Carolands Chateau — Attraction in Hillsborough

I was so blessed to tour this beautiful mansion today. I’ve been wanting to tour this mansion for the longest time after watching a documentary on KQED. I enjoyed the tour immensely! Our tour guide Paul was amazing! He’s so passionate and extremely knowledgeable about its history and architecture. I could listen to him for hours! I love hearing all the details, stories, and insight. I was so mesmerized by the house and Paul’s engaging stories and wealth of information that I forgot to thank him at the end of the tour. I also would like to give him a gratuity at the end of the tour but not sure if that would have been proper since it was not mentioned. Overall, this tour was absolutely worth my time. Paul is such a wonderful tour guide. There’s an understated elegance in him that exudes classiness and a...

This week we went on a tour of the Carolands Chateau, a 46,050-square-foot, 4.5 floor, 98 room mansion on 5.83 acres in Hillsborough, California. 17 bedrooms were just for staff. A beautiful example of one of the great estates on the pennisula along with Filoli Historic House & Garden which is less than 8 miles away.

Our tour guide was very knowledgable and passionate about the architecture and history of the home. He did go on a little long about nooks & crannies in the home which could have been condensed. Otherwise it is a fabulous site to visit and I am so glad we had the privilege of visiting.

Tips: Must make reservations in advance. Albeit interesting the tour is very long. Make sure to eat beforehand and wear comfortable shoes so you can go up and...

Went on the tour with Paul. If you are not suuuuuper into the history behind this place, parts of the tour will likely be boring. Personally, I think it was a nice experience. The tours are free through the lottery system, which is really nice. Came to see the architecture and design and it definitely delivered. The only thing I really docked a star for was that we couldn’t see the rooms upstairs. Also felt like the tour could’ve been done in less than 2.5 hours, but I only say this bc Wednesdays are work days (almost had to cancel for this reason, but I’m glad I didn’t). Nonetheless, I definitely recommend this experience. May come back...