The jack-o’-lanterns are still glowing at Filoli, but the holidays are already attracting attention from visitors across the Bay Area. With 25 sold-out nights for its Nightfall event, running through November 1, the historic Woodside estate has already sold more than 26,000 tickets to Holidays at Filoli, which opens November 14 and runs through January 10.
This year, the celebration grows in every direction. After dark, 350,000 lights fill the property, including new light displays in the 16-acre English Renaissance-style gardens. Thistlewyck Village’s miniature trains return to the redwoods, along with a new Filoli Family Farm bringing mini cows, goats, sheep, piglets, and a mother donkey with her baby to the estate’s forest. At the Historic House, a Celtic Connections theme rooted in the founding Bourn family’s ties to Ireland fills the rooms with tartan, evergreens, and hundreds of decorated trees and wreaths decking the House inside and out.
“Every season, we ask how we can share Filoli’s story in ways our guests haven’t seen before,” said Kara Newport, President & CEO of Filoli. “This year, that means a family farm that recalls our days as a working country estate, a House that brings the Bourn family’s Irish roots to life, and new light displays across the Garden. The response so far tells us people are ready to celebrate with us, and we’re excited to keep growing these experiences while staying rooted in more than a century of history and tradition.”
13 Days to Trade Thousands of Pumpkins for 350,000 Holiday Lights
Setting up Holidays at Filoli is a feat of its own. Planning begins more than a year in advance, and installation starts in September while fall is still in full swing. The biggest push comes in the 13 days between the last night of Nightfall on November 1 and opening day on November 14, when more than 200 Filoli staff turn an estate filled with thousands of pumpkins and spooky decor around every corner into a holiday destination.
When the switch flips, more than 350,000 lights set the estate aglow on 28 miles of light strands – long enough to reach from Filoli to San Francisco’s Oracle Park.
Mini Cows, a Baby Donkey, and the New Filoli Family Farm
New this year, the Filoli Family Farm welcomes mini cows, goats, sheep, piglets, a mother donkey along with her baby, and more to the property’s redwoods for daytime visits. The farm is a nod to Filoli’s early days as a working country estate, when horses were part of daily life on the property, and to the wildlife that still thrives across its 654 acres and six distinct ecosystems today.
More Magic Among the Redwoods
Thistlewyck Village, the redwood railway that inspired this fall’s Haunted Railway, returns as the track transforms from haunted to holiday to welcome explorers of all ages to the surrounding holiday village. Guests can test their elf skills at the Elf Academy, send letters to the North Pole, and even take the official Thistlewyck Elf Oath with one of the village’s very own elves.
A Celtic Christmas, Rooted in Filoli’s Story
Inside the Historic House, this year’s Celtic Connections theme draws on one of Filoli’s most personal histories. Few wedding gifts compare to the one William Bowers Bourn II gave his daughter Maud in 1911. The man who built Filoli purchased Muckross House in Killarney, Ireland, for Maud and her new husband, Arthur Vincent, creating a lasting bond between the two estates. This season, the House brings that connection home with nostalgic, heritage-inspired holiday style: layered tartans, rich jewel tones, evergreen garland, and distinctly decorated trees and wreaths throughout the House’s historic rooms.
Holidays at Filoli at a Glance
Holiday Daytime
November 14–January 10 | 10 am–3:30 pm (last admission 1:30 pm)
The Historic House dressed for a Celtic Christmas, the Garden in winter bloom, Thistlewyck Village’s railway through the redwoods, and the new Filoli Family Farm.
Holiday Lights
November 14–January 10 | 4 pm–10 pm (last admission 8 pm)
350,000 lights across the Garden, a 210-foot light tunnel, new light orbs and glowing flowers. Guests can warm up with Filoli’s famously decadent hot cocoa. Last season, it took 2,500 pounds of chocolate to keep up with demand.
Holiday Lights Anytime+
Select any evening | Limited availability nightly
NEW ticket offering: arrive anytime on chosen evening, with easy date changes. Includes a festive drink, light-up necklace, 3D light glasses, a collectible holiday pin, and 20% off eligible retail purchases.
Thistlewyck Passport
Add-on to Holiday Daytime admission
A stamp-collecting adventure through Thistlewyck Village including an Elf Hat, letters to the North Pole, a toy train, an official Elf Oath ceremony, and a cup of Filoli’s famous hot chocolate.
Holiday Teas
December 1–18 | Select times
A family-style afternoon tea with tiered treats and sparkling wine in the Historic Garden House.
