The gardens are beautiful in June. The rose garden was amazing. We had tea at the Cafe. A wonderful addition to their menu. The ballet folklorico presentation was totally amazing. read more

Filoli - Pride celebration June 2024. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

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I love this garden. My friend is a member there and she recently took me there. I found the garden so stunning ! The mansion was majestic, but the crown jewel is definitely the garden. I would absolutely go back again. In fact we are already planning to go back for the Christmas holiday decor special! The staff is super friendly there there :-) I highly recommend it! read more

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Came here for the first time spring of last year and it was such a refreshing experience. The premises is an adventure on its own. There's so much beauty to see and will also have you in awe. Parking and getting tickets were a breeze. Now a days it isn't unusual for them to sell out so plan ahead! I recommend stopping by the gift shop too. There's plants and other goodies worth seeing and even purchasing. read more

Filoli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

So beautiful and peaceful walking through here. Loved walking through the estate too. Came in the summer, and a wedding was being set up. There were so many roses in bloom! What a lovely sight! And the pond area was pretty, and lots of summer succulent displays. Note: Recommend wearing comfy shoes/flats as there's mostly dirt trails. Also, my aunt said although it's pretty in the summer, there were more impressive blooms in the spring. Make sure to eat beforehand as there is only one (minimal) cafe. read more

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My friend and I went there around 2PM on a Monday, which might have been a small mistake. If you are paying for a one day pass ($25 for adults), you probably want to go there way earlier than we did because it is a big place with a lot to see. A lot of parking in an open area. I was surprised that there were a lot of people on a Monday. When you enter, there is a lady that will scan your tickets and then you walk a little and will see the big house. You can go in and see all the rooms in the bottom/main floor like a museum. The house is decorated as if people were living there. It is very pretty with a lot of rooms that you can take photos. This house by itself will take you 30mins to an hour or maybe more. After that, you can walk to the outside and find the huge garden to enjoy. You will see a pool, a lot of ponds, flowers, plants, vegetables, etc. Right now (May), they are having a bonsai exhibition. A lot of places where you can get awesome and beautiful photos. I'm not going to lie. The place is a little bit pricey for me, but it is a perfect place to take someone on a date especially if your partner like to take photos and love flowers and plants. 100% will recommend to go at least once. read more

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I've been meaning to come to Filoli for a few years, and am glad I finally attended during the holiday season where they display lights throughout the property. There's no denying this is a beautiful property with a rich history. With that said, at the end of the day it's a nice house on a sprawling property with great landscaping. The fact that tickets to simply enter cost $43 is highway robbery. I suspect there will be no lack of demand given the recent meeting of Xi, Biden, & other world leaders there, so I doubt my review will have any impact on people's desire to visit. With that said, it's basically impossible to justify the price of entry, even *with* the holiday lights set up. Aside from walking around the house and grounds, there's not a lot to do here. There's very little history to read throughout the house either - just an occasionally sign or two which is very light on details. Treat yourself to a nice dinner in nearby San Mateo instead. read more

Such a beautiful place! Our family bought the private fire pit experience for Holidays at Filoli. We went today while it was raining and cold outside. The fire pit is in a separate area with tents blocking some of the benches, not all. There is a little bar area that serves bottomless alcoholic (mulled wine, hot whiskey cider, red and white wine) and non alcohol drinks (hot cider, hot tea, hot cocoa). Our group definitely enjoyed this! The group also purchased 3 different charcuterie board options: meat and cheese, vegetables, and dessert. For our group of 20, it was the right amount and so delicious. We had a lot of fun together, even with the weather as it was. We went around the grounds and took lots of pictures. Pictures do not do the beauty of this place justice. The lights and decor for the Holiday season were such a beautiful touch. read more

Filoli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

Well decorated estate and grounds but very expensive for the experience. The estate is a worthwhile excursion if you live in the Bay Area. During the winter though, many of the plants are not in bloom. The full estate and gardens can be easily seen in 2 hours, so I ultimately don't think the experience was worth almost $40 per person. read more

Filoli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

If it makes sense to, I'd highly recommend coming to visit at least once, especially when it's decorated for the holidays. Even saw a couple doing a professional shoot :) on Reddit Filoli was referred to as a very "mother-in-law" place (a place to take your MIL to - I have this place bookmarked exactly for this reason lol, and I know my own mother would've loved this place, and they're both very different people in general). The tickets are pretty pricey but if you haven't been before I do think they're worth the splurge once. There probably will be a second (non-holiday) tour whenever my MIL comes over to visit us from the east coast haha. FYI: we got the 5:30 tickets and got to the grounds at 5:45. Finally found a parking spot after 15 minutes of looping around the lot. read more

Filoli - Staircase inside the main house - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

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I had no idea that NorCal had such a beautiful botanical garden and estate and museum! I highly recommend people coming early! I know it says online that it opens at 10 am but when we got there 10:30 the parking lot was almost full! Btw parking is free! But adult admission is $25 per person (to be honest it's worth it because to maintain this VAST property is no joke) It's also nice to go early to avoid the heat! It's end of August right now and this weekend is super hot! I got such beautiful headshots of my cousin and the scenery. A lot of my photos came out well by the pond. When we were here there was a proposal by the pond and a lot of people taking photos (be it anniversary or maternity). I highly recommend this place! read more

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Wonderful place for a relaxing walk among beautiful gardens and a perfect place to bring out of town guests. Everything is lovely - the way the house and interior are preserved and displayed as well as the incredible plantings. Also have to add that the Clock Tower Shop always has an interesting selection of gifts - garden related and not related. I never fail to find something nice there. read more

Such beautiful gardens and a lovely historic home! I've been a couple times and have enjoyed walking the gardens each time. There's a cafe on the property that I haven't tried but maybe when I come back for the third time. It's a little pricey but I can only imagine how much it costs to continue running such a lovely property read more

Came here during the Christmas holidays on a date night with my husband. Admission is $45 per ticket so it is a bit pricey, but totally worth it. I highly recommend if you're trying to come for the holiday lights, get tickets ahead of time because they do sell out day of and a lot of the reserved times online get sold out. While they do email you saying parking is tough and to carpool, we found parking pretty easy. It depends if you want to be closer to the entrance, then you'll see it's harder to get parking. The lights and holiday decorations are the garden was magically beautiful. They do have signs that explain the history of the garden, but when it's dark out I think more people were there for the lights than the history. You can enter the house and see how big and extravagant it is. They also offer beverages such as hot chocolate and alcoholic drinks too. They also have pastries too if you're in the mood for it. There was an area of the garden where they had bonfires and you could just sit by the fire with your friends or family and have fun. Overall, it was a great experience and definitely brought holiday joy to everyone that came. read more

This review is specifically for the Holiday experience at Filoli because I haven't been other than that. But WOW, just wow! It was such a magical experience to see this place lit up. We arrived around 4:30 so we would be able to see the grounds in a little bit of dusk/day light, but wanted to ensure we weren't there too early that we missed seeing it in complete darkness. The grounds we decorated spectacularly! Christmas lights all around, white lights, colored lights, Christmas trees, dangling ornaments made of lights! It was amazing. My favorite spots were the carriage house that was decked out in trees and poinsettias and the grassy courtyard area next to the house. So much holiday cheer! The gift shop also had a ton of fun holiday nicknacks and even real wreaths for sale. There was a lively bar and drink area outside with fire pits. You could purchase coffee and hot cocoa or mulled wine or a specialty cocktail to enjoy by the fire. The interior of the estate was decked out in holiday decor and included historical phots of the family celebrating the holidays there. There was a clear path to follow inside which was great so you know you didn't miss anything. Can't wait to go back next year for the holidays and again in the spring to see the garden in bloom! read more

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my daughter and I attended last week a event here last week my third time to Filoli and every time I find something new in my experience. This time we enjoyed warm drinks by the fire pits and friendly conversation with other visitors. The grounds are immaculate and I'm amazed at the lawn with so much foot traffic even the edges are green. This is a holiday favorite as they have decorated Christmas trees in several of the walkable rooms. enjoy! read more

Filoli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

Beautiful historical estate. The gardens and lovely. The house as it's called, is currently decorated for elegantly for Christmas. Great place to visit and lots of photo opportunities if you're into that. read more

Came here to see the Christmas Holiday lights. Bought the tickets online about a month ago. We came here before during the daytime to see the garden during spring. We found parking, there were a lot of cars. A small line to get your tickets scanned for entrance. The staff were friendly and helpful with my questions. We went into the house first then the garden. I loved all the different decorated Christmas trees. My fav area was the tunnel with the lights, looked magical walking through. For $45 per person the price is steep but I'm glad we got to see the Christmas holiday lights. The gift shop was open and we took a look around. Night time was cold and good thing I wore shoes I could walk around in. read more

I came here last weekend for the holiday lights and loved it! It is a very romantic open garden area with a huge house that you could tour. There are many great photo opportunities throughout the entire garden and house area. I really loved the arch walkway at the very beginning of Fioli since it changes colors. Inside the house we toured there were many Christmas trees of different heights and colors. It was very festive inside! There was also a room that had a bunch of tables that were decorated with different cultural themes. Highly recommend coming here with your family or significant other! read more

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Beautiful all year round. You'll never see the same flowers at the garden where seasonal flowers are grown making it super exciting every time you visit. The roses smell absolutely amazing and the giant hydrangeas make a great background for pictures. I haven't had a chance to visit Filoli for tulip blossom but I've visited during Christmas and can't get enough of the beauty at this park. There's a gifts hop located close to the mansion which is worth visiting every time. The collection of jewelry tends to change by season and the interior decoration just might take your breath away. During the Christmas there's day pass and night pass. It's best to purchase the tickers in November as soon as there are posted as they sell out quick. Would recommend this place 100/100. read more

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I went in mid-June. Nothing was in bloom so really hard to appreciate the true beauty of the place. Perhaps I'll try again another year. read more

We came to visit over Christmas from the South Bay, and I feel silly that I have never visited before. What a beautiful historical location. I can't wait to visit again in the spring when it's in full bloom. A must visit for everyone in the area. *Mr. Bourn arrived at the unusual name "FiLoLi" by combining the first two letters from the keywords of his personal credo: Fight for a Just Cause. Love Your Fellow Man. Live a Good Life. read more

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Really great experience to check out up by 280! Very relaxing area. The filoli house is maintained well and features interesting information with sound effects and audio, as well as signs describing each room and how the families lived here. After the house, the garden visit was super pretty. Lovely flowers blooming and great landscape architecture. We even saw turkeys roaming the area. I enjoyed the new addition of the vegetable garden portion to the museum. Overall, it was a beautiful sight and very pleasant visit. read more

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The flower garden areas are so beautiful. You can walk for a while and just enjoy the sight, and even take some cute photos. There's a spot where you can get wine/alcohol if you're interested. We got a latte and a blueberry scone at the cafe and the scone was crumbly but also not that bad! The estate was quick to explore. There is a gift shop too if you want to buy anything. We got some soaps and fake tulips which are beautiful in our home. read more

I've come twice to Filoli now, once in the day time and once at night. While I enjoyed my day time visit a few years ago, I noticed the price went up. $45 for a 7-9pm (only 2 hrs!) visit felt steep, but we were hoping the holiday experience would be worth it. Unfortunately the people working here soured our experience with their hostility. We waited in line for a snack and drink-- $10 for a croissant and $5 for a hot chocolate. After paying, the register person called for the croissant and I came to grab it. He proceeded to tell me I did not pay for a croissant, and he said he didn't charge me for it. Even though I know I paid almost $20 with tip! He continued to argue with me about what I ordered. He JUST took my order and then proceeded to tell me I'm wrong while he has this giant line waiting! We didn't get a receipt so I felt so distraught that this man was not going to give me my food after paying almost $20 with tip for a drink and croissant! He took his time to look at our order on the iPad, saw he was wrong, and then gave us a COLD croissant. I saw them heating it up for everyone else. Horrible and disappointing. By 8:30 pm, they start kicking people out of the house. This experience felt so rushed and packed. Honestly not worth the money. read more

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Filoli is very lovely place to visit if you're into the garden vibes! :) I've had Filoli bookmarked for several years, and I met up with my bestie here one Sunday afternoon last month. I bought the tickets for us online through their website. Mine was a little cheaper as I chose the teacher/veteran/student option as I am an elementary teacher. My friend isn't so I chose the regular admission for her. I was prepared to show proof upon showing the front entrance person, but they didn't ask for proof. Lol.. The gardens were very pretty. I loved seeing the different flowers that they grew there. I liked seeing the veggies as well! The store had many cute and plant-related items for sale, but it's a little bit pricey. So we didn't buy anything, but it was nice to check out. We had brunch at their cafe, and I don't really remember what we had... Lol but I do remember it being pretty tasty! So that's good. I loved the decor the place as it was very boho and chill. I would definitely come here again in the future. I would love to take my parents and sister to visit this place as they would love it! read more

My first visit here ever! We came during Summer Nights, which was perfect because it is crazy hot during the day. Roses were in bloom. Went on the trail. Saw the lovers bench, red barn and circle of redwoods. There as actually a field of lavender. My happy place! The McMansion is amazing! Hoping to come back when the vegetable garden is open. read more

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I had real bad experience there driving through its VERY DARK driveway from the main road to the parking lot. I went there at night last year one week before Christmas and will never go back again at night, unless they provide more lighting to brighten the driveway for our safety. I don't think that's too much to ask because "safety is no accident." read more

This is such a beautiful place to come to. Unfortunately, the date I decided to come the caffee was closed due to a blackout. Also, my friend and I wanted to buy plants but couldn't purchase them because the system was down as well. however, this place is beautiful has a lot of unique flowers. very pretty to take pictures and enjoy nature. read more

Who would have thought this place existed. Perfect weather for this special day witnessing a lovely proposal from our beloved Lester! Congratulations to both of you! Great quality time for family & friends! Make sure to wear comfortable pair of shoes! Roses are blooming! Admission fee for adult are $30.00 I believe place was pretty huge. I didn't get the chance to roam every each corner! I must comeback! Until we meet again. read more

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Expect to spend the whole day, there is so much to see inside and out. Went for thr troll exhibit outside and had no idea that there was a whole house to tour and amazing gardens. Worth a visit. read more

It's a cute historic house and garden. The gardens are beautiful and the grounds would be perfect for photo shoots for people who need a beautiful backdrop. It's like a smaller version of the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC. We went at the end of the day on a weekend. It wasn't packed when we got there. But from the number of cars we passed by on our way in and the ones that were leaving, I think it was pretty busy not too long before we got there. The parking lot is smaller than I would've anticipated. It looks like it would get full pretty quickly on busy days, so I definitely suggest carpooling if possible. It appeared that they have special events during the year. I think you're also permitted to bring in food but only during specific times. It looked like there may be some food vendors during events, but I'm not sure because it was really quiet when we had gone. They have a cute little gift shop as well where they sell different kinds of merchandise with their trademarks. I collect postcards, and I purchased a couple to keep and send out to family as well. read more

Good experience, but OVERPRICED. Went here to see the Christmas decor and lights. Its a beautiful estate and it was interesting to see what lavish homes from the Gilded Age must have looked and felt like during the holidays. The gardens are also massive and were beautifully decorated. However, we paid more than $45 per adult, and that was far too overpriced. The entrance tickets should not have been more than $20 per person. We walked through the mansion, then through the grounds. There is a small shop there with Filoli branded merchandize and trinkets. There is also a nursery there (overpriced plants). We had some soup and a sandwich at the Quail Cafe - the food was mediocre at best. We then had some mulled wine while walking the grounds - that was actually pretty good. All in all - it was a fun "thing to do" for a few hours in the evening during the holidays, but I think I should have paid a solid $25 less for the experience. read more

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Beautiful just beautiful! A MUST SEE! It's like we have stepped into a place in Europe for a few hours and back to the Bay Area. Spring is very out-of-this-world this year because of the much needed rain we all got. The backdrop of the green hills makes this place so much more magical and fairy tale like. SNAP EBT card holders gets 4 FREE tickets. This is part of the Museums For All program. Look it up. My mom's friend had them and she saved us entrance fees. They are $34 for adults and $32 for seniors per person. I took them to dinner after the visit. My mom and her friend are on walkers so we were not able to cover much ground. We basked in the beauty of the garden just outside the mansion. Around the pool area, the pond area and the amazing garden next to it with beautiful cherry blossoms and tulips. It was truly magical. The mansion is kept exquisitely. It feels like a few year after Downton Abbey timeline ended. You can see the staff and the family where they all go. I chatted with one of the staff there and they said everyday in Spring is very busy. So expect a lot of people. Summer is great too but it can get pretty hot there. The staff were ALL amazing! Very warm and kind. So helpful and have the attitude that they want to help! Kudos to the management. Make sure you bring a hat, sunglasses, lots of sunscreen, a bottled water and a fully charged phone for all the pictures you will want to take. We are hoping to come by again and visit more. I feel like there is more to see. read more

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I brought my Mom here for Mother's Day, it was nice. She enjoyed it very much. We had high tea, and that was in my opinion the best part.

Fantastic overall experience, plenty of activities for kids and all members of the family to do nature and a lot of history. It also doubles as a wedding venue will definitely recommend it well worth the drive read more

This is definitely a place to visit in the Spring in the Bay Area and a unique experience, I love the experience of seeing the variety of tulips. Also it's an amazing place for pictures and photo shoots! read more

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I think the holidays at Filoli is a little gem that everyone should use as a warm-up to the season. The light displays make the grounds feel enchanted and make for some Insta-worthy moments if that's your jam. The bar, with its delicious hot chocolate as well as some fine adult beverages, offers a welcoming spot by the fire to enjoy the night air and catch up with your crew. The mansion itself might not be near as grand as European palaces, but who cares? This is San Jose, people! The team decorates the home beautifully, and it offers a lovely step back in time. I honestly think Filoli is well worth the price of admission and a great way to infuse some holiday spirit into the family. One suggestion for the folks at Filoli: I'd love for you to invite High School choirs to come and perform. That would put the experience firmly in the "can't miss" category. read more

Filoli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

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In 2019 Filoli refused to accept tax-deductible membership payment from donor advised fund (as noted in their response to my 2019 review) well now, 2025, they DO accept DAF grants so now we are members, but honestly not sure if we will renew, we just visited Filoli April 2025, it is nothing like it was in years past, so many changes, no more Filoli history video for new visitors, entrance is at the far end of the property, not nearly as many flowers as you would see past years in mid-April, and the property in general was did not seem as well tended as in past years. The special events (of which there are MANY) are super expensive, (example, a tea $185). This is reflected in other reviews from those who have been going there for years, they lost hundreds of volunteers in 2015 In 2014 Filoli had 1,442 volunteers... early 2015, 1,300 active volunteers.....late 2017, the number of volunteers was down to 850..... 2023 - 650, they hired a consultant to 'reframe' volunteerism' Now, Filoli has no dedicated volunteer coordinator, no docents, and no dedicated volunteer database... that's progress?? https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2018/03/28/help-not-wanted-filolis-volunteer-corps-is-dwindling-in-size-and-responsibility/ Now Summer Winds runs the nursery, the gift shop merch has changed considerably, cafe quality has gone down (but not the prices). Volunteers were the heart and soul of the place. The volunteers did everything on the property, from building trails for nature hikes to digging weeds in the garden and checking out customers in the garden shop (the garden shop staff on recent visit was clueless about native plants). All the plants were dry as a bone. Garden decor merch looked shopworn, faded price tags etc, it used to be special, not now. Filoli 'leadership' really messed up a good thing and it shows. So much for 'reframing' volunteerism, but I bet that consultant made a bundle. With that said, first time visitors will still be impressed, the house is beautiful, if you have never been there it is worth a visit. But the emphasis now seems to be on special events rather than historical preservation and horticulture. read more

The site is a California Historical Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. I've been looking forward to coming here as the gardens look beautiful and even more so during the holidays. I bought tickets for the evening admission. We walked around the house first. It was cool how they played sounds that go with different rooms. The garden has nice lights on some parts, but some areas were dark. There were also some lights that were strung, but didn't seem to be working. We spent a little over an hour at Filoli. Maybe I'll come and check the gardens again when everything is blooming, but don't think my experience was worth $38- overpriced. read more

Filoli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Woodside, California

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I always love coming here! Filoli gardens is one of the most beautiful locations for your photos in the Bay Area! There's always something blooming year round. read more

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