The Filoli Mansion is located in Woodside just 30 miles south of San Francisco. It's a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and one of the finest remaining estates of the 20th century. It's open to the public; the entrance fee is only $15 and that gives you access to the gardens, mansion, gift shop and cafe.
The mansion was built in 1915 for Mr. and Mrs. Bourn, a prominent San Franciscan family. In 1937 it was purchased by the Roth family, a wealthy shipping family from San Francisco, who eventually donated the estate to the National Trust. You can join a guided tour of the grounds and mansion or just stroll around on your own. The day I chose to go was filled with bright sunshine and brilliant blue skies.
There's much to see and admire on this property and the gardens change with the seasons. Apparently, the color schemes change yearly and festivals are held periodically throughout the year, too. The following photos are mainly from the gardens.
The welcome sign...
A view of the front entrance to the mansion...
Looking up at the ornate ceiling of the portico...
A view of the mansion from the lower terrace...
A fountain at the retail nursery...
Inside the Garden House...
The view of the Garden Shop and clock tower...
The door leading to the Sunken Garden...
A tribute to the woman who nurtured the gardens and donated the estate...
Views of the Sunken Garden and Reflecting Pond...
One of the many walkways...
Inside the Walled Garden...
The Wedding Place...
A passageway from the Walled Garden...
The Sunken Garden with the clock tower in the distance...
The color scheme this year seemed to include lots of orange...
The swimming pool - no, it's not heated...
A row of trees outside the Walled Garden...
The High Place - the highest point on the property. Those columns are actually ballast from salvaged ships...
Gardners doing what they do...
The patio at the cafe, which by the way serves delicious food...
A majestic oak tree - there are many on the property...
If you'd like to see photos from the interior of the mansion, I've posted those in my
Instagrid feed. Do you know how Filoli got its name? It's from the first two letters from the key words of Bourn's credo, "Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life." Words we could all live by!
