A Guide to Filoli Historic House and Garden in California
Published June 2021 | Updated March 2025
Filoli Historic House and Garden is a gorgeous estate in the San Francisco Bay Area. It feels like you just stepped into a French garden filled with flowers, trees, and fountains!
It’s my favorite place in the Bay Area and I visit multiple times a year. I’ve visited Filoli every season (almost every month!) and have experienced all the changes to the gardens and the house that happen throughout the year.
If you’re looking for unique things to do in California, look no further! Filoli is the absolute best garden in the Bay Area.
This post contains affiliate links that earn me a commission. For more information, read my disclaimer.
What is Filoli Gardens?
Filoli Historic House and Gardens, best known as Filoli Gardens or Filoi, is a large property with an estate and perfectly manicured gardens. The house and gardens are open to the public year-round and they even host weddings and private events!
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 Holidays at Filoli when the house and gardens are decked out in lights.
Prices typically range from about $25-40* per person, depending on the time of year.
Children ages 5-17 get discounted pricing.
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.
You still need to book a time slot ahead of time as a member, but I’ve never had an issue with reserving my spot since I tend to visit on weekdays. Weekends can get booked up more quickly.
*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 wonderful employees and volunteers! There is truly not a bad time to visit. It’s a lovely visit even on gray, rainy days or sweltering summer weekends.
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 time to visit Filoli, which means insane crowds — especially on weekends. Even weekdays can get surprisingly crowded in spring.
It’s peak flower-blooming season, the weather is lovely, and the gardens have a peaceful, cheery atmosphere.
There are bright blooming tulips and daffodils throughout the entire property, the incredible cherry blossom trees are filled with pink blossoms, and there are food/drink stands in the Meadow ready to serve you.
Spring at Filoli is from March to May, though late April tends to be when the flowers are blooming the most! March has gorgeous tulips, daffodils, and camellias, while the Magnolia trees and wisteria are in full bloom by April and May.
The roses also begin to bloom in April but aren’t in full bloom until May or June.
Member Mornings
Filoli offers special member mornings on weekends throughout spring since it gets crowded.
Member mornings allow members to reserve tickets on weekends for entry one hour before general admission opening hours. This gives you a full hour to explore the property with other members before everyone else arrives!
Spring Events
The garden comes alive in spring and with that brings more floral-focused events!
Create your own floral bouquet to take home at a Spring Floral Party, indulge in high tea, take a watercolor class in the garden, or attend a lecture led by knowledgeable staff.
The events change each year as the Filoli team is constantly innovating and improving its offerings. It’s impressive to see how many new events they’ve created and added over the years!
Summer
Summer at Filoli can be hot — pack and dress accordingly! The Bay Area can reach 100ºF+ temperatures and dressing in lightweight clothing, drinking plenty of water, and wearing sun protection while visiting Filoli on a hot day is important.
My favorite thing about visiting in summer is the rose garden! June is when all the roses are blooming and the entire rose garden is filled with their sweet scent.
The daffodils still look bright and happy, there are potted flowers placed throughout the property, and food/drink trucks are typically available 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 get a drink at the Hummingbird Bar.
These tickets must be purchased in advance, even if you are already a member.
Pride Month
Filoli is LGBTQIA+-friendly and proudly celebrates the community for Pride Month in June! You’ll find rainbow decor around the gardens and house, special events like live Drag performances, and other fun celebrations.
Trolls at Filoli
Starting June 7, 2025, six giant troll sculptures created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo will settle into the Natural Lands at Filoli.
There’s a one-mile trail that goes through the Natural Lands, which is the forested area behind Filoli Historic House and Gardens but is still part of the estate. The trolls will be placed throughout the Natural Lands, waiting to be discovered as guests walk the California trail among the Redwoods.
Fall
There aren’t as many flowers in fall, but the fruit orchard is open to explore and the roses are still in bloom! 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.
Halloween at Filoli
Filoli put on a big event for Halloween for the first time in 2024 called Nightfall at Filoli. It featured massive jack-o-lanterns in the meadow, the house lit only by candlelight, and a spooky bar with festive treats and drinks.
The event was such a hit it sold out for the season! If you want to experience Nightfall at Filoli, be sure to book your tickets as early as possible.
Photos above via Filoli.org
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 at Filoli in winter is the extended evening hours for their special event, Holidays at Filoli.
Holidays at Filoli/Christmas at Filoli
Holidays at Filoli is a daily/nightly event throughout December/January when the house and gardens are fully decorated for the festive season with holiday lights!
They have a holiday bar with festive drinks and the house is filled with holiday cheer. I wrote a full guide 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 as you meander through the property, so comfy shoes are nice to have but not necessary — I managed it in short heels the first time I visited.
You’ll usually see a few people very dressed up taking photos around the property as well, especially in spring. If you want to take photos, be sure to read their photo policy first!
Note: Filoli allows professional photography shoots, as long as you don’t impede pathways or other guests, don’t have outfit changes or props, etc. Their photo policy is generous compared to other similar types of places.
Other posts you might like:
Things to Do at Filoli Gardens
Map via Filoli.com
Tour the inside of the house
The house is incredibly well maintained both inside and outside. You can walk right through the front door and tour the whole ground floor.
The ballroom with minty blue walls is my favorite room and the lovely wooden floors were restored in 2024 to their original look.
You can also explore many other areas of the house, including a library/study, dining room, living rooms, and the kitchen! The kitchen is a classic vintage style 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 holiday decor in winter. Furniture and decor are constantly changing and are in different places every time I visit — even just a few weeks apart!
Take photos outside of the house
The grand entrance at the front of the house is a beautiful spot for photos. There are cut flowers in pots on the porch throughout the year and the magnolias and wisteria bloom in spring!
There are also multiple doors/windows with steps around the back of the house that are nice photo spots. These doorways often have potted flowers lining the steps!
Admire the Sunken Garden
The Sunken Garden is a large, rectangular pond in front of the clock tower. 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).
Potted flowers typically line either side of the pond in spring and clusters of lily pads grow in it during the summer. It’s pleasing to see it change throughout the year.
Below you can see how different it looks throughout the year with different flowers, plants, and weather!
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 just walk through it or hang out at one of the small tables on either side of it next to the brick walls or on the peacock chair inside. Like everywhere else at Filoli, the things in and around the Garden House get moved around so the chairs may not be there when you visit.
This area is sometimes closed during weddings and special events.
Have a picnic in the Meadow
The Meadow is a large grassy area and usually has sets of chairs placed throughout it and under the nearby shady trees. You can bring your own food/drinks or get some from the food trucks/stands (in spring and summer) and have a picnic in The Meadow.
People often bring their own food and hang out on the chairs in this area. In fall they have pumpkins, gourds, and a vintage truck for photo ops near the trees at the start of The Meadow.
Relax by the pool
The stunning mid-century pool, surrounded by grass and rows of yews (the tall trees), looks like it came straight out of a Slim Aaron’s photo 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 and he used it for his rehabilitation. Lurline Matson Roth, his wife, had the yews transplanted there for him from other areas of the garden.
Run Through the Yews
During my first visit to Filoli, I ran down the center of two rows of yews and it felt so freeing! 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 are just stumps from January through March and typically aren’t in full bloom until the end of May. They have a long blooming season and can often still be enjoyed into November!
If you want to see the roses at their best, 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 summer, 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 venue for a small wedding. It’s a really beautiful spot and I had actually reached out to the coordinator for Filoli about booking it when I was planning my wedding because I loved it so much!
Explore the Walled Garden
There are many raised garden beds in the Walled Garden, which is likely where the name comes from. The plants in the Walled Garden change throughout the season, as most areas of the property do.
It’s mostly dry and bare in summer, but I have seen Marigolds in the garden beds in June! Throughout the rest of the year, the walled garden has Impatiens in fall, Daffodils in winter, and tulips in spring!
The Walled Garden also flanks the main pathway and steps through the property. You get beautiful views of grassy steps leading up from a pond at the top of the Walled Garden.
Climb up to Woodland Garden Court
Find the staircase to Woodland Garden Court and climb it to the top. You can stop to take some photos on the steps here, as long as you aren’t blocking other people!
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 just okay for the most part. I would recommend having lunch somewhere else, but it’s fine for a drink and a snack.
There’s lots of seating both inside and outside with lovely decor that makes it feel like an elegant greenhouse. I usually opt to sit at the tables outside among the trees and plants.
What’s Blooming at Filoli?
Image via Filoli.com
In late winter and early spring, there are typically paperwhites in pots, Daffodils (over a dozen varieties!), tulips, and gorgeous Camellias (Camellia japonica trees) all over the place in all different colors!
Early to mid-spring is the best time to see flowers at Filoli! The magnolia trees, wisteria, peonies, wildflowers, and irises are all in bloom, along with Daffodils, tulips, and camellias.
The roses and lavender are in full bloom by June and throughout summer, both of which you can find in the Rose Garden.
The cutting garden, where flowers are specifically grown to be cut for flower arrangements, blooms for more than half the year! Attend one of their botanical workshops to create your own bouquet from their cutting garden.
I try and take a photo (with me in it) each time I visit Filoli and below are a few of those throughout the different months. My goal is to have one for each month!
More California Posts You Might Like
Pin it For Later
