Biltmore Estate

The House

It took over 1000 workers six years to complete the impressive Biltmore Estate. Its 250 rooms, spread over four acres of floor space, include 34 bedrooms, 43 baths, 65 fireplaces, and 3 kitchens. One of the largest rooms is the Banquet Hall, which is 72 feet long by 42 feet wide and boasts a 70-foot ceiling. The hall's massive dining table seats up to 64 guests. Other features of the house include a wood-paneled library with over 10,000 volumes, an indoor swimming pool, and a bowling alley.

The Grounds

Surrounding the Biltmore mansion are 75 acres of manicured gardens, originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, best known as the designer of New York’s Central Park. The garden contains over 2300 roses and an amazing collection of more than 100 azaleas. The garden still maintains the original design and many of the original plants and trees survive. George Vanderbilt sought to make the estate self-sustaining and he was ahead of his time in creating managed forests and an extensive kitchen garden. The four-acre garden contains a wide array of culinary and medicinal plants and includes a large greenhouse filled with tropical plants, such as coffee and pineapple.

Animals, too, are an important part of the estate. The historic Farm Village is home to chicks, ducks, goats, lambs, and gentle Belgian draft horses, among others. The adjacent horse barn houses stables, a blacksmith, and a 19th century woodworker. In the fall, the horses lead wagon rides for guests around the estate.

The Winery

The Biltmore Estate Winery is the most visited winery in the United States. Housed in the original dairy barn, the state-of-the-art, award-winning winery produces over 15 varieties of wine, including Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, under the Biltmore Estate and Chateau Reserve labels. All the grapes used are handpicked and grown on the property.

Staying at the Biltmore Estate

For a true Biltmore experience, visitors can stay at the four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate, located right on the Biltmore property. This French-style inn, opened in 2001, combines modern conveniences and luxuries with 19th century gracious living. The large guest rooms feature spectacular views of the grounds and the mountains beyond and the public rooms are large and welcoming, such as the paneled library with its wood-burning fireplace. The inn has a fine dining and a casual restaurant, a swimming pool, and a health club and fitness room.

Holidays at the Biltmore Estate

The Biltmore Estate first welcomed guests on Christmas Eve in 1895 and the house still comes alive during the holidays. All of the 250 rooms are adorned for Christmas with trees, evergreen boughs, miles of garland, and thousands of twinkling lights. The estate hosts workshops on holiday decorating as well as candlelight house tours, which bring a certain magic to the holiday festivities. In addition, special holiday meals at the estate’s restaurants are a Biltmore seasonal tradition.

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