The Filoli Estate-an early 20th century Georgian style country house and gardens, about a 30 minute drive south of San Francisco-is a historical gem in the Bay Area.

The stately country house once served as the location for Hollywood's Dynasty. The downstairs is open for public viewing and is so grand it's like I could see the all tea parties, balls, and hours of gossip while polishing the silver that happened inside those walls. It sits in the middle of sixteen acres of formal gardens made up of sculptural hedges, rows of flowers, pools, ponds, and some of the most lovely landscaping possible. Beyond that the estate is made up of an overwhelming 650+ acres of land covered with orchards, fields, and wild Northern California countryside.

I'd definitely recommend taking a day to visit if you enjoy historical houses and grand gardens.

Have you ever been to the Filoli Estate and/or gardens? What did you think?
If you haven't been, would this be something you'd look forward to? 
Would you rather go when they have an event or on an off day where there are less people and it's in its natural state? 
Have you ever been to a historical estate, such as the Biltmore Estate? What did you think? Do these pictures remind you of your historical estate visit somewhere? How does it compare? 
Do you ever daydream of living in a "Downtown Abbey" style world? Do you think you'd be part of the "upstairs people" or "downstairs people"? 
Do you ever get inspiration from older houses or gardens for your own home?