, heaters, and the holiday bar!
Eat at the Quail Cafe
The cafe at Filoli has a seasonal menu that changes throughout the year. The food is premade and pretty good, but nothing fancy or exceptional. They do have some yummy desserts though! There’s lots of seating both inside and outside. I always opt for outside to sit amongst the lovely gardens while I eat.
What’s Blooming at Filoli?
During my visit in February, I saw tons of paperwhites in pots throughout the entire property, many Daffodils (over a dozen varieties!), the aforementioned magnolias at the front of the house, and gorgeous Camellias (Camellia japonica trees) all over the place in all different colors!
The roses, lavender, peonies, and camellias were all in full bloom in June. You can find both the roses and lavender in the Rose Garden!
The cutting garden blooms for more than half the year, including June! It’s where flowers are specifically grown to be cut for flower arrangements.
Spring is when the majority of flowers are blooming, including tulips, wisteria, camelias, and magnolias! It’s THE time to visit if you’re in search of flowers.
Image via Filoli.com
Hotels Near Filoli
If you’re visiting from far away and want a hotel nearby, the closest areas are Redwood City and Palo Alto. You can use the map below to find hotels nearby through Booking.com!
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