The San Francisco Bay Area has been said to evoke the sophisticated views and vibes of Britain’s countryside, and in fact, there is one place tucked amidst the region that appears to transport visitors across the pond. About 25 miles south of San Francisco lies Filoli, a grand 650-acre estate anchored by a Georgian-style mansion and idyllic English-inspired gardens.
In the lush shadow of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Filoli was built in 1917 for gold mining magnate William Bowers Bourn II and his wife Agnes Moody Bourn as their country escape. The luxurious mansion epitomized the grandeur of the late Gilded Age with 56 rooms, including a massive ballroom, that displayed important art and antiques. Filoli’s surrounding property was transformed to include 16 acres of exceptional botanic gardens that now bloom with over 75,000 bulbs come spring and fruit orchards, as well as woodlands, meadows, and canyons. In 1975, Filoli was donated to the National Trust of Historic Preservation. Since then, it has been open to the public and welcomes over 400,000 visitors a year to its idyllic retreat.
Filoli is located in Woodside, California, about a 20-minute drive from San Francisco International Airport. The estate is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and adult tickets are $36 per person, with parking on site included. While there is always something blooming at Filoli, the best time to visit are the spring and summer months when the gardens explode with flowering color.
The gardens and grounds of Filoli
While San Francisco offers some extraordinary gardens, such as a hidden tea garden with tranquil landscapes in Golden Gate Park, nothing quite compares to the magnificence of Filoli. Filoli’s gardens are a veritable wonderland of beautiful flowers, historic design, and fruit orchards. The gardens were designed by landscape architect Bruce Porter who took inspiration from both English and Italian gardens, incorporating a classic Renaissance sunken garden and walled garden. Other horticultural spaces included rose gardens, vegetable gardens, and a cutting garden. The second owners, the Roth family, also added a large swimming pool and pavilion to the grounds. Today, the gardens are maintained by 14 full-time horticulturists on staff.
During the springtime, the meadow at the back of the mansion blooms with daffodils, cherry blossom trees reach their peak lining the brick walled garden, and tulip bulbs burst with color. In summer, roses, lavender, and hydrangea keep the gardens vivid with their bright hues. Nearby, the vegetable gardens also flourish with cabbage, tomatoes, eggplant, lavender, rosemary, and more. Between February and October, garden enthusiasts should join the Insider’s Garden Tour to discover more about this verdant landscape.
Come late summer and fall, it is time to harvest at the orchards, which have over 600 fruit trees, including apple, peach, and plum. These are used to make butters and ciders that are sold on property at the Clock Tower Shop. And in the fall, Filoli’s elm, maple, and ginkgo trees sport autumnal tones of red, orange, and gold.
“Our visit to Filoli was nothing short of magical!” raved a Tripadvisor reviewer. “The gardens were breathtaking, offering a feast for the senses with their vibrant colors and meticulously designed landscapes.”
Inside the mansion at Filoli
