Filoli House Christmas lights draw thousands

A Christmas tree made of old books, pink and purple lanterns, a piano that plays by itself, and a 210-foot tunnel of lights that change color are just a few of the spectacles visitors can witness.

Filoli is nestled on a slope of the Santa Cruz mountains along Highway 280 in Woodside. The estate was built in 1917 as a private residence for Agnes and William Bourn, with a 54,000 square foot Georgian revival-style mansion and 16 acres of English Renaissance gardens.

For the holidays, the mansion is dotted with 21 uniquely decorated Christmas trees and detailed dining tables covered in the Bourn's 581-piece Tiffany & Co. silverware set.

"It gave me a taste of how people used to live," said Harold Rusi, an attendee who visited Filoli for the first time with his family. "It felt like I was transported into a different era."

The sprawling gardens are converted into a museum of lights with different themes in each section. In total, there are 6,000 strands of lights that stretch more than 28 miles.

"The lights were very well done," Rusi said. "You could tell there was a lot of thought put into it."

Everyday and evening until Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, Holidays at Filoli is open to visitors who purchase tickets. Much of the evening shows are sold out for the rest of December.