Visit Filoli Gardens A Bay Area Treasure & Historic Landmark
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Filoli at a Glance
The first time I visited Filoli Gardens I was absolutely in love, with the fragrance in the air, the overwhelming beauty of the flowers and awe inspiring architecture. The size of this historical estate makes it somewhat magical, just waiting to be explored. You can learn about this Bay Area Treasure yourself with a visit to Filoli Gardens and Country Estate. At Filoli you can explore 16 acres of formal gardens surrounded by a 654 acre estate. In 1975 the estate was donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Located 30 miles south of San Francisco,in Woodside, California, Filoli is one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century. Whether enjoying its beauty or pursuing its educational opportunities, there is never a lack of things to do, whether you enjoy art, music, flowers or a simple afternoon tea with friends, Filoli is a special treat that you will not soon forget! Because of its regal backdrop,Filoli was used in the television series Dynasty, along with the movies, Heaven Can Wait, The Game, The Wedding Planner, The Joy Luck Club and George of the Jungle.
Planning your Visit
Admission to Filoli allows visitors to explore the House and Garden at their leisure. Maps and brochures are available and docents are available throughout to answer questions. There is also a 15 minute video on the history of Filoli that runs continuously in the Visitor and Education Center.
In addition there are guided and seasonal tours to help make Filoli a memorial experience. There is no way you can fit it all in otherwise so I do suggest booking a tour. Filoli’s nature preserve has over seven miles of trails crisscrossing six different types of native California habitats. You can join experienced Nature Education docents on a guided 2 hour hike along some of these well-maintained trails. Experience the beauty and tranquility of our nature preserve while learning about the natural environment and the wildlife that makes Filoli their home.These tours are free with the price of admission but may require advance reservation.
To make reservations contact Visitor Services by email to tours@filoli.org or by phone to (650) 364-8300, extension 507.
Admission
Members are free
Non Members $15 for Adults
Non Members $12 for Seniors (65 & older)
Non Members $5 for Students
Non Members Free for Children (4 & under)
Hours
Tuesday - Saturday
10:30am - 3:30pm (last admission at 2:30pm)
Sunday
11:00am - 3:30pm
Closed all Mondays and Federal Holidays
2011 Event Calander
When
| What
| Who
|
|---|---|---|
Sunday, July 10
| Jazz at Filoli
| Terry Disley performs on Filoli’s outdoor stage at 1:30 pm
|
Wednesday July 13
| Member Benefit Event
| Members–Only Reception and Lecture Filoli’s way of saying “thank you” to members.
|
Saturday, July 23
| An Evening of Wine with Roses
| Enjoy an elegant evening garden stroll which includes wine tasting, a benefit raffle and gourmet dining.
|
Wednesday, July 27
| Afternoon Tea
| Afternoon Tea continues the fourth Wednesday of the month through September and Wednesday, October 19. Reserve by calling (650) 364-8300, ext. 288 and leaving a message.
|
Sunday, July 31
| Jazz at Filoli
| Dick Hyman performs on Filoli’s outdoor stage at 1:30 pm
|
Friday, August 5 — Sunday, August 7
| Summer Celebration
| Celebrate summer blooms during three days of informative demonstrations, walks, talks, family hikes and fun crafts for children.
|
Sunday, August 14
| Jazz at Filoli
| Sophie Milman performs on Filoli’s outdoor stage at 1:30 pm
|
Wednesday, August 24
| Afternoon Tea
| Afternoon Tea continues the fourth Wednesday of the month through September and Wednesday, October 19. Reserve by calling (650) 364-8300, ext. 288 and leaving a message.
|
Sunday, August 28
| Jazz at Filoli
| The Scott Hamilton Quintet performs on Filoli's outdoor stage at 1:30 pm
|
Wednesday, September 14
| Members–Only Twilight Stroll
| Filoli’s way of saying “thank you” to members.
|
Sunday, September 18
| Jazz at Filoli
| John Pizzarelli performs on Filoli’s outdoor stage at 1:30 pm
|
Wednesday, September 28
| Afternoon Tea
| Afternoon Tea continues the fourth Wednesday of the month through September and Wednesday, October 19. Reserve by calling (650) 364-8300, ext. 288 and leaving a message.
|
Saturday, October 1
| Autumn at Filoli Festival
| Celebrate the harvest with fruit tasting and family entertainment.
|
Wednesday, October 19
| Afternoon Tea
| Afternoon Tea continues the fourth Wednesday of the month through September and Wednesday, October 19. Reserve by calling (650) 364-8300, ext. 288 and leaving a message.
|
Sunday, October 23
| Closing Day 2011
| Filoli closes for the 2011 season at 3:30 pm.
|
Friday, November 25
| Holiday Traditions
| Filoli is transformed into a holiday wonderland. Don't miss this beloved annual fundraiser.
|
The Filoli Mansion
Flowers of Filoli - For a Smile
Let's go to Filoli Gardens
86 Canada Road, Woodside, CA - vote upvote downshareprintflag
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- Beautiful (13)
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You are so welcome MM - Hope you do visit some day - I am sure you would enjoy as I would enjoy visiting so many places in your home - Canada, so much to see!!!! By the time I retire I will be too old and tired to travel lol -
Thanks so much for your visit and your feedback!
SOLD!!!! I want to visit!!!! To think when I was 33, five months pregnant I was in San Fran, but new nothing of this treasure, thanks for sharing--Should I ever be in the area again--i wouldn't miss this for the world!!! Thanks for sharing, was such a treat to read and view!!
Hi Shea! It is a pleasure to see you! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Thanks TSS! Yes it is such a beautiful place, wish my flowers looked like that! I am so glad you had a chance to stop by!
Hi there Kashmir! So nice to see you! Thanks for you comments! Not sure if they allow dogs but what a blast they would have!
Hi Susan- Thanks for the visit, it is a beautiful place. Hope you can see some day!
Good to see you RHW (getting lazy) so I do hope you recognize you acronym. Yes I do think we all have our fun and must-see places, I hope to visit them all some day! Thanks so much for stopping in!
Thank you so much HappyBoomerNurse! I do apologize, I am really out of sequence here! I just moved back to the Bay Area after being gone for about a year and I must say I am glad to be home! I do hope that you will get a chance to visit some day! When we all have scads of time and money to cruise the Countryside! cheers :-)
Kathy my dearest friend, thank you for your kind and inspirational words....oh and did I mention sense of humor! You are quite amazing. I received a Thank you Email from Filoli with an update for their Fall/Winter 2011 events so I will do an update!
I do hope that you Al and family are well - but of course they are - they are Lucky Cats!
what a lovely place!
great hub
Thanks for the virtual tour. What a treasure it would be to visit. Thanks for sharing.
Looks like a very beautiful place to visit, loved the videos !
Beautiful and vote up !!!
Filoli Gardens looks like a place I would love to visit. That mansion and all the flowers are gorgeous.
Beautiful Hub!
Really great info and beautiful pictures. This hub makes me want to jump up and book a tour! Excellent Cahtcath! We have Shaws Garden and Botanical Garedens here and it sounds similar. The kids love going there. You just reminded me we haven't been there yet this summer. They have fountains shooting from ground and all the kids can run though them! Perfect weather - thank you so much!
I just checked it out....a beautiful site! This is (one of) your callings! Kathy...get thee to an agent! Post haste!
Fantastic!~ Kathy! What a truly beautiful hub...the pictures, your descriptions which are filled with a deep appreciation for this fabulous estate. Which is why we LOVE California so! I have not been but, I surely will take the time when I'm settled. You've done a real service to this beautiful world of make believe with this hub which is full of useful information, video, prices, schedules, history and more. I am sorry I have not visited but will definitely do so. I wonder if there is a way that you can forward this hub to the Filoli web site (if there is one..I'm going to check once I've finished this comment.) You can easily write as descriptive introductory to advertisements for this, and other beautiful places. You're a natural at this...I certainly want to visit now that I've read this hub...,I bet others feel the very same way!!! All UP's and Awesome and Interesting, Useful, Beautiful...yes!!!!!
I adore mansions and gardens and this one looks absolutely stunning. Love your vivid descriptions, the photos and the videos. I also found the info about the movies it's been in very interesting.
I've never been to the bay area or the west coast but if I do make it there someday this would definitely be on my to do list. Thanks so much for sharing this information. Voted up, useful, awesome, beautiful and interesting.
Greetings RT, with your green thumb I knew you would get a kick out of the beautiful gardens and the fragrance of the flowers! You could get that going in no time, I have faith in you! :-) Thanks so much for visiting-hope to see you soon, enjoy your summer!
Thanks K9, you are definitely my inspiration for setting up the most awesome and creative Hubs! I learn something new every time you publish! So glad you had a chance to come play in the garden for awhile, See you soon my friend!
HH
So nice to see you Professor! Your visits are always such a treat, and I thank you for all of your kind words! Hope you are doing well, enjoying your summer and doing lots of writing! I know you have built quite a following ;-) No surprises there.
"Bourn" also planted a garden. Ha! I should be such a gardener! :)
The second picture through the doorway made me want to stop everything and go paint something!
What a beautiful place you have highlighted for us. Thanks so much!
Beautifully put together hub CK! Lovely descriptions and helpful information for making a trip to Filoli Gardens in California. I enjoyed the wonderful video's and the helpful maps...but the event calendar you provide is a bookmark item for sure! Great stuff here, thanks for sharing.
HubHugs~
K9
I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier ChatKath, Well well done in every detail! You have capture the beauty in all the mediums that you used ! Pictures,Videos and Words!
Bravo Kathy, Bravo!
Voted this up and pushed all the right buttons!
Regards Mike (Aka Professor M!) ;D
Yes, it is a beautiful place Ethel - thank you for commenting, is does remind me of some of the beautiful old European castles, not so common here in California unfortunately. :-)
Greetings Audrey!! It is funny, I have lived in the Bay Area my entire life, even born at Stanford Hospital (not to age myself but, it was Hoover Hospital then) and I never heard of Filoli until 2005 - when my Dad's partner took me there, she takes art classes there and is a member. I was so impressed!
We must enjoy together some time when you are in town, I would love that! Thanks for checking in, your smile is always such a lift.
Thanks for stopping in Martie, glad you like Filoli. Spending a day there is like no other, I am sure you would enjoy!
Looks a beautiful place, just my cup of tea:)
I just can't believe that after living in the bay area for years, I missed this. Ouch! Well, when I do go back for a visit, this is first on my list. You have put together such a complete package including an Events Calendar. May I join you and Epi at a ring-side table at one of the the Dick Hyman Performances?
Filoli Gardens - you have given me one more piece of magic to dream of. Thank you, my friend. Rated up, useful, awesome, beautiful, interesting. Blessings.
Hi Sharyn, how are things for you? Hope you are surviving summer - seems there is always another challenge right around the corner. Maybe we should move into Filoli gardens- I'll take the east wing....Talk soon! Thanks for visiting.
I would love to spend a day in Filoli Gardens. Thanks so much for sharing and posting the videos.
Hi Kathy,
What a beautiful place you have described here. Very well written and the pics are awesome too. Hope you are doing well . . .
Sharyn
Thank you carrie, yes it is such a gorgeous place, wondering what it would feel like to live there, I would probably get lost going to the bathroom. (Even one of your stunning revamped designs-Everyone check out these amazing bathroom designs!
Oh what a lovely place, the hub makes me want to visit.. nice read and good photographs..:-) voted up
carrie
You are just too sweet Epi- I can just see you at Filoli now, jazz Chime'n with Hyman - moon's just a shine'n and Epi's rhyme'n, our own dignified poet with his name in lights! We must add Big Daddy to the Calendar!
Although Lake Erie and your furry fans and family would miss you dearly, can't say that I blame them! You are a treasure my friend! Thank you for your most special visit-Here is to many more!!! (raise your glass now)
....well the only thing more beautiful than this hub and its glorious images is you my dear Kathy - you have supported me through this year and last - and I will always be happy for the day that we met my good friend.
I always love your hubs because you put so much into them and make them special - well just like you - and I see on the guest list is two of my favorite artists - Dick Hyman and Scott Hamilton on piano and sax.
Looking at the full moon just now over my lake - it's truly a beautiful sight when showcased in a setting like this - I will think of you Kathy and send you these warm wishes.
lake erie time 1:50 am
I sincerely hope you and your family are all well, my two cats spend all of their time outdoors with room service from Big daddy.
Thank you Prasetio, my truly elite friend! People like you have made it fun to spend time on Hub Pages! You are the best!
Congratulations for you as a HubPages elite. Not all of us can get this achievement. I am proud to be your friend. Just keep on writing and do the best. I'll support you form the back. Success for you.
Prasetio
So good to see you Alicia! Yes this would be a great stop while visiting California, highly recommend! Thanks for your visit!
Hi Nell, funny, Filoli reminds me of so many castles I saw in England, that is what I enjoyed about it - such character and history, maybe even a few ghosts :-) Thanks for your comments!
Hi Green Lotus, I know what you mean about the deserts, except I don't usually wait for Holiday unfortunately...Thanks for stopping in!
Greeting b. - thanks for your visit! I do recommend Filoli, hopefully LoverMan will enjoy too! Have a great evening.
Thank you Always Exploring, Yep I can imagine all the gardeners it must take to maintain those grounds! Definitely the right place for lots of wine and roses! Glad you enjoyed Filoli.
Hi Will, Wow, Dalmo Victor was quite the Company in its day, I think it has been bought out many times over though right? Small world :-)
What a beautiful hub! Filoli Gardens looks like a wonderful place to visit. I will keep this place in mind for the next time that I visit California. Thank you for the information and the lovely photos and videos.
Hi, this sounds like a lovely place to visit, sometimes we bypass places without realising how lovely they are, wish I was over there! cheers nell
How lovely. I think my favorite thing on holiday is to visit gardens (and eat dessert!). This one is bookmarked.
Chatkah, you make Filoli Gardens sound oh so Beautiful with the Gardens and Mansion pictures, and Events Calendar...Wow! On our List of Places to see now. Thank you!
Very beautiful Kathy. I love the gardens and the mansion. The landscaping is unique, can't keep from wondering how many people it takes to keep it so attractive. I would love to go and have the wine and roses. Thank you.
Cheers
Hi Chatkath,
I too, used to work in Belmont, for a company called Dalmo Victor.
Thanks so much prasetio! Filoli is quite a lovely place, even to visit for a day. I am so glad that you had a chance to come by!
Wow, San Carlos is just a few miles away, I used to pass the airport on my way to work in Belmont each day! I can see you now Will cruising around up there with your cowboy hat! What fun. Thanks for stopping in.
So nice to see you Eiddwen, I know, it is amazing how quickly you get behind on HP, especially with all of the new hubs you must visit in a week's time! I am glad you had a chance to get away though! I thank you for you visit and I am glad you enjoyed Filoli.
Wow.... this was so beautiful garden. I had never knew about this before. I love your presentation, between text, pictures and video. All informations in this hub was awesome. I hope I have a chance to visit this garden someday. You have done a great job here. Vote it up!
Prasetio
Hi Kitty, I have never heard of any haunting at Filoli but by looking at it, that is hard to believe ;-) Construction of Filoli began in 1915, initially built for Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn, prominent San Franciscans whose chief source of wealth was the Empire Mine. Maybe I should do another hub on the history of estate & families - http://www.filoli.org/explore-filoli/history/prese - lots to tell! Anyway, thanks so much for your visit, it is an awesome place, let me know if you find anything "interesting"....
I earned my pilot's license years ago at San Carlos airport, and I used to fly over this on my way to Half Moon Bay.
Great Hub!
This is beautiful Chatkath,
I have found solace in nature so many times and still do.
This hub is beautiful,informative and very well presented.
I am bookmarking it into my 'Armchair Travelling' slot.Plus beautiful/awsome/useful/up here.
I am on a catch-up today so I'll have aanother peep before I leave your hubs !!
I had a week away from Hubpages last week and I have missed so much !!
Take care my friend
Eiddwen.
Voted up, useful and beautiful! I really would love to visit this place...and I believe there is at least one ghost residing here...do you know a lot about the history of this place? I would love to hear about its history...great job!
ethel smith Level 3 Commenter 7 months ago
Wonderful. Looks a stunning place