Filoli Estate

The Filoli Estate is a hidden gem 30 miles south of San Francisco, tucked away in a pastoral landscape with the densely wooded Santa Cruz Mountains as a backdrop. The 654-acre estate is registered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. With a grandeur that rivals Europe's finest estates, Filoli boasts gracious architecture, lavish rooms, and splendid grounds that have made it a top choice for film sets. The house was pictured in Dynasty, Heaven Can Wait, and George of the Jungle among other movies.

Filoli is renowned for its 16-acre formal gardens, landscaped in the English Renaissance style with perfectly manicured hedges, terraces, decorative pools, fountains, flower beds, and a rose garden. Pleasant pathways and parterres invite visitors to wander and admire the ever-changing array of seasonal plants and blossoms, from colorful tulips in early spring to vibrant chrysanthemums in autumn. The Filoli Nature Preserve includes a trail system of 22 hiking paths, only accessible on docent-led hikes, but visitors may take self-guided hikes on the Nature Preserve's one-mile loop Estate Trail.

Website: www.filoli.org

Address: 86 Canada Road, Woodside, California

Phone: (650) 364-8300

Entrance fee: $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 65 and over, $10 for children between 5-17, and free for children under 5

Google rating: 4.8/5.0