We had the chance to go back to the French Renaissance chateau, the Biltmore in Asheville, NC last week to tour the house and gardens and enjoyed it so much. The house officially opened in 1895 as a summer retreat for George Vanderbilt and family. I’ve been a few times before, but it’s been a few years, so when they sent me an invitation to come back for Biltmore Blooms in the gardens this year, I couldn’t pass up the chance to go with Mark. He hasn’t been to the Biltmore since the 1970’s. I knew we would enjoy a couple of days in Asheville and we couldn’t have had better weather, mid-70’s and sunshine both days. We took Daisy with us too and stayed in a B&B. I’ll tell you about that later on as well as where we ate and some antiquing we did. It went well for her first road trip and the B&B was perfect for pet owners. I’ll share all that in a later post.
Note: The Biltmore PR group comped tickets for Mark and I to tour the house and gardens and I appreciate that so much. It was the perfect opportunity for another visit.
Biltmore blooms runs from April 1 to May 27. I’ll be doing another post just on the gardens. And I’ll do the post of the house in two parts since I took so many pictures. You can definitely spend hours if you wish at the Biltmore Estate with so much to see and do inside the house and outdoors in the gardens. I saw people with picnics set up on the beautiful green lawns surrounding the gardens.
We went to the Biltmore in the morning that day. You have to make reservations now to tour the estate, since Covid restrictions are still in place. I will say that mask wearing is highly enforced in NC as well, so be aware of that if you go. We showed our tickets at the front check-in and started our tour. I was so happy with how my iphone 11 pictures turned out so I hope you enjoy.
You just have to take a selfie from this spot, the perfect angle to showcase the house. We parked in the parking lot and walked up to the house taking in the expansive green lawn.
There’s a line for you to wait your turn to go in and we had a 10:30 time slot.
The house is breathtaking no matter how many times I’ve toured it.
The craftsmanship and stateliness of this historical Gilded Age estate is just amazing.
Inside the large atrium is the first area you see. It never gets old to see this beautiful glass enclosed room.
I took lots of detailed pics this time with ceilings and woodwork to see. I wanted to capture the hallways and the specialness of the wood and architecture.
Billiard room
One of my favorite rooms is the dining room. How majestic is this view?
Truly a masterpiece of a room. This is where the huge real live Christmas tree goes for the holidays.
The details in the Biltmore are just stunning.
Family dining area.
The music room.
Covered loggia with views outside.
And the views are so dramatic. Nothing like the mountains of NC!
The library is so interesting to look atl.
Can you imagine this many books?
The ceiling looks like a Roman masterpiece.
The tapestry hallway.
The Grand staircase.
Upstairs sitting area
Door going into Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom.
You can find out a lot more information on the Vanderbilt website about the house and gardens. The estate is still family owned and they have found creative ways to keep the estate maintained and allows thousands of visitors to see the home and gardens as they were in 1895. It’s definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been!
We’ll pick up here in the next post, Part 2 of the Vanderbilt estate. I hope you enjoyed this part of the house, there is a lot more to see! Come back tomorrow for Part 2.
I’m surprised you were allowed to take photos of the interior. When we were there years ago it was not allowed. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, they have changed the rules and I’m so glad!
I love The Biltmore House, and have toured it many times. Your photos of the architectural details are fantastic! I enjoyed seeing Part 1 of your tour of this magnificent home, through your eyes! You captured some great shots!
Biltmore is one of my favorite places to visit. Thanks for reminding me we need to visit there again!
A definite showstopper. Thank you.
I’ve been maybe 3 or 4 times over the years. Love the details you got. Usually so crowded it’s hard to notice everything. Plus at Christmas you’re noticing all the decorations. I remember hundreds of poinsettias in the atrium. Thanks for sharing!
Your camera took wonderful pictures. One time visiting there in February when they do in depth cleaning they were vacuuming the family dining room tablecloth and cleaning the frames of paintings with a small dry paint brush. Next time you come to Asheville please stay with us in our lower level apartment. You would be very welcome.
Hi, Marjorie, thank you for the invitation, that’s very sweet. We did enjoy our B&B we stayed in.
Toured Biltmore House and Gardens just this past summer with my husband. They still had the Downton Abbey exhibit. It was wonderful… So glad you took all those photos. Nice memories.
Having been to Biltmore several times, I can tell you it never gets old and each visit you will see something new because its hard to take everything in with just one visit. Of course, Christmas at Biltmore is always a favorite but I like going in the Spring as well for the gardens which are so beautiful. With the popularity of shows like Downton Abbey, its especially fascinating to tour the downstairs living quarters and kitchen where the staff lived and worked. It was really like a well oiled machine!
Great photos and I am looking forward to your other Biltmore posts! I visited Biltmore for the Chihuly exhibition in 2018, and I was dazzled by the opulence, the architecture, the gardens – all of it! My husband and I toured the house and gardens during the day and evening, and it was even more enchanting at night. We heard so many great stories about the house and grounds. (My favorite story is that during World War II, Edith Vanderbilt secretly installed steel doors and bars in the then-unfinished Music Room to protect dozens of paintings and sculptures from the National Gallery of Art from potential attack. And, the art was secretly moved to Biltmore via train during a snowstorm.)
I always look forward to reading your posts!
Your photos are amazing! We were there for Christmas at the Biltmore and I made lots of photos but mine were not nearly as good as yours. It was beautifully decorated then also.
Your photos are so beautiful. Love this place, I have been there numerous times. Every time I go it’s always breathtaking and lovely. You always see something new they have incorporated, into the decore or gardens. Such a wonderful place to visit and enjoy.
Now I understand why the Newport estates of the rich were called “cottages”!
I remember hearing that too and thought it was a little crazy to call those homes cottages. Only in their world!
We live about 25 minutes from Asheville. It never gets old visiting this grand home . A couple of our friends children held their marriage ceremony there several years ago.
Everyone should visit there especially this time of year and during the Christmas holidays. Be prepared to be impressed!
The reservations protocol has been in place for several years. It has nothing to do with Covid. Glad to see they are enforcing the mask mandate. Also, the atrium is not class enclosed, only the roof is glass. The “walls” are open.
“glass”
Beautiful photos! We visited last month for our twelth anniversary trip. It is a majestic place! My husband and I were both amazed. I think that we enjoyed seeing the downstairs parts as much as the upstairs, probably because we are huge Downton Abbey fans. I definitely recommend a visit to everyone. We can’t wait to go back. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you got to go! It’s a memorable place to visit. It definitely reminds me of Downton Abbey too.