Holidays at Filoli: Festive Christmas Lights in the Bay Area
Published Dec. 2023 | Updated Oct. 2025
Filoli Historic House and Garden is decked out in Christmas lights and open late for their annual Holidays at Filoli event from November 22, 2025, to January 11, 2026. It’s a festive display of lights and decor on the manicured grounds and throughout the historic estate.
If you’re looking for a fun holiday activity in the Bay Area, head to Holidays at Filoli! I’ve attended every year since I first learned about it. The decor and activities are always slightly different, evolving and improving each year.
As you meander through the gardens, you’ll find a twinkling tunnel of lights, a charming holiday bar serving cozy drinks, fire pits and heaters to keep you warm, and a permeating sense of holiday joy. The house, which I often refer to as a mansion or estate, given its grandeur, also gets a festive makeover with vintage holiday decor in every room.
I visit Filoli Historic House and Gardens regularly throughout the year to experience the changing seasons in both the garden and mansion. If you want to learn more about Filoli and what to expect outside of the Holidays at Filoli event, I have a full guide to Filoli.
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Getting Tickets to Holidays at Filoli
The Holidays at Filoli is a popular, long-running event in Woodside, California. Tickets can sell out, especially on weekends. If you want to experience the holiday festivities at Filoli, be sure to get your tickets in advance! You will have a much better chance of getting tickets on a weekday.
Visit the Filoli website to book your Holidays at Filoli tickets. Even if you’re a member, you must purchase tickets for Holidays at Filoli and pick a time slot (but you do get a discount!)
The daytime tickets for entry are at 10 am, and you must leave by 3:30 pm. This gives you entry to the main grounds and Natural Lands — both of which have special daytime events for Holidays at Filoli in 2025.
The evening holiday ticket entry times are 4 pm, 5:30 pm, and 7 pm — Filoli closes at 9 pm.
I’ve gone a couple of times at the 5:30 pm time slot, where it’s already dark by the time I arrive. I usually spend a few hours there and leave by 8:30 pm, feeling like I have seen everything.
I’ve also gone during the 4 pm time slot, which was even better because I got to see the garden while it was still somewhat light out, and once it got dark — best of both worlds!
Things to Do During Holidays at Filoli
Tour the Filoli Historic House
While the flowers and plants aren’t as visible during Holidays at Filoli since it’s dark outside, the house is fully decked out in holiday decor with at least one Christmas tree in every room.
The holiday decor is absolutely magical and gives you a sense of what Christmas was actually like for the families that lived at Filoli when it was a private estate.
You can expect completely different decorations each year! The house is not only regularly rearranged and decorated differently throughout the year, but it’s not even the same from one year to the next. It keeps things fun and interesting for people who visit often!
Get Drinks at the Holiday Bar
I am a huge fan of mulled wine, and especially love being able to drink it while surrounded by holiday cheer! The Filoli Holiday Bar is located in the Woodland Court, which is the rooftop of a building in the garden.
Just take the stairs up and you’ll find tons of Christmas lights, firepits, heaters next to tables, a holiday bar, and a coffee bar.
There are usually lots of people hanging out at Woodland Court (when it’s not raining) or walking around with their hot drinks as they explore the garden.
The setup in this area changes yearly — some years they’ve had heaters and fire pits, while other years they just had fire pits.
There are also a few private fire pits in mini chalets that you can book in advance for an additional fee.
Relax by the Fire Pits
Once you get a cozy drink, grab a standing table or sit by one of the free fire pits for a while as you admire the lights, sip your holiday drink, and get nice and warm. It gets cold in this area at night, so a warm drink by a heat source is a welcome break from exploring the grounds!
If you want to do something really special, you can book a private fire pit for your group and have access to your very own private Holiday Bar.
Walk Through the Garden
The garden at Filoli is the best part — I love seeing how it changes seasonally. Since you can usually only visit Filoli during the daytime for the majority of the year, being at Filoli after dark is a unique experience!
The garden is meticulously decorated with Christmas lights, light globes, and an incredible light tunnel (perfect for photos!). You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring the garden.
With the timed tickets, it never gets too crowded, so it’s easy to enjoy a relaxing walk through the garden.
Take Photos in the Light Tunnel
The long light tunnel that runs through the Meadow is the perfect spot for your holiday photo! The lights are constantly changing colors and patterns, so you can wait for the exact color of lights you want.
What to Wear for Holidays at Filoli
It gets chilly outside as you walk around the garden! I’m always happy when I’m bundled up with a sweater, coat, and earmuffs/a warm hat.
If there’s rain in the forecast, I recommend a clear umbrella so you can still see all the lights and decor while shielding yourself from the rain.
Some people dress up a bit fancier for visits to Filoli. If that sounds like something you want to do, do it! You’ll look like you fit right in.
Other people dress more comfy in leggings, sweaters, and coats. There’s no required dress code so you can dress as fancy or casual as you want!
Here’s what I recommend bringing:
Comfortable walking shoes or boots
Holidays at Filoli FAQs
When is Holidays at Filoli?
The Holidays at Filoli event is November 22, 2025–January 11, 2026.
What if it rains during Holidays at Filoli?
Filoli stays open rain or shine! It rained during one of my visits to Holidays at Filoli, and it was still a magical experience. It was almost completely empty, which made it even more magical to experience the lights and garden without anyone else around.
Is Holidays at Filoli at night?
The Holiday Lights is a nighttime Christmas event at Filoli.
For 2025, two new experiences have been added: Thystlewick and Gilded. These experiences are only available during daytime admission during the Holidays at Filoli event from 10 am to 3:30 pm.
Do members get into Holidays at Filoli for free?
No, members must still purchase tickets for the nighttime Holiday Lights event. Members get a 20% discount on these tickets.
If you have a membership purchased after July 1, 2025 (new membership tiers), you get free access to the daytime Holidays at Filoli.
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