What is the best time to visit Filoli gardens? This is a question with many answers because there is no one best time to visit Filoli and I am going to show you why in this article.
Filoli historic house & gardens is located just off HW 280 in Woodside , California which has a perfect climate for botanical gardens. I would say with enough confidence of a person who visited Filoli gardens Woodside CA pretty much every month in a year that each season has something different to surprise you with, whether it be plants in bloom or special events. So you can literally visit Filoli gardens twelve times in a year and see it in a totally different light each time. That’s why it is one of my most favorite one-day trip destinations in San Francisco Bay Area.
Below is a breakdown per month in terms of what you can expect to see at Filoli historic house & gardens:
Filoli gardens in late January – early February
Middle of winter is one of the best times to visit Filoli gardens because magnificent magnolias and camellias are starting to bloom.
Filoli gardens in late February – March
In late February and March daffodils are popping up everywhere. Wouldn’t you say it is a great time to visit Filoli gardens?
Filoli gardens in April.
Do you love tulips and wisteria? In such case April is the best time for you to visit Filoli gardens. You are guaranteed to be awe struck by its beauty. It may be a little crowded but the experience is totally worth it, I promise!
Filoli gardens in May
Lilacs are in bloom at Filoli at the beginning of the month and the rose garden starts blooming by Mother’s Day weekend (see the photo is the June section below) . Filoli also hosts its annual Flower Fair in the middle of the month. So I would say May is the best time to visit Filoli gardens with Mom.
If you need an additional proof why May is considered the best time to visit Filoli gardens, check out my YouTube video Best Time to Visit Filoli Gardens:
Filoli gardens in June – August
June is a great time for the rose garden visit, plus there are special art exhibits held in the garden during the summer. My understanding is that each year the exhibition is different but I suggest you confirm that by visiting the official Filoli historic house & garden website that I provided at the beginning of the article
Filoli gardens in September
September is a harvest time for fruit trees in Filoli gardens (mainly apples and pears). It is also time for harvest festival where you can taste all this bounty. I have never seen so many different varieties of apples – it is phenomenal! And they all taste different. So you can guess that this is probably my most favorite time to visit Filoli gardens.
Filoli gardens in October
If you have kids October is definitely one of the best times to visit Filoli gardens because this is the time when Filoli historic house & gardens organizes Halloween festivities. This is a party that you simply cannot miss. There are several hands on activities and surprises. We have fun there every year!
Filoli gardens end of November – December
End of November – beginning of December is one of the most magical time to visit Filoli gardens. Holidays at Filoli is a prime Christmas event in San Francisco Bay Area. For several weeks in a row Filoli is being lavishly decorated inside and outside. There are special events during this time at weekends in both Filoli historic house and gardens. For example, you can tour the mansion and the gardens, visit with Santa or attend a music performance in the evening and more.
So have you decided what is the best time to visit Filoli gardens? If not, you just need come check it out for yourself!
Additional information about visiting Filoli historic house & garden
- Is Filoli garden free to visit? No, it is not, it is actually more expensive than San Francisco Botanical Garden but I think your experience will be worth it.
- Where is Filoli garden located? – It is located in Woodside, California.
- How to get to Filoli gardens? – Unfortuantely, there is no public transport that will take you there, you will have to drive.
- There is a hiking trail on premises where you can hike and encounter some local inhabitants: deer, wild turkey and other birds.
- Where is the famous Filoli gardens peacock? The beautiful peacock that lived at Filoli gardens for several years, unfortunately, passed away. As of May 2020 there is no replacement, sadly.
- All special events sell out in advance so book your tickets early! There are not events planned at Filoli historic house & gardens during the time of COVID-19 quarantine.
- Filoli historic house & gardens is much less crowded during the week than on weekends.
- Filoli gardens is a popular venue for weddings and photo shoots.
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