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Published: April 17th 2008
The Biltmore
America's largest private residence.If you've ever seen an episode of A&E's America's Castles, you're going to be familiar with the Biltmore. It advertises itself as America's largest home and at over 4 acres of just living space, I don't think anyone is arguing against it. At this size, you get your own name and its is the Biltmore. This was my second time visiting the Biltmore and on this trip I was able to tour it over the course of two days. The first day it rained all day so I spent most of my time inside the home doing various tours. On the second day, I took advantage of the sun and grabbed some photos of the outside of the home and the gorgeous gardens.
There is a self guided tour of the interior of the home. I also purchased the behind the scenes tour which got me into a few more spots than I had previously. No photos are allowed inside so you'll have to visit their web site or visit yourself for interior shots. I'll just say this, there's a lot to see inside!
Some background on the Biltmore...Gorgeous, massive home still owned by descendents of the original Vanderbilt
Cherry Blossoms
After the rain. owner. The Biltmore was built by George Vanderbilt and opened in 1895. It has 250 rooms and 43 bathrooms. Also has an indoor pool. Five floors with rooftop access. My favorite rooms were the multi-story banquet hall and double story library. Each guest bedroom is separately named and themed. The costs to build the home are unknown but no expense was spared. Limestone was brought in from Indiana and the masons were Italian and French and thought to be the best in the world at the time. According to our guide, they knew they were the best because the unionized upon arrival! The limestone on the outside has each block textured instead of smooth so as to add shadows to it. Each block is uniquely cut. The outside is French chateau style but the inside is definitely English. The Vanderbilts were great lovers of opera so you'll see that influenced inside, particularly in the Banquet Hall.
At its height, it had 35-50 full-time staff, many of whom lived on site. There are several bedrooms, sitting and dining areas for staff on the upper floor. It has a basement and sub-basement, both of which have natural light as the result
Biltmore Waterfall
Located on the bass pond. of the area being cut down into the earth so there could be windows despite it being below ground. The job of the coal men in heating the home in the sub-basement was thought to be one of the worst jobs. As a result, Vanderbilt had showers installed so the men could clean up before going home to their families.
The estate is about 8,000 acres right now and the gardens, forest and route were all purposely designed. You drive a couple miles before reaching the Biltmore and never get a view of it until you arrive. Designed for the anticipation aspect. The gardens have a number of different types of flowers and bloom year round. Set in the rolling mountains with incredible views from the back of the Biltmore. Has a large bass pond with walking paths and a waterfall. Also home to the Biltmore Inn which I would love to go back and stay at in the future. Also has a few restaurants and a wonderful winery. The home is self sufficient.
Beautiful home. So very much to see. Such incredible detail to everything. You can go back again and again and notice something new each
Garden View
Just a small section of it. time.
Next stop...Chimney Rock Park.
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alpinemel
non-member comment
large house
those spring flowers are so pretty...I can't wait to see ours blooming