Christmas at Biltmore House 2015

The biggest event of the year in Asheville has begun! Christmas at Biltmore runs through January 10, 2016. Biltmore’s design team has woven this year’s theme – “A Gilded Age Christmas” – throughout every element created for the season across the estate, incorporating grand and elegant details that are rooted in authentic Vanderbilt Christmas stories.

The towering 35-foot Christmas tree in the Banquet Hall is a nod to a tradition started by George Vanderbilt on Christmas Eve in 1895 when he opened his 250-room home to friends and family for the first time. As tradition dictates, the tree is decorated with 500 ornaments and wrapped packages tucked into its branches.

During the magical Candlelight Christmas Evenings, thousands of ornaments and over-the-top wreaths and garlands sparkle with the reflections of candlelight and cozy fires in the home’s fireplaces. Despite the home’s enormous size, sounds of choirs and musicians create an intimate atmosphere. Outside, a 55-foot Norway spruce tree, lit by 45,000 tiny white lights and surrounded by hundreds of hand-lit luminaries, welcomes guests for evening tours.

See photos of this year’s Christmas decorations inside Biltmore House.

Christmas at Biltmore 2015 Events

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: Christmas at Biltmore daytime experience

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 2: Candlelight Christmas Evenings

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: A Gardener’s Place Holiday Seminars. “Decorate with Christmas Wreaths” is offered at noon and “Create Holiday Tablescapes” is offered at 1 p.m.

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: The Conservatory’s annual poinsettia and tropical plant display.

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: Complimentary wine tasting at the Winery. The “Red Wine and Chocolate” seminar is offered, as well as the “Biltmore Bubbles” tour. Additional price and reservations required.

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, evenings: Live music in Cedric’s Tavern in Antler Hill Village.

• Nov. 7 through Dec. 20, Saturdays and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., and on Friday, Nov. 27: Visits with Santa in Antler Hill Village.

• Nov. 7 through Jan. 10, Saturdays and Sundays, 3 p.m., and on Friday, Nov. 27: Roving Holiday Carolers in Antler Hill Village.

• Dec. 17, 18 and 19: Inn on Biltmore Estate’s Annual Gingerbread House Tea. Guests assemble gingerbread homes with the help of a pastry chef while enjoying afternoon tea. Additional price and reservations required.

• Ongoing: Festive holiday meals prepared by award-winning chefs will be served in all of the estate’s restaurants.

Guests looking to extend their holiday stay at Biltmore will have several options. For a retreat with personalized service, the Inn on Biltmore Estate offers four-star accommodations with sweeping views in a private hilltop setting. Special holiday packages starting with Thanksgiving will be available during Christmas at Biltmore.

Biltmore’s newest lodging offering, Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate, opens December 1, 2015. Designed for the guest looking for a casual overnight stay, the hotel is located in Antler Hill Village. It is steps away from shopping, dining, the Winery, live music and outdoor activities. Special holiday packages will be available during Christmas at Biltmore.

See the complete Christmas at Biltmore Guide that includes ticket special offers, along with Asheville vacation packages.

Biltmore Will Soon Be Blooming

Thousands of tulips in the Walled Garden

“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.”
~ Ruth Stout

You couldn’t pick a better place to greet spring than in the magnificent gardens at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The first day of spring, March 20, will kick off the annual Biltmore Blooms festivities, which will run through May 25, 2015.

Biltmore Blooms will kick off with the blooming of the cheery daffodils at the entrance gate. Thousands of vibrant tulips, this year in hues of purple, pink, white, and orange, will follow quickly behind the daffodils. Azaleas, rhododendron, roses, and other colorful annuals and perennials will erupt across the Estate throughout the remainder of the season. Orchids will be the center of attention between March 20 and April 12, when visitors will be invited to enter the glass-domed Winter Garden to take in the hundreds of brilliant orchids on display.

In addition to the array of beautiful flowers, Biltmore will be hosting the “Dressing Downton: Changing Fashions for Changing Times” exhibition.  Forty-five costumes worn by the actors on Downton Abbey will be featured throughout the House. “Dressing Downton” will run through May 25.

Specials offered for spring include:

• March 20 – May 21: youth tickets are half the price of adult tickets
• Purchase your tickets at least a week in advance and receive $10 off
• Mother’s Day, May 10: Bring your mom to Biltmore – she gets in FREE

Other special spring experiences:

• “Orchid Talks” — held each weekday at 11am, estate gardening experts will be on hand to discuss Biltmore’s history with orchids, as well as provide more information about the plants displayed in the orchid room.
• “Ask a Gardener” — visitors will have the chance to speak to the Estate’s plant experts in the Walled Garden.
• Gardening and Floral Demonstrations — “Exquisite Orchids for Beginners” is offered each day at 1:00pm, followed by “Nurturing Treasured Houseplants” at 2:00pm.
• Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Sunday, April 5 — held on the front lawn for children ages 2-9. There will be three hunts, at 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm, with registration beginning two hours before and closing fifteen minutes before each hunt. There will be a variety of entertainment to enjoy in addition to hunting Easter eggs,, such as music, storytelling, magic shows, games, crafts, and photos with the Easter Bunny.
• Easter Sunday Brunch will be served at Deerpark and the Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate.
• Cedric’s English Sunday Brunch will be served at Cedric’s Tavern in Antler Hill Village each Sunday from 11:30am – 5:00pm through May 24.
• Have a taste of the Limited Release Spring Seasonal Wine offered each day at the Biltmore Winery.

For more information, go to RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide.

Christmas at Biltmore Details for 2014

Banquet Hall and 40-foot tree inside Biltmore House

It’s the most wonderful time of year at America’s largest home. Christmas at Biltmore daytime tours begin on November 7 and run through January 11. Candlelight Christmas Evenings run November 7 through January 3. See photos, videos, tips and the latest info on ticket discounts at www.romanticasheville.com/biltmorechristmas.htm.

This year’s Christmas decorations inside the Biltmore House and throughout the estate draw inspiration from the theme “A Vanderbilt Christmas Celebration.” Décor will trend toward the opulent to create a sense of the Gilded Age, while incorporating elements that nod to George Vanderbilt’s legacy in Western North Carolina and the surrounding mountains. Vanderbilt hosted his first family Christmas celebration in Biltmore House in 1895, and this year’s celebration is modeled on that first Christmas.

The grand Banquet Hall will mix vintage and opulent accents with burgundy, red, gold and blue ornaments tucked into the centerpiece 34-foot tall Fraser fir Christmas tree. The annual tree raising is November 5, as guests watch Santa deliver the tree and workers maneuver this huge tree through the front doors to the Banquet Hall. Two additional 14-foot trees will flank the triple fireplace. A deep red velvet runner edged with holly and red berries will accent the Hall’s dining table, with potted poinsettias and fresh cut flower arrangements completing the look. The pipe organ plays on a regular schedule. Elsewhere inside the house, see 60 intricately designed and decorated trees. Miles of fresh garland and wreaths draped throughout the house.

On Candlelight Christmas Evenings, a 55-foot Norway spruce tree, lit by 45,000 tiny white lights, will be the focal point on the front lawn. Magical Candlelight evenings feature local choirs and small musical ensembles stationed in the Winter Garden and throughout the house. Included in these tickets is daytime admission to Biltmore’s gardens, Antler Hill Village and Winery.

In Antler Hill Village, Santa will visit with children of all ages. Cedric’s Tavern will host live music nightly. Tour the Winery, enjoy free wine tastings and purchase wines, including the limited release Christmas at Biltmore blend. Special wine seminars are available by reservation.

Biltmore’s floral arranging and gardening experts will conduct free, daily seminars at A Gardener’s Place retail gift shop from October 17 through January 11. Seminars are “Winter Wreaths” at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and “Front Door Swags” at 1 and 3 p.m.

There are many dining options. Select from the Bistro, Deerpark Restaurant, Stable Café, Cedric’s Tavern or The Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate. The Inn will offer its annual Gingerbread House Tea on December 18, 19, and 20. The four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate offers several packages for holidays, including special Thanksgiving, Candlelight Christmas Evenings, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve packages.

And don’t forget the variety of retail shops, all perfect for holiday gift shopping. Other activities include taking a horse and carriage ride; exploring acres of walking and biking trails and more.

See photos and a video of the decorations inside Biltmore House: www.romanticasheville.com/biltmore_christmas_photo_tour.htm. And see hotel packages!

Dream Wedding at Biltmore With Boston Marathon Survivors

On Friday, April 4, the grand Biltmore House in Asheville was the site of the wedding of Rebekah Gregory and Pete DiMartino, both survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Their wedding was planned by TheKnot, with an assist from the voting public, as part of its 2nd annual Dream Wedding Contest.

 

Each element of the couple’s Biltmore wedding was voted on, including the location, overall theme, the bride’s dress, bridesmaid dresses, cake, flowers and more. Asheville, the couple’s favorite vacation destination, was announced on Valentine’s Day as the location. Asheville received the most votes over other cities that the couple has ties to, including New York, Boston and Louisville.

 

The wedding ceremony took place on the Tennis Lawn, adjacent to Biltmore House. The Italian Gardens was the setting for reception. The bride and groom hosted 150 friends and family for the event.

 

The couple has been profiled on The Today Show and has been featured in several national media outlets including People magazine.

 

Here’s their story: Rebekah and Pete were at the finish line of the Boston Marathon cheering on Pete’s mother. When the bomb exploded, Rebekah shielded her young son. She has endured 15 surgeries and the fear of the possible amputation of her leg, which she still faces today. Pete lost 90 percent of his right Achilles tendon and suffered multiple broken bones in his ankle. He has undergone surgeries and months of physical therapy. Their shared experience as a result of the explosion and surviving their injuries brought them even closer together and strengthened their relationship.

 

Thousands of people across the country tuned in to help Rebekah and Pete’s wedding dreams come true. The winning wedding elements were:

 

• Location: Asheville, N.C. A garden ceremony at Biltmore was chosen for its fairytale setting next to a real-life castle.   

• Photos: Allan Zepeda Photography

• Theme: The theme was Enchanted Garden, a vision created by Marcy Blum of Marcy Blum Associates. With green and brown woodland colors, plus whimsical elements like hanging lanterns, this theme is a nod to Biltmore’s gardens.

• Rings: Classically Cool wedding bands were selected: a pave diamond band for Rebekah and a titanium band for Pete, both by Michael C. Fina.

• Bridesmaid Dresses: Rebekah’s girls wore chiffon gowns in falcon, complete with a trendy sweetheart strapless neckline by Watters.

• The Dress: Rebekah wore an ivory fit-and-flare dress with beaded embroidery, a dropped-waist and sweetheart neckline by Sophia Moncelli for Kleinfeld Bridal.

• Flowers: The romantic and playful whimsical woodland centerpiece featured a willow adorned tree trunk base and a secret garden of flowers in shades of pink, plus blooming cherry blossoms designed by Holly Chapple. All flowers were American Grown from the California Cut Flower Commission and will play into the enchanted them with shades of pink, lavender and peach.

• Cake: Cake Alchemy created a multi-tiered confection with delicate white ruffles, buttons and peony sugar flowers to match the garden theme.

• Hair & Makeup: Rebekah traveled to NYC for a hair and makeup trial with Alli Web, founder of Drybar and Kate Turner from Too Faced.

For info on Biltmore and Asheville wedding locations, go to RomanticAsheville.com Top Wedding Venues.

Winter Specials at Biltmore Estate

January through March is typically a quieter time of year for visiting America’s largest home at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, allowing time to discover extra touches. Special deals combined with warm indoor attractions make a winter visit at Biltmore the best value of the year.

Ticket Specials
Travelers can take advantage of the lowest admission prices of the year January 13 through March 19, 2014. Estate admission begins at $39 when tickets are purchased online seven or more days in advance. Regular tickets are $49, and kids aged nine and younger are free. Available at no additional charge during this time are two new Biltmore House audio tours. For the first time, they have a children’s audio tour in addition to the standard audio tour, created to give kids an imaginative connection to life in the Vanderbilt household. The children’s tour is told from the point of view of Cedric, the Vanderbilt’s beloved Saint Bernard. Both tours follow the same route through Biltmore House for families to enjoy together.

Garden Walks and Orchid Talks
More indoor enchantment awaits in the Conservatory in the Biltmore gardens. Possibly one of the warmest spots in North Carolina’s mountains in winter, the Conservatory is filled with thousands of tropical plants, including an expansive orchid display at its showiest peak in March. Orchids and Biltmore have a long history; in fact, some 800 orchids were on Vanderbilt’s list to be purchased for the Conservatory in 1894. A new educational tour is offered in the Conservatory Mondays through Fridays, January 20 through March 19 at 11 a.m. Expert gardeners discuss the many types of orchids in bloom and topics such as Biltmore’s heritage orchids, the history of orchid cultivation, and details about the Conservatory. Growing tips and general care information will also be offered. Capacity is limited and orchid talks are free with the price of estate admission.

The South’s “Downton Abbey”
As the fourth season of “Downton Abbey” airs on PBS this winter, fans of the show have taken note of similarities between Biltmore and the period drama hit. Thematic story lines and the era of the show overlap with the time when George and Edith Vanderbilt lived in the 250-room Biltmore House and raised their daughter Cornelia. Parallels between Biltmore and Downton Abbey can be brought to life in two specialty tours at Biltmore. During the Butler’s Tour, visitors discover how Biltmore House functioned, past and present, and learn about the work of the Vanderbilt’s domestic servants. As for the opulence upstairs, it’s easy to imagine what it would have been like to stay at Biltmore (circa 1895 to the early 1930s) with the Vanderbilts as your hosts during the Vanderbilt Family & Friends Tour. Tours are offered daily and advance registration is required. Each tour is $17 per person in addition to estate admission. Finishing an afternoon with English tea at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, complete with traditional English finger sandwiches, scones, fruit breads, and tea pastries, will round out a day in the spirit of “Downton Abbey.”

Warm-up at the Winery
A stop at Biltmore Winery is a delightful way to spend a chilly winter afternoon with free guided tours of the production facility and complimentary tastings. Specialty wine tours offered at an additional price include the Red Wine and Chocolate Seminar and the Biltmore Bubbles Tour. Antler Hill Village is just steps away from the Winery and features “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad,” an exhibition highlighting archival letters, personal items and exotic treasures collected around the world.

Special rates at the Inn on Biltmore Estate
The four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate has special winter pricing with savings up to half off. Rooms start at $149 per night.

Read more about Winter at Biltmore: http://www.romanticasheville.com/Biltmore_winter.htm

Photo Tour of Christmas at Biltmore House

Take a photo tour inside Biltmore House to see this year’s Christmas decorations! This year’s festive celebration includes 56 Christmas trees (including the favorite 40-foot tree in the Banquet Hall), 1,000 poinsettias, miles of garland and lights, live music and inspirational holiday demonstrations. See our Christmas at Biltmore Guide for details, tips for visiting and a video. Many area Asheville hotel and B&Bs have Biltmore Packages that include tickets; see them at www.romanticasheville.com/packages.html. Biltmore Estate is open every day, including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Winter Garden inside Biltmore House

Biltmore House Christmas Tree Arrival

Candlelight tours at Biltmore House

Edith Vanderbilt’s Bedroom inside Biltmore House

Second Floor Living Hall inside Biltmore House

Tapestry Hall Gallery inside Biltmore House

Library in Biltmore House

Music Room in Biltmore House

Breakfast Room inside Biltmore House

Banquet Hall and 40-foot tree inside Biltmore House

Billiard Room inside Biltmore House

Biltmore House takes on a warm glow during Candlelight Christmas Evenings (separate ticket required) creating a unique holiday experience that you will remember for many years. Choirs and ensembles perform traditional music throughout the house. The front lawn glows with a 55-foot Norway spruce with 45,000 lights and 300 luminaries line the drive. Click here to read more!

Watch our video tour of the 2013 Biltmore House Christmas decorations:

Christmas at Biltmore opens November 2

Christmas at Biltmore House

The world-famous Biltmore House Christmas season begins on November 2! America’s largest home will be filled with 56 decorated trees, miles of garlands and 1,000 poinsettias. In addition, enjoy candlelight tours (beginning November 9), great shopping, dining, decorating workshops, live music and more.

When George Vanderbilt opened Biltmore House for the first time to family and friends on Christmas Eve 1895, it was a special day. The grand celebration began a treasured estate tradition that continues more than a century later. Known as one of the Southeast’s most elegant and awe-inspiring holiday travel destinations,  the modern-day celebration is modeled after the estate’s first Christmas. This year, the decorations will remain until January 12.

The “star” of the show is the 35-foot tree in the Banquet Hall. You can watch the raising of the tree on the morning of November 1 as Santa Claus ushers in the giant Fraser fir on a horse-drawn carriage.

The enchantment continues with Candlelight Christmas Evenings. Luminaries dot the front lawn of Biltmore House and thousands of tiny white lights adorn the 55-foot tall Norway Spruce. Inside the House, soloists and choirs perform traditional Christmas music, with the rooms taking on a magical glow as candles illuminate holiday decor.  Special holiday menus at estate restaurants and holiday packages at the four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate complete the experience and promise a memorable visit.

Your ticket includes tours of Biltmore House, the gardens and Antler Hill Village. The village links to the Winery, where visitors may take a guided tour and enjoy a complimentary wine tasting. Also see the special exhibit “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad.”

Library inside Biltmore House

Tips for Visiting

• To save and get discounted Biltmore tickets, purchase tickets on their website at least seven days in advance.
• Arrive early and allow a full day – or two to see it all.
• Often, a ticket purchased from a hotel/B&B/rental is good for an extra day at Biltmore.
• Your self-guided visit of Biltmore House requires a house tour reservation on Friday, Saturday, Sundays and the week of Christmas.
• Visit Monday through Thursday for fewer guests.
• Wear comfortable walking shoes and layers to allow for changeable mountain weather.
• Bring a car. Parking is free and some of the estate venues are several miles apart. Shuttles from the parking lot to Biltmore House are provided, but you’ll need your own transportation to the other estate attractions.
• Candlelight Christmas Evenings require a separate ticket for entry from daytime admission. Tickets are available by reservation only and include an evening self-guided candlelight tour of Biltmore House, next-day or same day visit to the gardens and Biltmore Estate Winery.

More info:

• See our Christmas at Biltmore Guide.
• See more holiday events and things to do in Asheville.
• See Holiday Vacation Packages and Specials for area hotels, B&Bs and cabin rentals.

Newly Restored Biltmore House Rooms Reopen in Fall

Restoration inside Biltmore House

Two rooms inside the 250-room Biltmore House – the Second Floor Living Hall and the Salon – will re-open this fall after the estate’s Museum Services team restores them to their appearances as they were when George Vanderbilt opened the home in 1895. The Biltmore Estate is located in Asheville, North Carolina.

“We’re constantly striving to interpret the house authentically as it appeared during the Vanderbilts’ time,” said Darren Poupore, Chief Curator.

In recent years, the Second Floor Living Hall has been used as an exhibition space; prior to that, it was interpreted as a sitting area. An early 1950s photo offered a glimpse of the original furnishings of this space—gilded sconces, paintings and a suite of oversized Baroque furniture placed around the perimeter of the room. Additional research led curators to determine that the room’s primary function was intended as a picture gallery and formal hallway.

Bringing the room back to its original state includes conserving all the furnishings, recreating elaborate window treatments and making structural changes.

“We discovered that the original upholstery was a gauffraged fabric—a rich wool velvet with a pattern pressed into it—in a striking gold color,” said Poupore. “We had it reproduced in France by Prelle, the same company that made many of our historic fabrics for the Louis XV Suite project.”

Green velvet draperies adorn windows featuring exact reproductions of four pelmets (or valances). For two years, local textile artist Heather Allen Swarttouw painstakingly embroidered and appliquéd each pelmet to match the originals.

As appropriate for such a prominent space, several notable paintings are being returned to their original locations. John Singer Sargent’s portraits of Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmsted and Anders Zorn’s painting “The Waltz,” which have been hanging temporarily in the Salon, will once again hang where George Vanderbilt intended. The restored Living Hall will open September 1.

Relocating the paintings from the Salon has led to its reinterpretation, centered on the fact that the Salon was one of the few first floor rooms not completed during Vanderbilt’s lifetime.

“Draperies were placed in the archways to prevent the Vanderbilts’ guests from seeing inside the room,” Poupore said. “It had bare brick walls, a rough subfloor and a structural tiled ceiling without its finished treatment. In the 1920s, Edith Vanderbilt turned it into a Turkish sitting room, but in 1930 everything except the 1920s ceiling treatment was removed and it became a space to display special objects.”

Curators decided to tell the story of how the room has changed through the years. Removal of a wall revealed an original firebox and brick walls. A section of the fabric ceiling treatment is being removed to show the terra cotta tiled ceiling above. Information panels will explain the new interpretation of the room when it re-opens October 1.

Fall is a great time to visit Biltmore and the North Carolina mountains! See the Asheville Fall Color Forecast and Guide.

Plan your vacation and see the latest Biltmore ticket offers and specials on our Biltmore Estate Guide.

Biltmore House Festival Of Flowers Quick Highlights

Winter Garden inside Biltmore House

Biltmore Estate Festival of Flowers Guide

From March 21 through May 31, 2013, Biltmore Blooms promises a huge variety of spring flowers as Biltmore Estate awakes from winter with a steady progression of floral color. Spring is when Biltmore House celebrates the legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted and his final project – George Vanderbilt’s magnificent gardens. Here are some highlights:

• This festival of flowers begins with the bright golden yellow of daffodils and forsythia in the gardens, coinciding with an opulent display of potted tropical plants, orchids and lavish flowers inside Biltmore House.

• The season continues with a massive 100,000-tulip bloom across the estate, multi-colored azaleas, rhododendron and roses in the Historic Rose Garden. Native mountain laurels and vertical gardens of succulents continue long into summer.

• For the first time ever, step into the Winter Garden through April 7, normally roped off, to enjoy a display of exotic orchids just as George and Edith Vanderbilt’s guests might have. The plants will include the same species plants that were planned for the Biltmore Conservatory in 1894.

• Throughout the House, floral displays repeat the rich jewel tones found in the orchids in glass-domed cloches and reproduction Wardian Cases, which look like miniature greenhouses. These cases served as microclimates for the plants’ transport from far-flung exotic places to conservatories of horticulturalists, plant collectors and enthusiasts in Europe and the United States. At the turn of the century, plant collecting brought the romance and danger of distant places into the home parlor, greenhouse and the great conservatories.

• On the weekends, visit “Ask a Gardener” stations in the Walled Garden hosted by Biltmore’s horticulture experts.

• Attend free, daily horticulture seminars in A Gardener’s Place: Smell-Good Plants, 1 p.m.; Terrariums: Gardening Under Glass, 2 p.m.; and Organic Fertilizing, 3 p.m.

• Enjoy live music daily in the Conservatory and Biltmore House. Weekends feature bands in Antler Hill Village and Grape Stomps for children at the Winery.

• The Winery offers daily tastings of its Biltmore Spring Seasonal Wine (a rosé of Pinot Grigio) and wine seminars.

• The estate’s annual Easter Egg Hunt takes place on Easter Sunday, March 31, on the front lawn of Biltmore House. Enjoy children’s music and stories, magic shows, games and take photos with the Easter Rabbit. Activities at Antler Hill Village will include music and a Grape Stomp at the Winery from 2 to 5 p.m. Hunts begin at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Registration begins two hours before each hunt.

• “The Vanderbilts At Home and Abroad” exhibition, featuring rarely seen objects in the Vanderbilt collection, continues in the Biltmore Legacy Building in Antler Hill Village.

• Throughout the spring, estate admission is half the price of adult admission. Purchase estate admission tickets seven days in advance of visit and receive $15 off; $10 off if purchased one to six days in advance.

Read more in our Biltmore Blooms Festival of Flowers Guide.

3CQP73CU3EMD

10 Things to Do at Biltmore Estate

Biltmore House

Biltmore House & Gardens

If you have been to Biltmore Estate multiple times or planning a first visit, here are 10 great “extra” ways to enjoy your visit and make lifetime memories:

1. After taking a self-guided tour of the Biltmore House, sign up for the Butler’s Tour to see how Biltmore House functioned back in the early 1900s (America’s Downton Abbey), and see behind-the-scenes areas unrestored rooms and mechanical areas.
2. At the Winery, take the Red Wine & Chocolate Seminar, daily at 2 PM, to discover why chocolate and red wine is a match made in heaven.
3. Again this spring and summer, the Deerpark Restaurant in the historic barn will serve a delicious weekend brunch with prepared-to-order specialties in addition to classic favorites like hand-carved prime rib and Southern family-style dishes. Starting March 23, it’s open for lunch on Saturdays 11 AM to 3 PM and for Sunday Brunch 10 AM to 2 PM.
4. During the Festival of Flowers (March 21-May 19) take a free gardening seminar (or all three) held daily in A Gardener’s Place below the Conservatory: Smell Good Plants, Terrarium Gardening Under Glass and Organic Fertilizing.
5. Enjoy the grand outdoors at Biltmore with a guided Segway Tour, daily April to December. No experience is necessary. The tour covers 3.5 miles on a paved trail by the Lagoon. Or take a hike on one of the many trails.
6. At the this year’s special exhibit, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad, explore the lives of George, Edith, and Cornelia Vanderbilt at home and in their travels throughout Europe and the Far East, including the fascinating story of the fateful decision that saved the Vanderbilts from perishing on Titanic.
7. If you or your traveling companion has mobility challenges, Biltmore offers reduced-price admission and special services for you. Parking assistance is available, and you can ride a shuttle bus to the front door of the Biltmore House. They have some wheelchairs inside the house for use at no charge to tour the first two floors. Guests with hearing difficulties can request a neckloop telecoil coupler or a printed transcript of the audio guide. You can also request a sign language interpreter.
8. If you are traveling with your pet, the grounds are perfect for walking your pets, just keep them securely leashed at all times. There are many trails and garden areas to enjoy. Pets (except service dogs) are not allowed in any building.
9. If you love shopping at Biltmore but you run out of time, go back the next day to the Gate House Gift Shop at the estate entrance. It does not require an admission ticket.
10. Purchase tickets on Biltmore’s website at least 7 days in advance and save $10 on daytime admission. Enjoy a second, consecutive day of all Biltmore has to offer for only $10.

For our 20-page insider’s guide with many photos, videos and tips, go to our Biltmore Estate Guide.

Also, see our Top 30 Spring Festivals & Events more fun in western North Carolina.