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Filoli Summit Doug Mills The New York Times(3)

Walk in Their Footsteps: Filoli Summit with President Xi & President Biden

In November 2023, Filoli was the setting for a historic diplomatic summit between President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China. Today, visitors are invited to walk in the footsteps…

Photo by Jeff Bartee

Renovating Filoli’s Knot Gardens

Photo by Jeff Bartee On a warm evening this summer, you may have smelled the Knot Gardens before you even saw them. Purple lavender and spicy-scented rosemary intertwine and overlap…

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Recollecting the House

One of the most satisfying parts of my job is recollecting items that once lived here. Every time I feel very much as if another piece of the puzzle is…

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Artist Spotlight: Mary Curtis Richardson, the “Mary Cassatt of the West”

Next time you wander through the Library in the Filoli House, take a moment to gaze at the portrait of William Bourn’s mother, Sarah Esther Chase Bourn, on the south…

Photo by Jeff Bartee

Sharing Seeds, Sharing Culture

by John Chau, Plant Records Specialist In the summer of 2022, Filoli’s Vegetable Garden opened to the public for the first time. This land has been used for growing produce…

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ICYMI: Bay Area Artist Barnali Ghosh Shares Self-Portraits Inspired By California Native Wildflowers

Barnali Ghosh is a Berkeley-based designer, artist, community historian, and landscape architect. For California Native Plant Week, Barnali shared the story behind her Unfaithful Re/creations (Floral Edition) project, which features…

Photo by Mike James

Mystery Solved: The Female Artist Behind Filoli’s Terrazzo Garden Tables

Cover photo by Mike James Have you ever relaxed by the Garden House at one of the café tables overlooking the Sunken Garden? You may not have noticed the intricate…

Photo by Mike James

Remembering the Meadow Oak Trees

Photos by Mike James As many have probably seen, Filoli lost an iconic old growth oak tree this past week. Its partner fell last summer due to weakened roots. The…

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Stormy Weather: Keeping Filoli resilient and available for generations to come

Have you found yourself wondering “what is going on at Filoli?!” when the weather gets wild? Read on to learn about what happens when Filoli closes to the public. Our…

Lower Crystal Springs Dam Bridge

Crystal Springs Reservoir: The Inspiration for Hoover Dam

A marvel of engineering, the Crystal Springs Dam was built in 1888 to create the reservoir just north of Filoli. It was built by the Spring Valley Water Company, which…