With a large outdoor space, pleasant weather and a history of filming on the property, Filoli checked all the boxes for a stop on the Antiques Roadshow, according to producers.
A few years ago, Allyson Izzo Smith, who works for the PBS series, stumbled upon the historic Woodside estate when she was scouting show locations, said Marsha Bemko, Antiques Roadshow's executive producer. This summer, Filoli will be the fifth and final stop on the popular TV show's 27th season.
"We're always looking for distinctive historical locations that will fit us," Bemko said. "When we called and asked, they said 'yes, they'd love to have us.'"
The show stops at the 654-acre property on Wednesday, June 22. "When we knock on doors, not everyone says 'yes.'" She said having a large group of people visit for the show can be overwhelming to some.
About 5,000 people are expected to descend on Filoli, which includes a 54,000-square-foot Georgian revival-style mansion and 16 acres of English Renaissance gardens, according to Bemko. Those interested in attending can enter to win two free tickets to the event, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will also be about 120 volunteers from KQED helping run the event.
Ticket holders will be given specific time slots to attend. Each attendee can bring up to two items to be appraised by experts.
In each hour-long episode, auction house specialists and independent dealers offer free appraisals of antiques and collectibles, including family heirlooms and flea market finds, according to the show's website.
Although not everyone who attends will end up on TV — producers edit down the 150 segments they film, there's a "100% chance" you'll have your items appraised, Bemko said.
"Most of us don't understand everything we own," Bemko said. "It's a chance to learn about what you own from the country's top experts. You get an answer to a question you can't search on the internet."
Bemko noted that she feels like she has "one of the best jobs in America" as a producer on the show. Because of her travels with the show, she's been to every U.S. state.
"I love learning with the audience," she said. "I love it (that the items) takes us further into subjects."
She said her favorite item from over the years with the show is a label for a 1918, World War I-era can of peaches and a letter from a soldier, worth about $550 to $600. Although not worth as much as diamond rings she's coveted in the past, she likes the sentiment of the soldier writing home that "peaches are worth fighting for."
Past filming at Filoli
Filoli is no stranger to film and TV productions. Most notably, parts of the soap opera "Dynasty" were filmed on the estate's property in the 1980s.
The first movie to be filmed at Filoli was "Heaven Can Wait" in 1978, which starred Warren Beatty. During the 1990s, casts of "George of the Jungle" and "The Joy Luck Club" filmed scenes in Filoli's mansion.
Filoli stood in as a possible wedding location in Napa in the 2001 movie "The Wedding Planner" with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.
Information on the show
The Antiques Roadshow will also make stops in Nashville, Tennessee; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Boise, Idaho; and Shelburne, Vermont.
The ticket drawing will be conducted in April. After the drawing, around April 11, ticket winners will be notified if they were chosen. All guests must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Enter the drawing here by March 21.
Comments
Registered user
Atherton: West of Alameda
on Feb 11, 2022 at 8:30 pm
Registered user
on Feb 11, 2022 at 8:30 pm
Filoli is a good choice for the Antiques Roadshow. I'm impressed that 5000 people are expected, but fortunately their timed tickets mean that the 5000 won't be there all at the same time. My attention was caught by the statement that KQED will have 150 volunteers to help manage the day. Those volunteers reporting to Filoli are ironic because a number of years ago Filoli had more than 1500 volunteers who had substantial knowledge and skills in making Filoli successful. Now "volunteer" is literally a forbidden term no longer allowed there. Instead of 1500 people devoting themselves to Filoli currently, in a number of ways, a handful of people are occasionally invited to "participate" in the garden under the supervision of staff horticulturists. Sadly the invitation and plan ignores the years of horticultural knowledge among former "volunteers" and offers instead insulting plans of explaining mulch to these garden experts after they assist with the spring weeding. I find this very sad a continuation of the loss of years of institutional knowledge which has been rejected by present management.
Registered user
Woodside: other
on Feb 14, 2022 at 7:20 am
Registered user
on Feb 14, 2022 at 7:20 am
Filoli is so excited to host the Antiques Roadshow. Like our recent accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, it is an honor to receive the national recognition Filoli has earned from our collective hard work over the last several years. The post from the "Walsh Road Reporter" referenced our new Service Learning Experiences that we are launching in early March. This new program provides a free educational experience on important horticulture topics combined with an opportunity to volunteer to support Filoli's greatest needs. The format allows us to reach both new and existing audiences, inviting them to learn more about broad topics, enjoy time together and meet new people, be immersed in the beauty of Filoli, and give back to this treasured community resource through service. We welcome all to Filoli to experience beauty, nature and shared stories this year!