- ~700 acres estate built by Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn II in early 1900s
- Gardens
- $15/person admission fee
- Free parking
- Free map at Visitor Center
- Restrooms inside Visitor Center
- Café and Gift shop next to the Visitor Center
- Self-guided and docent led tours available
- No food or water allowed inside
- Plan to spend at least two and a half hours
- Gardens are not well-shaded
One of my colleagues
recommended visiting the Filoli and we grabbed the opportunity to go here
on a warm Sunday afternoon. After a 45minutes drive from San Jose, the GPS
did not take us to the exact spot, but the sign posts on the Canada Road came
to our rescue. We drove a couple of miles past the spot where the GPS
pointed to and soon we reached the huge parking lot of Filoli.
When we purchased the tickets
at the Visitor Center, the ticket attendant shared a map with us and briefly
explained the things to see. We started with a 10-15 movie clip inside a small
room at the Visitor Center that enlightened us about the history of Filoli. The
automated video repeats itself and one has the flexibility to walk in and
walk out any time.
In 1906, after the San
Francisco earthquake, among the several affluent families that moved to the
countryside were Mr. and Mrs. William Bower Bourn II. They constructed this
~700 acres estate and lived here between 1917 and 1936. It was then sold to Mr.
and Mrs. William Roth in 1937 who lived here for almost 4 decades before
donating it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Apparently,
Fi-lo-li means Fight, Love and Live!
 |
| The House Entrance |
With the map in our
hands, we went to the opulent House where the families lived. All the rooms in
the first floor are open to the visitors and the map has a lot of
information about the interior architecture in each room.
 |
| Dining Room inside the house |
As we went to the
Foyer and Cloak Room, Ship Room, Kitchen, Pantry, Dining Room, Drawing Room,
Reception Room, Library, Holding Room, Study Room, Trophy Room and the
grandiose Ballroom, the intricacy of the designs and expensive furniture
threw me in awe. A docent is seated in every room to answer any questions
that visitors might have. The second floor is not open to public. The House looked like a mini version of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
 |
| Grandiose Ball Room |
 |
| Living Room |
We exited the House
and walked on the well-maintained path in the gardens to see different kinds of
flowers. The huge garden also features a swimming pool, which was shimmering
in the sunlight. As we were walking through the Cutting Garden, we heard a
high-pitched, piercing scream and peeked through the gardens to see the
magnificent National Bird of India. Only among the animals can males be more
beautiful than females!
 |
| National Bird of India |
 |
| Swimming Pool |
After exploring the
gardens, we spent some time in the cute gift shop that sold a variety of goods
before returning to the car. The Filoli is open only during limited hours and
plan to spend at least two and a half hours here. The garden is not well-shaded
and it gets scorching during summer; be prepared for it. Apart from that,
it is definitely a nice place to leisurely spend a couple of hours.
 |
| Flowers in the garden |
 |
| Roses in the garden |
pink flowres <3
ReplyDeleteWhat does <3 mean?
ReplyDelete