The Bay Area's Best Botanic Garden Is Just Outside San Francisco With Fruit Trees, Orchards, And Vibrant Blooms

The San Francisco Bay Area has been said to evoke the sophisticated views and vibes of Britain's countryside, and in fact, there is one place tucked amidst the region that appears to transport visitors across the pond. About 25 miles south of San Francisco lies Filoli, a grand 650-acre estate anchored by a Georgian-style mansion and idyllic English-inspired gardens. 

In the lush shadow of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Filoli was built in 1917 for gold mining magnate William Bowers Bourn II and his wife Agnes Moody Bourn as their country escape. The luxurious mansion epitomized the grandeur of the late Gilded Age with 56 rooms, including a massive ballroom, that displayed important art and antiques. Filoli's surrounding property was transformed to include 16 acres of exceptional botanic gardens that now bloom with over 75,000 bulbs come spring and fruit orchards, as well as woodlands, meadows, and canyons. In 1975, Filoli was donated to the National Trust of Historic Preservation. Since then, it has been open to the public and welcomes over 400,000 visitors a year to its idyllic retreat.

Filoli is located in Woodside, California, about a 20-minute drive from San Francisco International Airport. The estate is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and adult tickets are $36 per person, with parking on site included. While there is always something blooming at Filoli, the best time to visit are the spring and summer months when the gardens explode with flowering color.

While San Francisco offers some extraordinary gardens, such as a hidden tea garden with tranquil landscapes in Golden Gate Park, nothing quite compares to the magnificence of Filoli. Filoli's gardens are a veritable wonderland of beautiful flowers, historic design, and fruit orchards. The gardens were designed by landscape architect Bruce Porter who took inspiration from both English and Italian gardens, incorporating a classic Renaissance sunken garden and walled garden. Other horticultural spaces included rose gardens, vegetable gardens, and a cutting garden. The second owners, the Roth family, also added a large swimming pool and pavilion to the grounds. Today, the gardens are maintained by 14 full-time horticulturists on staff.

During the springtime, the meadow at the back of the mansion blooms with daffodils, cherry blossom trees reach their peak lining the brick walled garden, and tulip bulbs burst with color. In summer, roses, lavender, and hydrangea keep the gardens vivid with their bright hues. Nearby, the vegetable gardens also flourish with cabbage, tomatoes, eggplant, lavender, rosemary, and more. Between February and October, garden enthusiasts should join the Insider's Garden Tour to discover more about this verdant landscape. 

Come late summer and fall, it is time to harvest at the orchards, which have over 600 fruit trees, including apple, peach, and plum. These are used to make butters and ciders that are sold on property at the Clock Tower Shop. And in the fall, Filoli's elm, maple, and ginkgo trees sport autumnal tones of red, orange, and gold.

"Our visit to Filoli was nothing short of magical!" raved a Tripadvisor reviewer. "The gardens were breathtaking, offering a feast for the senses with their vibrant colors and meticulously designed landscapes."

While the beautiful gardens beckon, don't miss a tour of the interior of the estate's mansion. Now over a hundred years old, this exceptional 55,000-square foot home reflects an era of elegance. Although the house was empty when it was acquired by the National Trust in 1975 most of the paintings, decorative arts, and furniture are original, having been donated back to Filoli. If the house looks familiar, that's because it was used as the exterior for the Carrington Manor on ABC's popular 1980s television show "Dynasty," as well as other major Hollywood films.

Inside, the lavish mansion boasts many remarkable rooms, including a reception hall, library, billiard room, drawing room, ballroom, and large kitchen. To learn more about the history of the mansion, book the House Curatorial Tour, an in-depth 90-minute tour that provides fascinating historical insight to the mansion and its inhabitants, as well as visitors to private spaces such as the Curatorial office and the upstairs bedrooms.

After you've visited the gardens and the mansion, venture on a light hike or stroll through the estate's woodlands. The San Andreas fault, where the Pacific Plate and North American Plate meet, even runs throughout the property! Before heading back to San Francisco, stop for a meal in nearby Redwood City, a Silicon Valley suburb with a burgeoning restaurant scene. And if you prefer to stay overnight near Filoli, book a room at the Rosewood Sand Hill, a glamorous resort where you can rub elbows with tech billionaires.