Just south of San Francisco, a scenic stretch of Cañada Road offers two engaging reasons to escape the city for a day: the historic Filoli house and gardens, and the Pulgas Water Temple.
The two attractions are only a few minutes apart on the border of Woodside and Redwood City, making them an easy low-effort escape for anyone who loves local history and photogenic views.
Here’s a closer look at each of them…
Filoli House & Gardens
You’ll want to plan plenty of time to see Filoli as the main event, as there’s much to explore throughout its formal gardens, woodland trails, and historic home. The early-20th-century house is perched on 654 acres of land, 16 of which are beautifully landscaped with seasonal plantings.
The Filoli property dates back to 1917, when socialites William Bowers Bourn and Agnes Moody first built it as a self-sustaining retreat. Now, visitors have the pleasure of visiting the grand 56-room mansion and extensive gardens all year round.
This fall, Filoli is also hosting its popular Nightfall event in the evenings from September 26 through November 1, welcoming guests to enjoy a delightfully spooky atmosphere with thousands of pumpkins, elaborate scarecrows, tarot readings, and a miniature haunted railway.
📍 Location: 86 Cañada Rd, Woodside, CA 94062
🗓️ Hours: Open daily with daytime admission from 10am to 5pm, and seasonal Nightfall event admission from 5:30pm to 10pm (last entry 8:30pm).
Pulgas Water Temple
Before or after your Filoli stop, drive a few minutes along Cañada Road to check out the Pulgas Water Temple, neoclassical monument that’s free to visit.
The white colonnade was built by San Francisco in 1938 to commemmorate the Hetch Hetchy water system, recognized as an engineering marvel that carries water more than 160 miles from the Sierra Nevada to the Bay Area.
In an homage to Greco-Roman engineering systems, it’s composed of a circle of Corinthian columns and flanked by an impressive reflecting pool and two rows of cypress trees.
While you could spend hours at Filoli, treat the temple more as a brief 20-30 minute photo stop or picnic spot to complete your day trip.
📍 Location: 56 Cañada Rd, Redwood City, CA 94062
🗓️ Hours: Open from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday