When George Washington Vanderbilt, grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, decided he wanted a country retreat in the North Carolina mountains, he spared no expense. The result? An architectural marvel. A French Renaissance chateau, incorporating design elements from three different castles. 250 rooms for a family of three: 34 family and guest bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, three kitchens, an indoor swimming pool, and the first home elevator installed in the United States. Completed in 1895, it was the largest private home in America, designed to rival the grand estates of Europe—and it remains so today.

The popular self-guided tour of Biltmore House takes several hours, if you dally – and you will – to absorb the incredible artistry of the architecture, plushness of furnishings, and depth and breadth of the art displayed on the walls. As you step through soaring Gothic columns into the Entrance Hall, the brilliant light streaming through the skylights, teasing the potted palms, makes the outdoors come alive inside. Mounted around this glass-roofed garden room are full-size replicas of the Elgin Marbles, famed sculpture from the Parthenon in Athens. From this open space, rooms fan out in every direction: the house has four acres of interior space, and every room has a tale to tell.  Step back into the Middle Ages in the Banquet Hall, the largest room in the house, with its massive vaulted ceiling, Flemish tapestries from the 1500s, triple fireplace, and a dining table that seats 64. The adjoining Breakfast Room is a nook more imposing and ornate than the average turn-of-the-century millionaire’s dining room, and the adjoining men’s hideaway, the Billiard Room, is decorated in dark, rich, masculine tones, with faux Greek wood pillars flanking the entryways. The women’s Salon, next to the Winter Garden, remains cheery and bright; balcony doors can be thrown open for glorious mountain views. An intimate Music Room contains Italian and Austrian art treasures; the ceiling attracts the eye with blue beams painted in a red leaf motif. Outside the Tapestry Gallery, a Venetian loggia (grand porch) invites visitors to settle down in comfortable rattan chairs with overstuffed cushions and enjoy a cool breeze and the view of the deer park. Every ornate figurine carved into the columns and archways is unique, Italianesque. The imposing Library, wall-to-wall books two stories high, will take the breath away from any bibliophile. Ah, those fortunate Vanderbilt guests! The Vanderbilts were grand entertainers, with a constant stream of friends enjoying their turn-of-the-century hospitality.  

Rooms on the upper floors are more intimate, more personal. Not all are open to the public, but those that are amaze with their décor. From the neo-classical Louis XVI guest room – one of 32 guest rooms – to the elegant Sheraton Room, filled with furnishings from top English furniture designer Thomas Sheraton, not a room disappoints. The second and third floors boast elegant living rooms for guests to mingle. The self-guided tour skips the top floor servants quarters, but you get a feel for the servant’s life town in the downstairs level—oppressively humid and dark, but high-ceilinged, the stone and mortar walls reminiscent of a castle. Down in the bowels of the house are the downstairs servants quarters, the kitchens and pantries, the laundry rooms, a bowling alley, dressing rooms and showers, the gymnasium and the indoor swimming pool. A unique walk-in refrigerator serviced the family—one of the first ever, using a solution of ammonia and brine through pipes to create a chill that could keep the food cool.

With its own outside entrance off the adjoining stables, two additional rooms catered strictly to men—the Smoking Room, lined with an impressive library, and the Gun Room, with its racks of firearms and taxidermy. The stables now contain a mini-mall of craft shops and eateries, with outdoor seating among the flowers.

While Biltmore House is the main facet of Biltmore Estate, there are many other diversions on the property. Surrounded by 100,000 acres of private forest on the edge of Asheville, the home surveys an incredible natural setting, with sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. Extensive formal gardens enhance the estate: from the grassy expanse of the Esplanade and the terraces above it, behind the house, to the terraces of gardens leading downhill and away. Laid out by renowned landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmstead, colorful gardens and a tropical conservatory enchant the eyes. A drive to the far side of the estate takes you to the Biltmore Estate Winery, where you can settle back in the original dairy, tour the process, and enjoy a wine tasting.

A step back in time, a taste of timeless elegance—a day spent in wonder, at Biltmore Estate.


IF YOU GO
Biltmore Estate is open 363 days a year – closed Christmas and Thanksgiving. Hours January - March are 9 AM to 5 PM; April - December, 8:30 AM to 5 PM. For an additional fee above the standard tour fee, you may take the Behind-the-Scenes tour (by appointment only), which includes rooms awaiting restoration on the second and third floors, and the fourth floor servants’ quarters.

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