Filoli Historic House & World-Class Garden

California, United States

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Filoli Historic House & World-Class Garden in Woodside, California, was built between 1915 and 1917 for William Bowers Bourn II, a wealthy heir to a California gold mine and president of the Spring Valley Water Company, and his wife Agnes.

The estate sits on 654 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains and features 16 acres of formal gardens designed by San Francisco artist Bruce Porter and horticulturist Isabella Worn. The mansion is a grand Georgian Revival-style structure designed by architect Willis Polk, reflecting the wealth and taste of early 20th-century California.

The gardens include distinct areas or “garden rooms” with courtyards, terraces, lawns, and pools, showcasing camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, and Irish yews transplanted from the Bourns’ properties in Ireland. After the Bourns passed away, the estate was bought by the Roth family, who expanded the botanical collections with hundreds of camellias, rhododendrons, roses, and magnolias.

In 1975, Lurline Roth donated the estate and gardens to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, turning Filoli into a nonprofit public garden and cultural center. Today, it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark, welcoming visitors to explore its historic house and meticulously maintained gardens that reflect horticultural artistry, history, and preservation.