Filoli Named Among Top 10 'Best Holiday Historic Homes' In U.S.

WOODSIDE, CA — Filoli Historic House and Garden, the landmark, country estate in Woodside, was crowned No. 4 in USA TODAY's 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for Best Holiday Historic Home Tour for 2019, the estate announced this week.

The lavish mansion earned praise from the publication for its annual holiday celebration that "offers the sounds and scents of Christmas and includes a Christmas Marketplace."

“We are thrilled to be recognized at the national level for our holiday program,” said Kara Newport, Filoli chief executive officer. “We strive to outdo ourselves every year and inspire more visitors to make Filoli a holiday tradition."

Elvis Presley's former Memphis home, Graceland, was voted No. 1 by readers in the annual poll.

Built in 1917, Filoli earned its name from combining the first two letters of “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life," the credo of its original owner, San Franciscan William Bowers Bourn. Each year during the holidays, the estate's volunteers and staff host tours of the festively decorated mansion, visits from Santa, live music and holiday teas.

The eight acres of formal gardens are decked with a dazzling light display, while holiday decor includes includes 1,000 feet of natural and artificial garland, 71 indoor and outdoor wreaths, 22 Christmas trees, and more than 80,000 feet (15 miles) of light strands, according to the estate.

A Baccarat crystal place setting is featured on the dining-room table. Hundred-year-old ornaments hang on a tree in the study, and a 9-foot, dried-flower tree — hand-made using flowers grown, cut and dried on the estate — is on display in the historic home’s foyer to highlight the garden’s year-round beauty.

“Bringing nature inside is a tradition fundamental to Filoli,” said Jim Salyards, Filoli's head of horticulture. “It was carried on by both families (the Bourns and the Roths) who lived on the estate. Placing the dried-flower tree in the foyer, so it’s the first thing you see when you walk in the front door, instantly gives visitors a sense of what Filoli is all about: honoring nature, appreciating beauty and valuing unique experiences."

This holiday season, the Filoli team unveiled a cookbook containing the recipes of Alma Johnson, a Swedish cook employed by the Bourn family, Filoli’s original owners.

"The delicate, handwritten composition book shows its near-century of kitchen use and includes a recipe for Christmas Plum Pudding that was served in 1928 and again in 1929," said Julie Bly DeVere, head curator and collection manager, who added that "even loose pages and slight stains cannot mar its historical importance."

A working copy of the cookbook is displayed in the mansion's kitchen.

Filoli's holiday extravaganza is the result of a year-round, team effort and countless hours put in by staff and dedicated volunteers.

The top 10 USA TODAY winners in the Best Holiday Historic Home Tour category for 2019 were:

1. Graceland - Memphis
2. Wildwood Manor House - Toledo, Ohio
3. The Stetson Mansion - Deland, Fla.
4. Filoli Historic House and Garden - Woodside
5. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens - Akron, Ohio
6. Meadow Brook Hall - Rochester, Mich.
7. Brucemore - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
8. Glessner House - Chicago
9. The Mount - Lenox, Mass.
10. Webb Deane Stevens Museum - Wethersfield, Conn.

FOR EVENTS GOING ON THIS SEASON AT FILOLI, SEE:

• Holiday Teas 2019
• Santa Saturdays 2019
• Winter Solstice 2019
• 'Decadence Nights' Chocolate & Wine