The Holidays at Filoli Historic House and Garden
Filoli Historic House and Garden is one of my favorite places in the Bay Area. It’s a gorgeous estate with well-cared-for gardens that you can buy tickets to take a self-tour.
If you want to learn more about Filoli year-round, read my Guide to Filoli Historic House and Garden.
During the holidays, Filoli is decked out in lights and open late for optimal light-viewing. Plus, they have an adorable outdoor Holiday Bar for warm seasonal drinks.
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Getting Tickets to Holidays at Filoli
The Holidays at Filoli tickets sell out in advance, especially on weekends. It’s best to book them as soon as possible if you want to go! You will have a much better chance of getting tickets on a weekday.
Visit the Filoli website to book your tickets. Even if you’re a member, you must purchase tickets for Holidays at Filoli and pick a time slot (but you do get a discount!)
They have the Holidays at Filoli daytime tickets for entry at 10am, but you must leave by 3:30pm. The evening holiday ticket entry times are 4pm, 5:30pm, and 7pm, and Filoli closes at 9pm.
I’ve gone a couple of times at the 5:30pm slot and that was great! We left by 8:30pm and felt like we had seen everything.
I’ve also gone during the 4pm time slot and that was even better because we got to see the garden while it was still somewhat light out and once it got dark — best of both worlds!
Things to Do During Holidays at Filoli
Filoli during the holiday season is a completely unique experience from the usual daytime tours outside of the holiday season.
For one, it’s completely dark outside by 5pm so the focus is fully on the lights strung throughout the garden. Beyond that, there is so much holiday cheer and magic in the house and garden!
It’s really a perfect Bay Area holiday activity.
Tour the Filoli Historic House
While the flowers and plants aren’t as visible during the evening, the house is fully decked out in holiday decor with at least one Christmas tree in every room.
The holiday decor is absolutely magical and gives you a sense of what Christmas was actually like for the families that used to live at Filoli when it was a private estate.
You can expect completely different decorations each year! The house is not only regularly rearranged and decorated differently throughout the year, but it’s not even the same from one year to the next.
The holiday decor in the house has been completely different every time I’ve visited!
Get Drinks at the Holiday Bar
I am a huge fan of mulled wine, and especially love being able to drink it while surrounded by holiday cheer! The Filoli Holiday Bar is located in the Woodland Court, which is the rooftop of a building in the garden.
Just take the stairs up and you’ll find tons of Christmas lights, firepits, heaters and tables, a holiday bar, and a coffee bar.
There are usually lots of people both hanging out at Woodland Court (when it’s not raining) and walking around with their hot drinks as they stroll through the garden.
The setup in this area changes yearly — some years they’ve had heaters and fire pits, while other years they just had fire pits.
There are also a few private fire pits in mini chalets that you can pay to rent.
Relax by the Fire Pits
Once you get some mulled wine or hot chocolate (or other warm drink of choice), grab a standing table or sit by a free fire pit for a while, admire the lights, sip your holiday drink, and get nice and warm.
If you want to do something really special, you can book a private fire pit for your group and have access to your very own private Holiday Bar.
Walk Through the Garden
The garden at Filoli is the best part and I love how it changes seasonally. Since you can usually only visit Filoli during the daytime, being at Filoli after dark is a unique experience!
The garden is meticulously decorated with Christmas lights, light globes, and an incredible light tunnel (perfect for photos!). You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring the garden.
With the timed tickets, it never gets too crowded so it’s easy to enjoy a relaxing walk through the garden.
Grab a Bite at Quail Café
The Quail Café has decent food and drinks that you can eat there or take to-go. It closes at 8:30pm, so keep that in mind if you were planning to grab something on your way out at 9pm.
Alternatively, you can bring your own food and have a picnic in the designated picnic area!
What to Wear for Holidays at Filoli
It gets chilly outside as you walk around the garden! I’m always happy when I’m bundled up with a sweater, coat, and earmuffs/a warm hat.
If there’s rain in the forecast, I recommend a clear umbrella so you can still see all the lights and decor while shielding yourself from the rain.
Some people dress up a bit fancier for visits to Filoli. If that sounds like something you want to do, do it! You’ll look like you fit right in.
Other people dress more comfy in leggings, sweaters, and coats. There’s no required dress code so you can dress as fancy or casual as you want!
Here’s what I recommend bringing:
Comfortable walking shoes or boots
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