Filoli certainly doesn’t feel like it is only 30 miles (48 kilometers) from San Francisco, or even closer to some of the suburbs south of the City. Instead, Filoli feels like a faraway estate reserved for the wealthy. Except that this estate is open to the hoi polloi! It’s never felt so good to be a proletariat, plebeian, or populist.
A stately facade
Built in the 1910s by a wildly successful business magnate, the red brick historic mansion reflects a slightly footloose interpretation of the European aesthetic. Such tendencies were often the case in California during this era, and could be considered duly de rigueur. The name Filoli comes from the “FIght for a just cause, LOve your fellow man, LIve a good life” motto, which the owner believed to be a very upstanding set of tenets to live by.
A muted-colors kaleidoscope interior
The fruit basket of design elements really shimmers inside the mansion, but the fruits are well chosen, polished, and create for a delicious snack no matter what your palate may be like. Corinthian columns rise next to an Asian folding wall, all lit by what might very well be a French chandelier. Rooms like this, but also a ballroom, a giant kitchen, and elaborate bathrooms, vie for your attention as you freely roam the interior. The house was the primary residence for two families, but was set up for extensive entertaining.
Please step outside for your pleasant garden stroll
Filoli’s land holdings expand beyond the manicured acres of formal gardens, and there are a number of tours (small additional fee, reservations encouraged) on offer to explore these hinterlands. However, for the casual nature aficionado, some time strolling about the well organized and traditional garden spaces will serve up adequately hefty dollops of relaxation and pleasant thoughts. With the weather around these parts so often astoundingly beautiful, your odds of getting to enjoy a little slice of heaven are much more than fortuitous.
Choose a season. Any season.
Late February, and this year the tulips were already beaming their radiance straight into visitors consciousnesses. Early in spring you are also liable to get lost in a trance as you bumble about the daffodils. A garden such as this of course also wouldn’t be complete without roses, and fall brings its own treats too. Even the starkness of a true winter day brings its own spectacle.
Like a good book, a re-reading of Filoli shows you something new every time
Just half an hour south of San Francisco, or about the same north of Silicon Valley, lies Filoli, a gem of an architectural and gardening legacy. Admission is 20 USD, which is a reasonable and worthy contribution to the non-profit organization that runs the facility. Docents happily share information, or just as happily let you explore on your own. Next time you find yourself in the area, stop on by for a couple of hours or so. There’s a cafe as well, should you wish to make a meal of it.
History
Get Trip101 in your inbox
Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data
-
9 Best Family Resorts In San Francisco Bay Area - Updated 2024Alyssandra Raiza -
-
-
-
-
Create an account to