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I love that the America’s largest home, Biltmore Estate, is located only a few hours drive from our house in Raleigh.
We love to look at beautiful homes and imagine and dream, and the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, is the quintessential fairytale house.
It’s not just a house though. The Biltmore Estate is made up of 8,000 acres of woodland, lakes and ponds, and its sprawling grounds offer a variety of attractions for visitors to enjoy.
From wandering the halls of the Châteauesque-style mansion to sitting on manicured lawns and admiring the NC Mountains in the distance, there are so many things to do at Biltmore Estate.
In this guide, we share everything you need to know about visiting this decadent home and its grounds…
- History of The Biltmore Estate
- What is so special about the Biltmore Estate?
- Things To Do At Biltmore Estate
- Tips for Visiting Biltmore Estate
- How Many Days To See The Biltmore House in Asheville?
- Places To Stay Near Biltmore House Asheville NC
- Opening Hours & Entrance Fees
- More Asheville Travel Tips
- Pin To Save On Pinterest
History of The Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate is fairly close to the Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Mountains, a 5 minute drive from Asheville and only an hour’s drive from the popular town of Lake Lure.
It was owned by George Washington Vanderbilt, the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping and railroad tycoon who turned $100 into $1000 million.
He saw an opportunity with ferry boats in NYC and acted upon it. This lead him to recognize the opportunity in the railroad and become one of the wealthiest men in the world.
So, now you know where George got the money to create such a magnificent home and estate! And he didn’t build just any home, it’s the largest private home in America.
His French Renaissance castle, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, was built over a six-year period and completed in 1895.
A few years later, bachelor George meets Edith on a cruise, they later marry and she moves into the home bringing much love and warmth to life at Biltmore.
Sadly, George died early in 1914 of appendicitis. Edith closed down much of the house in order to manage the estate better.
Their daughter, Cornelia, and her husband opened the estate to the public in 1930 to boost tourism in the area during the great depression.
Today, it is still owned by the Vanderbilt, and is run by his great-grandson, Bill Cecil Jr, who is also the CEO of Biltmore Company.
For more than a century, it’s been a place for people to visit and enjoy the hospitality ever since and is still a family business, owned by 4th and 5th generations of Vanderbilt descendants.
The Biltmore Estate is a registered National Historic Landmark and the most visited tourist attraction in North Carolina welcoming over one million visitors a year.
What is so special about the Biltmore Estate?
To me, Biltmore Estate is a special place in America to visit.
Not just to experience the grandeur of this beautiful home, but to hear the story of this young, entrepreneurial, loving family who lived life with passion, service and gratitude.
As we wandered through the house listening to the stories of the house and its owners on the audio guide, I couldn’t help but think of the impact travel had on their generous and vibrant spirits.
George and Edith loved to travel and were avid readers. I often wonder if it was this global perspective that lead them to be such generous people and gracious hosts?
They opened up their home, a gigantic one at that, to hundreds of guests. All for the mere purpose of enjoyment.
The home embodies the arts and cultures, things that became dear to George and Edith on their travels.
Their travel helped them to connect to the beauty of nature, which lead to their desire to protect the environment more.
They contributed to the greater community through charity programs and good service. Their intention being to help those help themselves.
It’s this contribution to society and community that makes The Biltmore Estate special, and it continues that theme of celebrating and contribution with regular events throughout the year such as concerts, tea parties, and movies under the stars.
Things To Do At Biltmore Estate
Not only can you tour the 250-room Biltmore House and Gardens, but you can also visit Antler Village and Winery and there are numerous activities on the estate to explore.
Come prepared to spend several hours at Biltmore Estate, you’re going to need all of it!
1. The Biltmore House Audio Tour
How does a 250 room house in the country sound? To George Biltmore it was the ultimate country retreat, a place to create memories and experience joy with family and friends.
To us, it’s a place to imagine and inspire our own dreams of success, contribution and passionate living.
The best way to learn about the house, its owners, and its construction, is through a 90 minute audio tour which guides you through three levels of the home and the basement.
The audio guides are included with your ticket. There are also guided house tours and behind the scenes tours like a rooftop tour you can pay an entrance fee for.
You’ll see displays of vintage clothing, accessories, art, furniture, and more that tell stories and illustrate the lives of the Vanderbilt family, their guests, and employees.
Rooms like the entrance hall, winter garden, the banquet hall and dining room, and breakfast room depict what a great home it was for entertaining.
Each room tells a story of gatherings, work, parties and personalities.
You even get to visit George and Edith’s bedrooms and other guests rooms, which are kitted out with original furnishings and artwork.
See Flemish tapestries, opulent fireplaces, oil paintings and sculptures lining the walls of every room.
Top tip: There is a kid version of the audio guide as well. My daughters loved the home and were were engaged with the stories they were listening to. They especially loved the bowling alley and pool that was in the recreation area of the home. Children’s audio guides are a fantastic way to help kids learn and interact in learning experiences.
Visit the Staff Quarters (Basement)
In the basement level, you gain an insight into life for the workers as you walk through the laundry room, staff quarters and kitchen, a bustling place of activities where stoves roared from 6.00am to midnight, catering to the owners and guests in the house.
The staff were treated with kindness and fairness, and with New York wages, it was quite the desired place to work.
There was no entitlement at Biltmore House. Everyone knew their place and they appreciated the opportunity to work there.
George was a strict boss, but also very kind and caring. He believed that if you expect the highest from people, they’ll rise up to the challenge.
2. Relax at Biltmore Carriage House
Outside of the Biltmore mansion is the old carriage homes, which have been converted into shops, cafes and places to pick up light bites.
You can shop for souvenirs and find Gilded Age-inspired trinkets, as well as seasonal keepsakes.
From book stores to gardening stores and chocolate shops, there’s a lot of places to pick up something to remember your trip by here.
3. Admire Chihuly Sculptures at Biltmore
There are always seasonal events happening at Biltmore, but one of our favorites is a display of artwork by American artist, Dale Chihuly.
We first saw his work back when we visited Biltmore in 2018, but we’re pleased that his artwork made an impression and has been invited back in April 2024.
Just like in 2014, the exhibition will be hosted in the Amherst at Deerpark, but there will also be a large installation at the front of Biltmore House, including his famous Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier which hangs pride of place in the Biltmore Winery.
As you wander outside the Biltmore estate, you can see many of the colorful glass sculptures on exhibit by American artist Dale Chihuly.
The vibrant colors and captivating shapes of his sculptures set alight the historic gardens of Biltmore. You couldn’t find a more spectacular art gallery.
4. Wander The Biltmore Gardens
George Vanderbilt recognized the importance of a landscape that nourished the spirit and body.
He chose the perfect setting for his country home and got to work in creating tranquil and stunning gardens to match the marvel of his home.
Leave yourself a couple of hours to stroll acres of formal and informal gardens, which were designed by America’s foremost landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed the gardens for the World’s Fair in Chicago, as well as New York’s Central Park.
As you stroll through the gardens, it’s hard not to imagine what life would have been like as a guest of the Biltmore back during the day and how much the freedom, beauty and fun of the estate helped to nourish your spirit and body.
There are numerous gardens to visit including the walled garden, azalea garden, Italian garden, shrub garden, spring garden conservatory which features a collection of orchids and model train, and a rose garden, which has over 250 varieties.
We visited during spring so the gardens were in full bloom; it was a vastly different experience to our first visit to the Biltmore Estate for the Christmas lights.
The library offers a shaded area of wisteria and trumpet creeper vines to relax with views out over the terrace, which is a large open space originally designed to be a bowling green.
The highlight of this area are the views out over the estate and forest.
I loved learning about George Vanderbilt’s commitment to preserving nature.
He hoped that creating a managed forest, created by forester Gifford Pinchot, on his Biltmore Estate would serve as an example for the rest of the country.⠀⠀⠀
Biltmore Estate land had previously been cleared for farming and timber. They improved the existing woodland by removing poorly formed and damaged trees and reforesting eroded and worn out farmland.
By 1881, he had planted 300 acres with white pine. It was a forestry management plan that would be later adopted by the government.
His wife, Edith sold 86,700 acres of the estate’s forested mountain land, known as Pisgah Forest, to the federal government, creating the first national managed forest east of the Mississippi River.⠀
The Biltmore Estate also has an extensive network of trails, used for horseback rides and hiking adventures.
You can hike the grounds of the estate at your own pace, including taking a walk along the French Broad River, known as the River Stroll Hike, through lush green forests, or the open meadows of Deer Park.
You can also go for 30-minute carriage rides around the Deer Park area, if you want to explore more of this region.
There’s an easy half mile loop short walk out to the Bass Pond and boathouse.⠀⠀
5. Antler Hill Village and Winery
Yes, Biltmore Estate has a winery. In fact, it is the most visited winery in the USA!
The good news is that you get complimentary wine tasting of more than 20 handcrafted wines, many of which are award winning, included in the ticket.
There is complimentary grape juice for the kids as well.
There is an indoor and outdoor wine bar as well should you decide to let those reds linger a little longer.
6. Dine at Antler Hill Village
There are a few restaurants and shops in Antler Hill Village, and live music was playing in the village grassed center area when we visited.
Biltmore continues the legacy of farm to table that has been a part of the estate since its beginning. The herbs, fresh salad greens, and berries come straight from our gardens and fields into our kitchens and onto your table.
Other ingredients such as mountain trout, farmstead cheese, and grass-fed beef and pork are sourced from local farmers and producers.
We ate at Village Social, which was casual and decently priced. My mushroom & spring pea risotto was delicious and the service was excellent.
The Barn & Farmyard is a place the kids will love. It features blacksmiths, woodworkers, craft demonstrations and animals such as goats and chickens in the Barnyard. We missed this as it was raining pretty hard the afternoon we visited.
Cedric’s Tavern is another popular place to eat on the Biltmore Estate, with a traditional European-style pub asthetic with wooden furnishings and decor. They have home-cooked meals as well as craft beers and local wines.
For dessert, don’t miss out on a delicious soft serve at The Creamery, an ice cream shop on the estate.
7. Stay at The Inn on Biltmore Estate
I don’t think you can beat the Inn at Biltmore. It was truly magnificent.
This four-star inn left our family almost breathless when we walked into the grandeur of the hotel foyer and saw the magnificent mountain and valley views that stretched out in front of them.
I just had to grab one of the welcome complimentary glasses of champagne from the winery to appreciate the view with!
Biltmore elegance continues to live on at the Inn on Biltmore. If I was to plan our trip over again, I’d drop a night somewhere else to have one more night at the Biltmore Inn.
One night was simply not enough to enjoy the experience of this four star luxury hotel.
And of course the girls were in heaven. Both of my spoilt travel babies prefer the four and five star life and get disappointed when we often book the three star hotel!!
I felt like part of the Biltmore family enjoying a glass of tea in the library lounge watching the sunset over the valley with views of the Estate’s twinkling lights in the distance.
The service and hospitality at the Inn on Biltmore Estate is exceptional. George and Edith would be very proud.
The rooms were decorated in the elegant Biltmore style and were comfortable.
8. Stay at The Village Hotel
Of course, the Inn at Biltmore was so popular, that they had to create an additional hotel to meet the demand.
The Village Hotel is that hotel, and it’s just as elegant and opulent as the rest of the estate.
Although the rooms are much more modern than the Loire Valley chateaux inspired rooms of the main mansion, it’s still just as cozy.
Each room comes with private bathrooms, and it’s located in Antler Hill Village, so you’re close to the winery, restaurants and shops.
You can also rent a cottage at Biltmore now if you want a private retreat. They have two self-contained, charming and historic cottages you can rent.
9. Join A Unique Experience
There are so many unique experiences to have at Biltmore Estate, that one day simply isn’t enough to do it all.
You can do everything from clay shooting, watch craft demonstrations, horseback riding, backstage tours of the winery, and even go on a Land Rover expedition across the grounds.
Some other activities you can do include bird watching tours, archery, and even mindfulness walks and yoga.
Be sure to check out the events calendar to see what activities are happening during the time you visit.
Tips for Visiting Biltmore Estate
- Get there early. You will beat the queues and the crowds.
- Plan in advance so you can visit for special events. Christmas at the Biltmore is spectacular with the lights, and Spring with their incredible floral displays in the gardens are not to be missed.
- Purchase your tickets in advance. With seven or more days advance purchase, you’ll save $10 per ticket.
- Reservations are required for your self-guided visit of Biltmore House on these high volume days. Reserve your entry time online at the same time you purchase your tickets
- Visit during the week to avoid weekend crowds.
- Kids 16 and younger admitted free all summer (through Labor Day)! The rest of the year, kids ages 9 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by a paying parent or guardian.
- Arrive at least 45 minutes prior to your Biltmore House entry to allow time to park and catch a shuttle to Biltmore House.
- A car is required for travel between locations on the estate. The estate is huge and distances between some places can be close to 5 miles. Click here for car rentals.
- If you live in the area or may visit a couple of times each year, it may be worth getting an annual pass. Passholders get savings on food, outdoor activities, shopping, guided tours, and wine experiences — including up to 25 percent off bottles of wine. You’d also receive two free tickets each winter to give away and buy discounted admission tickets for family.
How Many Days To See The Biltmore House in Asheville?
There is just so much to enjoy on the Biltmore Estate, it’s worth staying at least one night and make your visit longer than a day. Ideally, two full days should be the minimum.
I really wish we had the time to stay longer as I’d love to experience the hiking trails, Segway tours, horse riding and so many more things that can be done on the estate grounds.
We were able to visit Antler Hill and Winery on the evening of our check in and then visit the Estate the next morning.
This saved us from spending a full day at Biltmore and still allowed us to see everything. It worked well since we were quite short on time.
- Overnight stay packages include estate admission, breakfast, and estate shuttle service for the length of your stay.
- The hotels have complimentary shuttle service to Biltmore House.
- If you are staying at any of the hotels on the Biltmore Estate, you can charge back from the restaurants and ships to your room.
Places To Stay Near Biltmore House Asheville NC
If you don’t want to stay at the hotels on Biltmore Estate, the Biltmore Village is a few square blocks just outside the entrance gates to Biltmore.
My favorite place to stay nearby is Lake Lure. It is an hour drive away, but it might be a great way to add in peace and serenity to your adventures.
Our favorite place to stay in Lake Lure is the Lodge on Lake Lure. There is also the Rambling Bald Resort, which is a popular place to stay.
There are also plenty of hotels in downtown Asheville. We stayed at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Asheville. You can read our review of the Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown here.
Opening Hours & Entrance Fees
Biltmore Estate is open all year round from 8.30am until late. Hours of operation depend on the time of year and what you want to see on the estate. Click here to see official hours of operation.
Ticket prices vary depending on the season, but every ticket allows you to come back the next day to access the grounds, art exhibitions and more.
Ticket prices are as follows:
- Spring (Mar 25–May 23) – prices from $80
- Summer (May 24–Sep 2) – prices from $80
- Fall (Sep 3–Nov 1) – prices from $80
- Winter (Jan 8–Mar 24) – prices from $70
- Christmas (Nov 2–Jan 5, 2025) – prices from $110
Note that prices do not include additional activities and these are sold separately.
More Asheville Travel Tips
Need more inspiration for things to do near the Biltmore Estate North Carolina? Here are some helpful guides for places nearby…
- Things to Do in Lake Lure
- Grandfather Mountain & Linville Falls: A Day Trip On The Blue Ridge Parkway
- Climb the 499 steps to Chimney Rock for amazing views
- A Cades Cove bike ride in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – we saw bears!
- Visiting Asheville with Kids
- Top Places to Go in the North Carolina Mountains
- Best Things to Do in North Carolina
- Best Road Trips in the USA
- A Guide to the River Arts District, Asheville NC (Why, What, and How)
- Things to Do in Downtown Asheville, NC
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Have you been to Biltmore House in Asheville North Carolina? Let us know what you thought in the comments.
