Filoli

Address:	86 Cañada Road, Woodside, CA 94062, USA
Phone:	+1 650-364-8300
Site:	filoli.org
Rating:	4.6
Working:	Closed 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 10

Mary Wang

Our whole day was ruined by the rude guy walking around in the Cafe enforcing so called "No outside food rule". During lunch break, we were standing in line for 30 mins to get our food ordered. While waiting for full meal, my child was so hungry, so I open a small bag of snack specially prepared for her. The rude guy rushed here and ordered us to throw away everything right away. When he was told that that was only the special snack prepared for the child, he said you should call in advance to get approval before bringing anything edible, even in the Cafe!! We "must" leave right away if we didnt through away everything immediately. The garden is beautiful, but the house is boring, and only the first floor is open to public. It is relatively a very small and expensive considering the $20 admission fee and expensive cafe. Normal cafe food and drink for a family of four cost almost $70. One medium box of ordinary Salad costs $11 before TAX. This place is relatively isolated, they open late on Sunday (11:00AM) . So, they take advantage of those who have to eat at their Cafe.

Lisa G

This is a beautiful manor and garden! It felt similar to Hearst Castle, but smaller of course. The gardens are beautiful and well kept. Visiting is a great way to take time to "smell the roses." It is also very picturesque, so it has many great photo opportunities. It is also a great place to practice photography. There are also lots of Pokestops if you play Pokemon. I enjoyed looking at all the plants and flowers. Each one states its species. Some plants werent in season, and we went during summer at 11am to 1:30pm, so the sun was direct, light was bright, and hot. There isnt a lot of shade, so if you go in summer, please bring water and wear sunscreen. I also enjoyed touring the manor. It only allows for the first floor, but it is incredibly spacious. Many furnishings are originals and are so intricate. Great for those who enjoy art history and appreciate interior design and antiques. It is $20 for adults and $10 for students.

Elaine Piraino-Holevoet

This historic property, just a short drive from Silicon Valley, is the perfect place to take your visiting parents. The house is magnificent, but the grounds are even more impressive, so be sure to go when the weather is nice. Plan to spend several hours and bring your camera. We visited in late winter when the bulbs and camellias were at their peak but the trees were not yet leafed out; I imagine it is beautiful every time of year. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and not intrusive; they are there to answer any questions you might have. Worth the price of admission, particularly if you are a gardener. Discounts for seniors and children; children under 5 are free. Consider a membership if you plan to visit often. Just a couple of words of caution: Quite a bit of walking is required on some rugged paths if you want to see it all, and the paths are not suited for walkers or strollers. Also restrooms are few and far between.

Kimberly Ann Graham

I have lived in the Bay Area for nearly 30 years and finally made it here!! An absolutely beautiful place to visit! Enjoyed it so much, I bought a membership! The garden displays are breathtaking and its very clear that they are changed quite frequently to keep up with whats in bloom at the time of your visit. Tulips were in bloom last weekend and they had them out in pots everywhere, in staggering numbers. I cant imagine how they are able to maintain it but everything that I saw was immaculate. The interiors of the estate are very well cared for. Each room having at least one volunteer docent on hand to talk about the space and answer any questions you might have. Every one of them I spoke with clearly had a great love for the place and its easy to see why. They do nature walks and hikes that are docent lead as well. Im excited to go back to try these out!

Agnes Z.

I am always surprised that so many people dont know where FIloli is ...or... what it is. It is not a picnic place or possible wedding venue. Get that out of your head. Filoli has been voted the MOST BEAUTIFUL garden by the Smithsonian. It is paradise. There are events throughout the year. However, my favorite thing is to walk in the garden - it is beautiful in every season. After my walk, where my blood pressure has plummeted and I am so happy to be here....Youd love the orchard in the Fall, Jazz in the summer, the spring bulbs may make you cry. It is so beautiful. A bit unreal. The smell of roses in June, the look of the blooming trees in the spring, the drifting leaves in Fall. There are twilight strolls. And if you like to hike, call in and make a reservation to take a Nature Education hike.

Keith Achorn

This historic house is engulfed by the rolling South Bay hills, making the drive here quite enjoyable. The house itself is well maintained as well as are the gardens. I will certainly be coming back with out-of-town family. One caution is that this area is very exposed to the sun with little shade to be found. And unfortunately the gift shop does not sell sunscreen, sunglasses, or normal looking hats, despite overhearing multiple requests in the short time I was there. I honestly cant fathom why they dont stock these obvious items, so be sure to bring some with your on sunny days.

James Bostock

Neat grounds, and mansion, but it could have been so much more. Mansion. Pretty impressive house with plenty of information and signs to self tour. What sucked was that we werent allowed upstairs/downstairs (wine cellar) so you really only get to see 1/3 of the house. Reasons for that aside it just made the house portion seem rushed (especially since its $20 per adult). Grounds. Well taken care of and Ive no doubt the former owners would have approved. Not quite double stroller friendly, but it was entertaining for a half day with the kids to do something a little different.

Jay Andrews

This is the "best kept secret" in the area. I had never heard of Filoli until a friend mentioned that they had been there. I made a point of visiting Filoli during a trip to the bay area. It was totally worth it! Amazing gardens that change with the seasons so you should visit often. Make sure to tell your friends about Filoli as it seems that no one knows about it. We did the garden and mansion tour. The only small complaint was that I couldnt pay for the tickets easily online before the trip. A quick call to the volunteer staff took care of booking the tickets beforehand.

lamont chappell

A bit of a disappointment as a man. I appreciate the upkeep of such a major garden. I also like bringing a Victorian English garden to a California plot of land. But the garden itself was not the best. Just ok. Very large and very green but the flowers and special plants are lacking. So the small ponds and the pool become the highlights of the garden. The actual house was very nice and did have some interesting articles. It was similar to touring any large house. Library, dining room, multiple kitchens, game room, and the very impressive ballroom.

Krittika Dew

Pretty place to walk around and fun to learn about the history of it. สวยงามทั้งตัวบ้านและบริเวณโดยรอบ มีไกด์แนะนำแทบทุกที่ แต่ค่าตั๋วค่อนข้างแพงถ้าไม่ได้เป็นสมาชิก บางช่วงก็มีการจัดงานดนตรีค่ะ ลองเช็คตารางดู