Biltmore Estate

On my way back from Virginia, I made a spontaneous decision to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina--a historic landmark I'd wanted to explore for years. I purchased my ticket online right from the McDonald's parking lot near the entrance, making my impromptu adventure even more exciting.The drive to the estate itself is part of the experience, winding about three miles through the grounds before reaching the mansion. You can park and walk or hop on a trolley to the main house. With the holiday season bringing chilly, damp weather, I went with the trolley, though I'd love to walk the trails in springtime to really soak it all in.I was truly impressed by my first view of this historic treasure. The trolley drops you at the front entrance where you can jump right into your tour or grab a quick bite at the outdoor café. I decided to start my tour right away, picking up the audio guide, which was incredibly helpful in navigating the overwhelming grandeur of the place.From the moment you step inside, you're surrounded by pure luxury. The elegant parlors, grand ballrooms, and libraries filled with hundreds of books all showcase incredible artifacts from another era. While the main rooms and exhibits are beautifully maintained, some practical amenities need attention (more on that below). The Vanderbilts clearly spared no expense when creating this family home, which took years to build.What really stayed with me were the views from the upper floor windows. Each one was thoughtfully positioned to frame the stunning mountains and natural landscape outside, like living paintings that change with the seasons. You can tell how much the Vanderbilts appreciated the beauty surrounding them.I was amazed by the basement kitchen, the surprisingly modern bathrooms (for that time period), and the indoor swimming pool for entertaining guests. Walking through the upper floors, I kept thinking about the small army of staff it must have taken to keep this massive place running. Even in winter, the gardens were absolutely gorgeous.I enjoyed my visit so much that I almost went back for a second day to get my full money's worth (which your ticket allows). If you love history and learning about influential people from the past, this place is a must-see. It's definitely worth visiting with family or friends so you can share your thoughts as you explore.Pro Tips:* Check the website ahead of time to plan your visit--it's relatively pricey, so manage your expectations* Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing--walking the grounds is no joke!* Book a place to stay ahead of time if you're not local* Plan to spend a full day (or two) there's tons to see* Explore Asheville's great food scene while you're there* Browse the gift shop on the grounds, it's worth a look* No picture taking once you are inside certain areas.Areas for Improvement:* The public restrooms were surprisingly nasty and need much more frequent cleaning throughout the day* The staff/guides providing directions and additional information could be more engaging and helpful* Parking attendants should be more proactive in helping people locate their vehicles, do so with a smile rather than a frown and not stand around with your arms folded.The Vanderbilts left behind an incredible legacy, both in America and abroad, preserved in this unforgettable estate. Their descendants deserve real appreciation for maintaining this historical treasure for all of us to enjoy.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Biltmore is a full day experience. We toured the house, went on a special tour, saw the exhibit, and visited the winery. The house is impressive and worth the visit. Visiting at different times of year yields a new experience. Learned about the construction, history, and use of the property. But your tickets ahead of time online to save a few bucks. Factor in about 20 mins to get between the different parts of the property, between walking to the car and driving to the next parking lot.

This is honestly one of the most boring experiences I've ever had. And I went to the Arch in St Louis. Tickets are about $100/person, food is ridiculously priced. It's a rich family pretending to be historians (from a distance) while having a good wank over how cool their ridiculous old house is. Real Smithsonian museums are better. Sorry, but nah.

What a beautiful place to visit. Learning about the history, workers and family of this building was so interesting ! The service at the restaurant on site was great. She was so attentive and even with the huge rush of people that came in the food was quick as well. The mac and cheese with brisket bites in it was to die for. I suggest you make it an entree because I would pay for that ! Going here is a bit pricey but you can spend the entire day here without needing to leave the property. Between the shops , cafe , restaurant , winery and enormous property you can definitely make it an eventful day! I want to say you also have admission for 2 days as well. And if I remember correctly were able to get our military discount.

Amazing! Nothing puts your more in the spirit than the Christmas experience at Biltmore. Yes, it is on the pricey side....and then they talk on fees to already expensive tickets, but as much as we didn't appreciate the fees, it was worth it! I did make a reservation online for the stable restaurant for lunch, however everything pointed to it being closed for lunch. My reservations were confirmed via text but something told me to call. I am glad I did because the Stable Cafe doesn't serve lunch so beware! As far as the house goes....awe-inspiring! Amazing to think of what they could do and the advancements made on this house. However, think Ghost Ship (the movie) but at Christmas. We also got lucky and got to ride on the elevator which was crazy to think it was still operational! Make sure you have time to explore and enjoy the wine tasting

Customer Service at Biltmore has dramatically declined. Prices have also increased considerably. Hurricane Helene closed Biltmore Estate for 5 weeks because of the damage. I knew I wanted to visit with the reopening to help support Asheville and already had tickets booked. When the estate reopened, it was with a small fraction of employees, the operating hours were reduced. Instead of opening at 8:30am, the gates now opened at noon. Tours of the house were limited to between 3pm to 5pm when the previously began at 10am.They had sold tickets for earlier times. You'd think they would have communicated what would happen to the tickets with earlier arrival times but they never did. I tried emailing and calling but never made contact with anyone. I also tried social media but they didn't reply to me or others with the same question. They could have answered the question on the website and provided a clear answer.I did get an email autoreply that they received my email but that was addressed to "'David" not me. When I arrived, my ticket was bad. I was told by the employee that it was cancelled. I am not sure when as before I left the date I had selected was still blacked out from me even selecting another time. I was then told that they communicated with everyone so it must be in my spam account. My spam account had nothing and neither did my caller id. Three weeks later I still wanted an answer for how badly this was handled for myself and others. I got a response within 48 hours but again it wasn't addressed to me but this time to a man with another last name. The email has the original question and all the replies with my full name on each. But still they address me as someone else. It is likely they are using a form response but not correcting the names or addressing the issues. They didn't acknowledge or answer my questions about why I wasn't contacted or why my ticket was cancelled. It appears Biltmore reopened too soon before they had adequate staffing to handle the ticketing issues from the reduced operating hours. They have also priced most out of the chance for visiting. I don't see myself returning after 18 years of being a Passholder.

The evening Christmas tour is very expensive, but if you can experience even once, it is quite the sight. Each room is meticulously detailed with Christmas decorations that represent the period. The restaurants and stores are not as well run as the house and service in those areas are spotty. But I am glad I went

The Biltmore covers a total of 175,000 square feet, making it the largest privately owned home in the United States. There is nothing as grand or beautiful to see during the Christmas season. We were elated to support the people of Asheville and local tourism by visiting this breathtaking estate. Photos don't do it justice. We also had the opportunity to experience Chihuly at Biltmore. I've included some of my favorite photos below. Stop by to dine, witness pure grandeur, take a step back in the past and wait to be greeted by the welcoming staff. A must see and a historic treasure!

Had (another) great time (about our 15th time at the Estate). Was not sure what to expect after the storm hit and all the damage in Asheville, NC. We saw a lot of trees down or missing along the way and on the estate. You can see it when you enter the Estate with a building gone and one boarded up at the entrance. Some of the roads are closed but they have a great system of roads and it is easy to get around. Once we parked, we just used the shuttles at the Inn. We stayed two nights and had a suite in the beautiful Inn at Biltmore Estate. We had a great view of the winery village and could see the construction near the river. It was very cold both days, even had a dusting of snow Monday night.The first night we just hung around the Inn and had a great dinner at the Biltmore Estate Dining Room. Elijah was our waiter and he was awesome, very helpful and attentive. My wife needs Gluten Free and they had all kinds of options and were very helpful. Breakfast the next morning (and Wednesday) was the same way, many options for her. Andrea was our server at breakfast both days and was fabulous.On Tuesday, after we had breakfast, we got on the shuttle (we saw the black bear too, see another recent review from someone on our shuttle) to go to the Chihuly at Biltmore exhibit. We were there for about 90 minutes and saw a great exhibit (self guided), some amazing glass works for sure.We then went to the Biltmore house and had dinner at the Stable Cafe. Carmen was our server, very friendly and helpful. We had the short rib and pork chop and enjoyed our meal. Then we walked over to the house to watch the singers for a while before our Exclusive 90-Minute Tour: A Vanderbilt Christmas. John Bozeman (highly recommend the tour and John) was our tour guide and we got to see many behind the scenes areas of the house and rooms and hear some great stories about the house and Vanderbilt's by John. He is a great tour guide and we enjoyed the tour. We got to see some rooms on 4th floor, not used, servants quarters, go into the dining room near the fireplace, it was so much fun.On Wednesday we had breakfast and left, just a great getaway.

The Biltmore Estate is a historical gem in the United States and spectacular home modeled after a French chateau. Why bother to visit? Although it is quite expensive (nearly $100 for admission), you get a lot that's included in the bundled package (i.e., a self-guided audio tour of the main house, access to the gardens, and a complimentary wine tasting at the Antler Hill Village winery). The landscape and grounds by itself are spectacular. And finally, the house is exquisite and will surprise you with its elegance and scale. I believe it is the largest privately owned home in the US today on a vast estate that includes 8,000 acres of land. Here are some tips that may be useful. Plan to stay for at least 4-5 hours to enjoy the estate. 1. Arrive here at least 45 minutes before your house tour. This will allow to some time to explore the grounds without being rushed. 2. If you don't like crowds, make an online reservation for an early morning house tour at 9:30am or 10am. For parking, the B1 lot has shaded spots on the right side. The A lot is also close to the house, but is up on a hill. 3. Be sure to use the public restrooms BEFORE you go on the house tour as there are no facilities inside (the self-guided tour takes about 1 hour). There is a free set of lockers near the restrooms where you can store backpacks which are prohibited from the house. 4. During the house tour (while you are on the second floor just after you pass the music room), be sure to access the outdoor patio (look for exit doors on your right) to admire the outside view of mountains. It's easy to miss this spectacular viewpoint if you are not paying attention. 5. The gardens are to the left of the house. Take 45 minutes or more to stroll along the garden pathways to see the conservatory and flowers, azalea garden (if in season), and the spring garden. 6. After you leave the house, the exit is a one-way road that take you on a different path that weaves past the gardens, bass pond, drives along the river, and finally spills into the Antler Hill Village (where you an do a wine tasting). Remember the complimentary wine tasting is included in your admission ticket. 7. The house visit is not very kid-friendly as it focuses on history. It involves a lot of stairs and walking using the self-guided audio tour devices. If you have young kids, they may enjoy the gardens a lot more. Overall, this was well worth the trip and expense to enjoy this historical gem!