Nightfall at Filoli: A Magical Halloween Event in California
The gorgeous Filoli Historic House & Garden gets a magical makeover in October for the annual Nightfall at Filoli event. After a successful sold-out season in 2024, Nightfall at Filoli has returned to the Woodside, California, property for its second year!
This family-friendly event is the perfect Bay Area Halloween activity for those looking for some spooky fun without the scares.
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Filoli is my favorite place in the Bay Area, and I’ve visited more than a dozen times. Their events are incredibly well planned, designed, and executed, and Nightfall at Filoli is no exception.
Though part of the gardens are closed off during the event, it’s still easy to spend a few hours exploring the decorations, indulging in the treats for sale throughout the grounds, and enjoying the spirited energy of all the visitors.
If you’re looking for a fun Halloween event in the Bay Area, get your tickets for Nightfall at Filoli before they sell out!
What is Nightfall at Filoli?
Nightfall at Filoli is a spooky Halloween-themed event at Filoli Historic House & Garden. It’s a historic estate with fantastic gardens that change throughout the seasons and a gorgeous mansion that’s beautifully decorated.
During Nightfall at Filoli, part of the garden is closed off, and the remaining areas of the estate—the Meadow and Natural Lands—are decked out with fun Halloween decorations.
There are hundreds of jack-o'-lanterns, festive drinks, food trucks, and a nature trail leading to even more festivities in the Natural Lands next to the main grounds.
The mansion is transformed into a haunted house with creepy decorations, spooky lighting, and even some actors! If you’re feeling fancy, you can book tickets to partake in the champagne lounge in the grand ballroom.
Nightfall at Filoli Tickets
Nightfall at Filoli runs from October 3–November 10, 2025, with timed entrances at 5:30 pm, 6 pm, 6:30 pm, 7 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8 pm.
I prefer the 5:30 pm entrance when it’s still somewhat light out, so you can take photos and see all the festivities before the sun sets. You can stay until closing, no matter what time you enter.
Tickets sell out quickly, and most weekends are already fully sold out for the 2025 season!If you want to visit this year, purchase your tickets as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
Things To Do at Nightfall at Filoli
Walk Through the Pumpkin Arches
As you enter Filoli and head toward the main area (the Meadow), you’ll walk through a glorious walkway adorned with pumpkin-filled arches.
This is one of the best photo ops at Nightfall at Filoli. Since this is the main entrance to the Meadow, you may need to wait for your photo as people walk through the archway.
Once the sun goes down, the arches are lit up by large lights, making it even more fun and festive!
Take a Photo at the Nightfall Sign
The main photo spot is the giant “Nightfall” sign in the Meadow. It’s perfect for your solo shot or cute group photos. There are hay bales to sit on if you don’t want to stand in front of it.
When we first arrived around 6 pm, there weren’t many people taking photos with the sign. As the night went on and the sun set, there was a continuous stream of people taking photos.
Be prepared to wait your turn if you want to take pictures later in the evening! Everyone seemed to be kind and patient about taking turns for photos.
Carved jack-o'-lanterns on the ground surround the sign and fill large areas of the Meadow. Though they are not real pumpkins, each one appears to be hand-carved! It’s fun to look through them and spot all the unique designs.
Enjoy Food & Live Music in the Meadow
Our very first stop was the food trucks at the edge of the Meadow for dinner. We got crab and shrimp sandwiches from Dominic’s, which were delicious.
Jack’s Bar is also in this area, offering refreshments of all kinds, along with a Quail Cafe food stand (Filoli’s in-house restaurant), and another food truck serving burgers.
There are seating areas throughout the Meadow where you can enjoy your food while listening to music and taking in all the Halloween celebrations.
Tour the Enchanting Mansion
The Filoli mansion is a beautiful building, once the home of the wealthy Bourne family, who owned a gold mine near Nevada City. You can tour the fully furnished grand rooms with their tall ceilings, art-covered walls, and original decor.
Though the mansion doesn’t usually give off any creepy vibes, it is fully transformed into a spooky manor during Nightfall at Filoli. It’s definitely not scary—still perfectly pleasant for scaredy-cats like me and young kids.
As you walk up the front steps, a housekeeper (dressed-up actor) opens the door and welcomes you into the home.
The grand ballroom—my favorite room—is open for all visitors, but much of the floor is closed off for the champagne lounge.
Some of the spooky additions include a custom Filoli Ouija table and planchet in the billiards room, Twilight Zone playing on the vintage TV, taxidermy mice all dressed up, nightmarish desserts in the kitchen, and a giant bearskin rug on the floor.
My second-favorite room is the study, with dark wooden walls, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and academic decor. For Nightfall, there’s a giant owl made of book pages and a whirlwind of papers flying around the desk, seemingly frozen in time.
There’s also a woman in all black, with long black hair, wandering the halls of the mansion and silently interacting with guests. We saw her near the dining room!
Visit the Trolls by Night
Thomas Dambo’s trolls are still on display through November 10, 2025. You can visit them all lit up as you venture down the trail into the Natural Lands, adjacent to the mansion and gardens.
The trolls are a temporary installation at Filoli, as they’re a traveling art show called Save the Humans. Each troll has its own story and purpose—all of which relate to teaching humans how to be better stewards of the Earth.
Since Filoli usually closes before it gets dark, Nightfall at Filoli is a special experience where you can see the trolls at night for the first time.
I wrote about the trolls in my full guide to Filoli if you’re interested in learning more about them!
Stroll Past the Scarecrow Field
As you make your way through the Natural Lands, be sure to stop and say hello to the field of scarecrows!
There are a few dozen scarecrows, all dressed in different clothes with carved faces on their pumpkin heads. You can stroll right past them or stop and walk through to see the details of each one.
A shepherd with a large staff stands at the front of the scarecrows, telling visitors how the scarecrows won’t cross the road. It appears a few smaller scarecrows have made it across, but the rest are stubbornly still.
Check out the Banana Slugs
Continue walking down the trail until you reach the glowing banana slugs. There’s a patch of them along the side of the trail, and even more climbing up a tree on the other side.
These yellow slugs of all different sizes glow in the black light that shines on them. If giant slugs aren’t your thing, there’s an earlier pathway you can take to the Natural Lands festivities that bypasses the slugs.
As a banana slug lover, I was on the lookout for these guys and actually missed them on my way to the Natural Lands since I took the other pathway. Luckily, I spotted them as I headed back to the main grounds!
Have a Festive Drink
A variety of huts stand in the Natural Lands near the camp store. At some of these huts, you can get cocktails, mocktails, hot chocolate, or other festive drinks like hot apple cider!
Walk around the Natural Lands with your drink as you admire the two trolls in this area, or enjoy your drink seated at one of the tables.
Get a Tarot Card Reading
One of the huts in the Natural Lands is a tarot reader who will give you a tarot card reading. There was a short line of people waiting to get their readings when we visited.
Play in the Natural Lands
This area of the Natural Lands is set up as a kids’ play area in the style of a camp and is still kid-focused during Nightfall at Filoli.
There’s space for kids to run around, a musician playing kid-friendly music, a mini corn maze, and a field of glowing mushrooms. Though this area definitely caters toward families, it’s still a fun area to visit as an adult without kids!
Grab a cocktail from one of the huts, walk through the corn maze to the giant skeleton, visit the trolls, shop at the trail store, and head down the Jack-o'-Lantern-lined trail on your way back to the main grounds.
What To Wear For Nightfall at Filoli
Filoli welcomes costumes of all kinds! Whether you want to dress cute, spooky, or just in your usual clothes, it’s up to you.
We saw quite a few people dressed up—there were even some full group costumes! I decided to go with a witch-like outfit of all black, plus a simple witch hat for photos (it kept flying off as I walked, so I ended up carrying it for most of the night).
Keep in mind that it gets pretty chilly at night in October/November. Bring a jacket that you can put on when the cold wind picks up and take off when you go into the mansion.
Since there is some walking required to reach the Natural Lands, I recommend wearing shoes you are comfortable walking in. Though I’m happy to walk around in boots with a slight heel, that may not be ideal for everyone.
If you want to dress a bit spooky without wearing a full costume, these are my suggestions:
FAQs About Nightfall at Filoli
Is Nightfall at Filoli Kid-Friendly?
Yes! There are tons of families with kids at Nightfall at Filoli. Though it’s a Halloween event, it is not scary at all. There aren’t monsters, gory displays, or anything like that.
Do Filoli members get into Nightfall at Filoli for free?
No, Nightfall at Filoli is not free for members. As with all of Filoli’s special events, tickets for Nightfall at Filoli must be purchased by all visitors. However, members receive a 20% discount on Nightfall at Filoli tickets.
How much does Nightfall at Filoli cost?
Nightfall at Filoli costs $45–$49 for adults and $35–$39 for children ages 5–17. Children under 5 years old get free admission. Members receive a 20% discount on those prices.
Does Nightfall at Filoli sell out?
Yes! The first year of Nightfall in 2024 sold out for the season. All weekends and many weekday time slots are already sold out for October 2025!
Can I wear a costume to Nightfall at Filoli?
Yes! Costumes are welcome and encouraged for all ages. There were plenty of kids and adults all dressed up for the event.
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