Nightfall at Filoli
Filoli has always been one of my family’s go-to weekend stroll spots. The elegant historic house, the manicured gardens with seasonal flowers, and the quiet trails through ranch-style countryside always make me feel grounded and calm.
But as good as it is, repetition eventually made me numb to it. Visiting the same place over and over becomes… predictable—frankly, a little boring. So these days, I only go once or twice a year—one of those visits usually being the holiday light season, more ritual than excitement.
Then Filoli sent an email announcing new troll sculptures along the trails. Interesting, yes — but still not enough to get me in the car. Then came the second email: “The spooky world of Nightfall has arrived at Filoli!”
That one finally worked. So we went — the night before Halloween.
The transformation was genuinely surprising. The historic house felt nothing like its usual graceful setting. Instead, it leaned fully into Halloween energy — part Victorian mystery, part haunted mansion, part Addams Family. A woman dressed as Morticia greeted visitors in the lobby, perfectly in character. And many visitors were dressed like horror-movie characters — not flimsy costumes, but real commitment.
Every decoration felt deliberate — nothing random, nothing cheap. And then came the doll room. It felt like it was pulled straight from Satan’s Play. Netflix could honestly film something there without changing a thing.
But the highlight wasn’t the house — and not even the familiar garden. It was a completely new area, usually just empty pasture. This time, it became a glowing pumpkin field — huge, atmospheric, and surprisingly joyful. Pumpkins of all shapes with wildly creative carvings, live music, food and drink trailers, kids running around — it felt alive.
From there, the path led into the forest — now transformed with eerie lighting, pumpkin scarecrows, hidden trolls, and enough atmosphere to make you forget you’ve walked those trails before.
And yes — they even added a brand-new gift shop. Filoli knows how to evolve.
I’m always impressed when a place refuses to settle into its reputation — when it keeps trying, improving, experimenting. Nightfall felt like Filoli saying: “You’ve seen the house. Now watch what else we can do.”
And honestly? They did it brilliantly. I ended up joining their membership.
We got home after 10 p.m. and ended the night with our own Halloween ritual: pumpkin carving to greet trick-or-treaters the next evening. A familiar place, a familiar tradition — but this year, both felt new again.
It was the perfect last night of October.
