Filoli is beautiful in all seasons, but their Christmas celebration this year is magnificent! Visit at night to see the gardens turned into a winter wonderland. We were lucky enough to hear carols in the ballroom as well. What a great place to soak up some holiday spirit! read more

Today, we visited Filoli Gardens for the first time. Oh, my goodness, what an amazing place. The gardens are absolutely gorgeous.--Elm trees shaped like umbrellas and the flowers and plants landscaped in a maze form. The castle is in its original form, 21 foot ceilings, wood floors like you have never seen before and the other decor is simply wonderful! View the video before starting your self-tour, but don't hesitate to ask questions of the Volunteers, they are full of information. If you have a favorite flower you want to see in bloom, call ahead to ask the best month to see it. We did not dine at the cafe, but it offered in and outdoor seating and the menu appeared to offer a good selection of sandwiches, salads, soup and desserts. If you are vegan or have other special needs, it would be wise to contact the cafe manager in advance. Enjoy! read more

Filoli is an absolutely beautiful venue that reminds me (slightly) of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. They have a great shop with all kinds of unique garden items and they have a summer jazz series that you have to do at least once. I saw John Pizzarelli last summer and it was "of the hook." I would get a ticket to a jazz concert and go ninety minutes early so you can view the grounds and shop at the garden shop for free. read more

Filoli is truly a hidden gem. If you're looking for something to do besides the normal touristy same-old things, then this is it. The estate, the architecture, the gardens, the people, everything is beautiful and well worth your time and money. It is a great place to get away and see a historic beautiful place. We didn't know what to expect when going in, but we were blown away. We hadn't heard about it before, so not a lot of people know about it, even the locals. This place deserves a lot of recognition, and the cafe and the gift shop really are the cherry on top. Make sure that you do the tour, because you don't want to miss out on the incredible history behind the estate. Take a Saturday and go to Filoli and you will enjoy it. read more

I've visited Filoli twice in the past six months. My favorite time to visit is in the Spring when the tulips are blooming. The gardens are sublime in their beauty. In addition to the tulips I enjoyed the lilacs, peonies, and the climbing roses. The volunteer docents are very helpful and knowledgeable. When I visited a few weeks ago, the docent pointed out some details that I hadn't noticed before, the family portraits done by John Singer Sargeant. I really should buy a membership to this place. I'm not likely to attend the Christmas showcase again because I don't need to buy anymore decorations. Besides, the $25 entrance fee for Christmas is pretty expensive all things considered. read more

Christmas at Fioli is a visit not to be missed. Fioli is beautiful anytime of the year

We came to Filoli Gardens with my husband for the first time last week-end and were amazingly welcomed there! The gardens themselves, the personnel working there, the warm and friendly atmosphere left inside us incredible impressions! We would like to surely come back there and would recommend to visit this place! read more

Filoli is a true hidden treasure on the Peninsula. right off of the 92 highway sits Filoli - a historic house and sixteen acres of formal garden. There you will find beautiful architecture and garden designs. Wonderful place for a picknic or long stroll through the gardens. Once you see Filoli, you'll want to go again. read more

One of the grand gardens in California and one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century -- they decorate with plants en masse and manage colors as well as I have ever seen. Located 30 miles south of San Francisco, Filoli belongs to the National Trust for Historic Preservation The cinematographic magic is real here! Each year, close to 50,000 bulbs are planted in the formal beds around the historic home before Thanksgiving. Video is here: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/users/Filoli_Garden/filoli-garden-bay-area-california Enjoy! read more

Simply beautiful...I really enjoyed my visit to the gardens. The grounds are beautifully kept. I loved the pool. It was so hot I wish I could have jumped in! I also loved the green house. The mansion was really cool too. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours walking around, especially if you enjoy flowers and gardening. Next time I will have to have lunch at the cafe. read more

Such an awesome place to go in every season. I love taking my kids to see the bulbs in spring and rainbow of flowers and fruits in the summer. Also fun to pick up unique flowers from their shop and stop by the cafe for pricey, but yummy cake. read more

Amazing garden,loved the history, not as developed as the Huntington in Pasadena , but rustic ,spacious and wonderful. Great docents in the home, loved being there. read more

We have been coming to the Filoli Summer Jazz Series for several years w/ a group of friends. We share in a potluck picnic which is always impressive in its variety and quality. Which reminds me, the prosciutto and figs were a big hit. The figs were perfectly ripe. Wine and beer and water, both still and w/ bubbles, are provided and there are baskets of grapes and of party mix munchies on the table. Volunteers circulate, pouring the beverages. We're one of the more recent additions to the group, which has a changing membership anchored by a few core members. There are maybe 6 concerts over the course of the summer. The first one is on Father's Day and the last one is in September. They were produced by Bud Spangler and Merrilee Trost and See's was a major sponsor. Once Chuck Huggins retired from See's the company scaled back their support. This year Bud and Merrilee were replaced as producers by Paul Blystone, who was the stellar volunteer coordinator until a couple of years ago. Jazz stars both national and local have appeared and it's a wonderful place to hear music, seated at tables under the trees or under umbrellas. Today was the Hot Club of San Francisco and they were splendid. They've appeared here 8 times, I think. One of the volunteers was so inspired by the music she was dancing and ultimately persuaded others in the audience to join her. It was very cool. read more

Went here with my girlfriend, neither of us thought it was all that. Pictures look great but lots of gardens had little to no flowers. Maybe it's due to the weather ... for a place that charges we expected a bit more to see and be in awe of. I'm thinking most pictures look great since lots of photography fanatics make it look better than it really is. The main 1-2 first gardens you come across looks good but the rest is not all that. Yes nice landscape and such but lack of flowers in bloom and next time if we ever choose to pay another visit, we might ask if there's a difference of season on when's the best to view. read more

The garden is nice, although some parts better kept than the others. It is a little crowded. Staff is hit and miss - some were very nice, some not so much. Overall, does not worth $20 of admission fee. read more

I was told that Filoli Garden was beautiful and out of this world. I looked online and saw pictures of the Garden and it blew my mind. I got there yesterday on a windy day and my friend and I paid the entrance fee. $40 dollars for both of us.. We came in and we looked beyond apart from the people that go there. Everyone else was casual while my friend and I came with a dress on, a camera and two purses. It was obvious what we came for. We started taking pictures and an uninformed employee came up to us and said we can't take pictures and that we had to pay a fee in the front. I asked how much and she didn't respond to that so I said I would go in the front and ask. I saw many people taking pictures and I thought she was lying because no one had told me anything not even a man who was working there who saw me taking pictures. Sooner than later another employee was rude and said to stop taking pictures that photography was forbidden unless it was licensed. She asked me for my sticker and it had blown off with the wind so I went to the front desk with the help of the man who had seen me take pictures. He then explained the rule to us. The front desk lady one with dark hair was rude and said we got kicked out for having changes of clothes, but I told them that if she and they see people who look like that, they should give them the yellow form with the photography rules she gave me AFTER the drama BEFORE the misinformation or embarrassment! They need to tell people this so that people KNOW before wasting money and time and not be so rude! Will never be back what a shit hole. read more

I went to visit Filoli with my friends Barb and Bill last Friday. I live not far from Filoli but hadn't visited it for years. The house is beautiful and full of lovely antique furniture. The architecture is very interesting, full of graceful angles and big windows framing charming views of the gardens. I think the library was my favorite room. I hope that the bedroom level will be restored to its former glory one day so we can tour that too. The gardens are beautifully kept and everything was blooming at this time of year so it's gorgeous. I was pleased to hear that Filoli uses no chemicals in its gardens, it's all natural techniques. We were given an insider's tour of the house and the grounds by Nick Zimmerman, a wonderful young man who was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to make our visit interesting and special. I definitely recommend visiting Filoli! read more

nice place for taking photos, elegant and awesome landscape read more

Filoli - beautiful - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

Gardens and mansion are a unique gem. In the Spring, there are new flowers in bloom every 1-2 weeks

Stunning and incredibly well maintained. The best part is that it's kid friendly and the staff is so helpful and proactive all around the property. Def worth the membership. read more

My sister and I have been looking for a nice spot pics since last year. Found Filoli garden on internet, looked great and so we set off to make it a date. We've been planning since last winter on where to go for my neices First Communion pics. I CALLED AND ASKED IT IT WAS OK. I cant remember who i spoke to (wish I did!) but i was told, no formal wedding Photography. I explained it ws a 7 year old little girl in a long First communion dress. "oh that should be fine".. yeah right! It took for ever to organize our days and get time off our jobs,and get everything organized..we went on Friday March 23rd. When we arrived they said no!!..WHAT?!!?...NO!?!? I CALLED?!?!...We drove from san Jose and Hayward..WHAT A BIG DISSAPOINTMENT!!..needless to say we were VERY VERY UPSET!!....very upsetting to know their STAFF doesnt know the rules... begged and pleated with the manager Debrah (i think) to at least let us do some outside on our way out .NOPE!!..made us more upset..I beleve thats the least they could have done..give us 5 measely minutes since it was so hard for us to organize our schedules and we were already there...Still upset! read more

Good luck with your visit to the gardens. We were turned away at the gate. My husband and I rode up on our bikes and were "greeted" by a curmudgeonly old man who stepped out of the guard gate and blocked the road and said in a defensive way, "can I help you?". We asked what this place was, and he said, "It's a private residence, not open to the public". So we pedaled away wondering why there was a sign with "Filoli Gardens" and admission prices on his guard house. Later, still bothered by the oddness of the encounter, my husband phoned the gardens to see if they were actually open that day and they said indeed they were. I think it's time to put that old fellow out to pasture and get someone who's not mentally deranged at the gate. It would have been nice to see the place after coming up from San Jose. read more

The gardens here are beautiful. It is a great place to sit and enjoy various flowers outside! I would recommend going if you are into photography, (there are lots of photo ops!), flowers/gardening, landscaping, or want a nice place to chat. Admission also offers access to a short hiking trail which crosses tectonic plates, and access to the historical house first floor. There is a cafe with good selection and lots of yummy desserts. I spent many hours here just enjoying the scenery. A place you want to go when the weather is nice, but with each season new things are blooming so would recommend keeping an eye on the place year round. The gift shop and flower shop are also lovely and it's a nice place to pick up something for a loved one! read more

Beautiful, unique place. Gardens, home and new hiking trail are great. The restaurant has a large variety of made from scratch foods, which are quite good. There is a children's menu too. I have one request regarding the chilldren's food: Please don't make the added cookie so central on the plates. I couldn't get my kids to eat much food with the beautiful, large, delicious cookie starring them in the face. read more

I called Filoli Gardens and answering machine kicks in. After pressing a lot of numbers I finally got a real live person. Her name is Ann but Ann is not a good customer service representative. She sounded like I bothered her from whatever she was doing so she can just answer the phone. I asked her about upcoming events at Filoli and she told me to look at the their website. She did not say thank you and good-bye. What a B...... read more

They close at 2:30PM! I drove 40 minutes to go there over the weekend and unfortunately arrived at 2:35PM. The lady at the gate was very rude and would not let me in even though we were only 5 minutes late. There was a car right in front of us and the lady let him in. She told us the car was a visitor so it is an exception. that's it for the fioli garden. I am returning my groupon. read more

This place is not worth the entry fee charged. By no means it is grand or spectacular, it is just an OK place. It is not lid friendly in the sense that the staff takes offense even if kids below 2 tread onto the lawns...which are not all that well kept read more

I've visited Filoli twice this year. Once for an event and most recently to see all the gardens covered in beautiful lights. They did not disappoint, the Christmas Carolers was a great addition and made it feel like the holidays. It was quite cold but having vendors with hot coffee & coco was just what we needed. My 1.5 year old son loved the lights and the ability to run around outside. It defiantly had a family friendly atmosphere and staff was friendly. I would like to visit more, however at the price point I can't justify going more than once or twice a year with my family. Overall it is worth the visit if you want to experience a local gem. read more

Great place to see and take photos of beautiful flowers, especially tulips. They do have different blooms around the seasons. I love coming out here when it's quiet and not crazy crowded. The camellias, roses, lavender, etc... smell wonderful and it's comforting to walk around the beautifully groomed grounds. I've only toured the mansion once about 5 years ago and that was fun, but with my annual membership, I now only tour the gardens, try the fragrant lotions at the shop, and buy a snack at the cafe. The cafe food is over-priced, but I guess you could see it as an extra donation. If you get a salad, ask for the dressing 'on the side', because they really over did it. The cafe dessert selection this year has been disappointing. They used to offer gorgeous lemon tarts and 5 inch high cakes - don't know what happened. It's good for my waistline to not be tempted. One very positive change this year is longer hours on the weekend. read more

$20 to get in?? Outrageous. Came upon this place on a Belmont Bicycle Sunday, recommended by a park ranger. Went there to have a picnic lunch with the family, but we got turned away because "membership" is required. What a scam. read more

What a place. Such a wonderful way to spend a day with someone you care for. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained and the setting so peaceful it relaxes me just thinking about it. read more

For Valentine's day I was surprised with a trip to Filoli. I had no idea that such a beautiful place existed just in my backyard. I've driven by it 100s of times, but it's not visible off of 280. We started with lunch in the cafeteria, which was surprisingly super yummy. They had the best raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, hehe. I had some sort of turkey sandwich salad too.:) Anyway, if you are in the area, it's definitely worthwhile to stop by. Most of the staff are volunteers and they are all very friendly. The house is stunning and has so much history and character to it. The gardens seem endless. I definitely want to come back when the weather is better and more flowers are blooming. Perhaps do a pin up style shoot there. That would be awesome. :) read more

Filoli puts on a fun Christmas market around December. Often a sellout. Anyone on a budget will have to exercise supreme self control to resist purchases. Numerous rooms of the main house are turned into fancy boutiques. One will find all sorts of irresistible goodies (clothing, candles, home decorations, etc.) to bring home in all price ranges. Great for gifts. There are live singers serenading the shoppers and make for a most festive shopping experience. The lunch, however, is so-so and over priced. Served by volunteers. Go for the ambiance. read more

Filoli's Holiday Traditions is NOT as nice as it used to be...VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!! Upon exiting, I can hear people who are long time visitors of Filoli expressing their dismay, saying how disappointed they were, after all, many of us are members and have been coming to Filoli for years during the holidays​.....I am so disappointed that I just had to write this review the moment I got back in my car at the Filoli parking lot. It is clearly obvious that the current Filoli management are scrooges and have lost the holiday spirit of generosity and abundance. This place is supposed to be a place of wealth. Clearly they don't really care anymore and they've lost sight of the former grandeur and beauty of the mansion when it used to be beautifully decorated each year in the past .... Last time I saw Filoli Holiday Traditions was back in Nov/Dec 2011 and it was incredibly a jaw dropping gorgeously decorated, with the whole mansion decked out in tons & tons of themed, very unique, beautiful christmas decorations in each room... with vendors and shopping INSIDE the mansion. It used to be filled with tons of Christmas trees in each room of the mansion, very generously and formally decorated with a piano player in the main dining room and a flute player on top of the staircase.... Back then, nothing was roped off!! You can step anywhere in the room but.....well, I guess all things come to an end just as all good things seem to come to an end here in the the San Francisco Bay Area... I went today, Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday, Nov 26, 2017, and drove all the way to Woodside on a rainy day, hoping to see a feastly decorated Filoli again....but...No....No longer.... it was a very disappointing sight....NO piano player, NO flute player, No warmth....cheaply and scantily decorated and the Market Place was inside a leaky tent...The vendors weren't selling anything unique, just chocolate covered candy canes and I mean you can go to Walmart or Sears to buy that stuff...Even Pier One had way better decorations to fill your eyes....Filoli Holiday Traditions is NOTHING spectacular folks!!! I certainly didn't feel it was worth my time to drive all the way to Woodside, CA....Well... I wasn't really surprised... when I revisited Filoli last month in October 2017, I noticed how cheap the Autumn Halloween decorations were with just a couple of scare crow dressed up in butler costumes....There was a part of me that suspected that if they had pathetic looking decorations for Autumn, Filoli managers will probably decorate the mansion in the same pathetic looking ways for the Holiday traditions...well...guess what? I was right....Filoli Holiday Traditions is nothing spectacular anymore...I guess the people who are in charge lost their zest and didn't feel like decorating as much this holiday season.... What happened to all the bountiful decorations they used to put up? And another thing....why do the caretakers of this mansion rope off 75% of each room? We can barely get a nice angle to take photos...Are they afraid of the floors getting ruined? Why not just buy a rug or some sort of floor insulation to protect it... It just seems like visitors' admission dollars are not placed for further beautification of the mansion especially for special holiday events.....And not on making the mansion look better ..... Hmmm...disappointing... and I'm not the only one who felt this way....Like I said, I could hear the chatter from other visitors.....If it's like this if isn't enticing to return....I won't be visiting again.... read more

My daughter and I celebrate every holiday season with Fioli's wonderful buffet luncheon, awesome shopping throughout the gorgeously decorated house. The sound of singing Christmas songs in the background. The trees and decorations in the house are magnificent and really put you in the mood for shopping. The vendors are exquisite and offer gorgeous jewelry, clothing, handmade knits + more. We always spend a ton of money buying Christmas presents. This will be the last year that we go during the Holiday season. If I want to take a tour I can go on any day and pay alot less. We were so sad! We paid $175 for the two of us to go to an afternoon tea and then we planned on doing lots of Christmas shopping. The house had few decorations and shopping was outside under a tent with very few quality venders. Felt like I was at a street fair. The tea was pitiful although the volunteers were wonderful and did the best to try and make it feel like a festive occasion which it was not. $175 was beyond ridiculous and we didn't spend a dime on Christmas gifts. We were in and out in an hour. You can find the soaps and lotions at Molly Stone. Hopefully they will realize that they have made a terrible mistake by making the changes and will go back to the way things were done in years past. 2016 was Fabulous with the luncheon buffet and lots of high end vendors. If changes aren't made alot of us will not be returning during the future Holiday Season. Please go back to the way you use to do things. We love Filoli! Please don't ruin the Holidays at Filoli. read more

I took my Mother to Filoli as a birthday gift, since she had not been there in thirty years. We were absolutely taken away by the beautiful gardens and mansion. The staff and volunteers were very friendly, answering all of our questions. One of the gardeners was cleaning out a reflection pool and brought over a baby frog to show us. I think it is wonderful that the Filoli Estate does organic gardening, respects the wildlife and makes their own compost. My Mom informed me that 30 years ago the mansion was empty. Currently, the first floor is filled with beautiful antiques (carpets, sofas, paintings, dishes etc..) I would have loved to have seen the second floor, attic & basement, however it is not open to the public at this time. In the Courtyard there is a gift store & nursery and I was very happy to have bought one of plants for our home. After touring the gardens, using the powder-room in the bath house and taking a tour of the main house we had lunch at the Filoli cafe. My mother and I both agree we had a wonderful experience at Filoli and realized that we do not always need to take a trip to France to see a beautiful estate. Ps. It would be wonderful if the Filoli planted more trees around the meadow and main entrance. : ) read more

Beautiful place, really well maintained. I thought the price was a little steep. We arrived 40 mins before closing :( so had to rush through everything. Even with the map I couldn't figure out where I was because there were no signs anywhere saying which garden it was. Will come back in the future for a longer visit. read more

My family and I went here on a warm Sunday morning. The line to buying the admission tickets was long, but it went by really quickly. We enjoyed all the beautiful flowers and sceneries the garden offers. It was so crowded for group picture, and it was hard not to have people in your photo background. My mother-in-law (MIL) loved the garden and enjoyed having many photos taken of herself. Happy MIL, happy me! We'd probably come back in a few years (due to expensive admission fee but I could understand all the maintenances that involve). read more

This place is really beautiful. Lots of mini-gardens, fruit trees, and so many flowers I didn't recognize many. And the lavender garden! So beautiful but filled with bees. A couple times I felt I stepped into 19th century England, it was magical. The negatives: I did expect more of the grounds to be manicured (through the back by the pool, they could do SO much with all that space - clear the weeds). Cost of entry is a bit on the pricey side, especially since you don't really need to spend that much time there anyway. It is also pretty crowded on the weekend, which takes away from the feel of it. read more

Filoli's gardens and natural habitats are quite beautiful, but the visitor experience has changed dramatically recently and I have been a member for almost 10 years. Everything is extremely expensive, the cafe food has declined, and the feeling of the experience is a bit sad. In the past, it was a buzz of happiness and friendly volunteers. I recently visited and took the new Estate Trail. I did not encounter a single person. It was lovely but looked abandoned. Then while walking through the daffodil field a staff person chastised me for walking off trail. To be clear, there was a trail and I was walking on it (the trail had apparently been made by many previous visitors who also thought that it was okay to walk to the tree in order to see the signage). Perhaps they could put a rope along the path so that people can discern what path is okay to walk on and what path is not okay. It was an unfriendly encounter and tainted what was otherwise a nice experience. I am not one to break rules or ruin property. Finally, in the gift store I was so disappointed by the sterile look of it and the fact that it was so thematic about Filoli and not at all interesting. Since I did not feel like picking up a small extremely expensive token of my visit nor did I find anything enticing to buy, I left. In the past, I found the store to be whimsical and charming, and I could always find something I had to have that was reasonably priced. I write this in hopes that Filoli does care about the visitor experience and seeks to improve it. I would return for the gardens. read more