Explore

Located 30 miles south of San Francisco, Filoli is nestled on a slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounded by more than 23,000 acres of the protected Peninsula watershed. To the two families who lived here, Filoli represented a desire to create a magnificent and enduring country estate. Today, Filoli’s mission is to connect our rich history with a vibrant future through beauty, nature, and shared stories.

Before Filoli

Before becoming a country estate, Filoli was home to ranchers, settlers, and the Indigenous Ohlone people

The people

Learn more about the people who made Filoli home, from the family to the staff. 

The Garden

Exquisitely beautiful and ever-changing, the Garden at Filoli offer visitors the chance to learn about the estate’s renowned horticulture practices or to simply enjoy the beauty.

The House

Filoli's historic House stands as California’s most triumphant example of the Georgian Revival tradition and is one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century.

The Estate

Filoli spans over 654-acres and 5 distinct ecosystems. The land has been home to many different people, animals and plants that you can learn about here.

Exhibits

Check out the unique exhibits you can see during your visit.
Filagree Large FG

What's Blooming

Each season we scout the Garden for amazing blooms and features our favorites here.

Zinnias and snapdragons are turning the Cutting Garden into a rainbow of colored blossoms. Snapdragons are named for the shape of their flowers, which look like the snout of a dragon and snap closed after pollinators delve inside for pollen.
Look for pink blosooms high up on the rhododendrons in the Woodland Garden. There are about 1000 different species of rhododendron.
The Sundial beds are bursting with yellow sunflowers! This new 'Sunfinity' variety offers nonstop blooming, multiple branches, and more flowers well into fall.
The 'Marilyn Monroe' hybrid tea rose, named for the famed actress, has a creamy apricot color and elegant shape. It's heat tolerant, since "some like it hot"!
Catch bees buzzing in the English lavender in the Panel Garden, which dates back to the Bourn era. The Knot Garden features the deep blue ‘Hidcote’ lavender.
In the Walled Garden, cottage garden beds burst with a dense, colorful mix of plants that attract pollinators. This style of planting originated in England in the 1400s.
The perennial border runs along the bay laurel hedge, and contains lavender, smoke bush, roses, purple top vervain and more!
Our current exhibit, A Fruitful Garden, highlights the edible and medicinal plants featured in our summer display.
The Sally Holmes climbing rose, which blooms continually throughout the summer, makes this arbor in the Rose Garden a favorite photo spot.
Water lilies are blooming in the Sunken Garden pond. On a warm day, dragonflies dance above the water and frog song fills the air.
Cheerful orange and yellow nasturtiums line the path at the back of the House. The plant’s flowers and circular leaves are edible -- and easy to grow in your own garden!
The yellow “Full Moon Rising” rose that climbs along the side of the Panel Garden cage is a mutation of the pink “Polka” variety. It was chosen for Filoli due to its disease resistance and fragrance.
Dahlias are popping up in the Cutting Garden! The colorful flowers are native to Central and North America and were cultivated by the Aztecs.
The clematis vine on the balustrade between the Dining Room Terrace and the Sunken Garden is showing off with deep purple blooms.
Look for hydrangeas near the Woodland Garden gate. Did you know some hydrangea flowers can change color based on the amount of aluminum in the soil?
Read More

Check out the latest blog posts

Check out the latest blog posts
Pollinator Detail In The Sunken

Pollinators at Filoli

June 25, 2021

This summer, Filoli’s Fruitful Garden exhibit highlights the gifts of edible, medicinal, and pollinator plants with a vibrant display of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. To celebrate Pollinator Week (June 21-27,…

Screen Shot 2021 05 13 At 2.46.02 PM

Object Spotlight: James Washington Jr. Granite Sculpture

May 13, 2021

This oval granite stone with its graceful curving lines captures the essence of a sleeping owl, with its beak tucked under its wing. The artist is the African American sculptor…

DSC 1202

From Orchard to Grove and Back: Olive Orchard Restoration

April 8, 2021

Guests who have visited Filoli in the past few weeks have stared in wonder at the renovation to the olive grove in front of the House. Learn more about the olive orchard restoration.