Biltmore

Monday 15 July
Biltmore was built in the late 1880’s as the summer home for George W. Vanderbilt, who belonged to one of the wealthiest families in the country. He began acquiring land around Asheville, eventually obtaining some 125,000 acres. In 1889 work began on the palatial home in the style of a French chateau, designed by Richard Morris Hunt. It took six years to complete the 250-room residence, which had a floor area of some 4 acres. The mansion included 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, 34 bedrooms, and a gym and indoor pool! In addition to a 10,000-volume library, the home also featured an extensive art and antiques collection. The surrounding grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Especially notable was the three-mile lane leading to the mansion. In addition to numerous gardens, the landscape architect also established the first managed forest in the United States on the estate. In 1914 Vanderbilt died, and the estate passed to his family. That year his wife sold some 87,000 acres to the U.S. Forest Service. The mansion was first opened to the public in 1930, and has became a very popular tourist attraction. The estate is still owned and run by the family, and now includes an inn and hotel as well as a vineyard and winery. The Biltmore Estate was designated a national historic landmark in 1963, and three years later it was added to the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places.
We had a timed entry at 10.30, though it was probably about 11 before we entered the house. Once inside with your audio guide, you can stay as long as you wish, and there’s a lot of information on the audio guide, giving you a good idea of life in the house at the time, both upstairs and downstairs.
Having finished the house, we had time to get some lunch in the courtyard cafe, before continuing on to Antler Village, where they had a special exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s glass work - see extra. We have seen quite a lot of Dale Chihuly’s work in different parts of the country, but I never tire of seeing it - such intricate designs and gorgeous colours.
When we were finished there, it was about 4pm, and we decided to visit the nearby winery and enjoy a glass of wine, and we were tempted by a charcuterie plate to go with it! We didn’t get round to seeing the gardens today, but our ticket is good for two days in the grounds, so we plan on doing that tomorrow morning, before heading home.