The Bay Area’s newest bit of holiday magic has sprouted under the redwoods at Filoli, where model trains chug past fairy houses on naturalistic trestles, families can sip hot chocolate at cozy fire pits and kids can follow a scavenger hunt to the Elf Emporium and post office, all under the watchful eye of a delightful giant troll.
The Thistlewyck holiday village is the latest seasonal addition to the 654-acre historic Woodside estate, already a popular holiday destination with its ornately decorated mansion and stately gardens festooned with 350,000 lights.
Designed especially for families, Thistlewyck stands apart from the house and mansion in Filoli’s woodsy Natural Lands section, the site of this summer’s popular installation of Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s oversized wooden “Trolls.” A short hike along a dirt path now reveals a holiday village tucked into the forest.
The centerpiece is a charming model train exhibition made of tree trunks and branches that looks like it sprung from the forest floor itself – part of Filoli’s new lore around the village. It’s punctuated with an array of intricately detailed fairy houses adorned with natural items from acorns to seed pods to shells. The village also has play areas and places for refreshments and shopping.
Meet the Newest Troll
Overlooking it all is Filoli’s newest troll, Rose Wonders, a permanent installation that originally debuted at Burning Man. Made of recycled wood with branches for hair, it’s Dambo’s largest sculpture at 27 feet tall.
For an additional $25 fee, families can purchase a Thistlewyck Passport, which allows kids to get stamps at the village’s various outposts, as well as an elf hat, toy train, hot chocolate and chance to mail a letter to Santa.
Visitors can also wander along the California Loop Trail to reach the house and gardens, beautifully decked out for the holidays and included in the price of daytime admission. (Thistlewyck closes at 3:30pm and tickets for it can’t be purchased after 2pm.)
A self-guided tour of the house reveals lavishly decorated rooms with themed Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths and various displays depicting life in the house during its various eras.
Outside in the evening at Holiday Lights, the expansive gardens sparkle with 6,000 strands of lights stretching 28 miles, from the glowing light tunnel entrance to the Rose Garden sporting 215 colorful lanterns. Wander back to the Woodland Court for drinks by a fire pit available from the Chalet Bars.
More for the Holidays
Filoli also has several additional holiday offerings available for purchase, from private fire pits to wreath-making parties to holiday teas, including a family-friendly Toto’s Tea, named after the Bourn family bulldog, on select dates.
For those looking for a quieter and less crowded experience, Filoli is offering a Sensory Hour one hour before opening, from 9-10am, on Fridays from Nov. 28-Dec. 26. Contact [email protected] for more information.
How to Go
Holidays at Filoli runs through Jan. 11. Daytime admission is $39-45 adults, $29-35 ages 5-17, free for children under 5 and members. It can be purchased as a ticket to Thistlewyck or Gilded; both include access to Thistlewyck, the house and gardens. Evening admission to Holiday Lights, which includes the house and gardens but not Thistlewyck, is $49-55 adults, $39-45 ages 5-17, under 4 free and discounted for members. For more information visit filoli.org/holidays.
Janine DeFao is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent.
