Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina is an iconic estate that brings in tourists by the thousands every day.  The Biltmore Mansion has been on my bucket list for quite a while, however, cheapness prohibited me from visiting for years.  Last summer, I decided to pony up the money and just go for it. I would never be satisfied until I saw this wonder, my husband on the other hand needed some convincing.

After some debate and promises of how Korey would just LOVE touring this beast I was given the blessing to get us some tickets to see this ”house.” We went in July and tickets were $109 bucks per person.  Admission included an audio tour, parking, wine tasting, and admission to Antler Hill Village and Winery.  If you want to do the wine tasting you will have to schedule a time slot, so be aware before you go.

There are many options when choosing your tickets, and there are add on excursions you can also buy.  You can also stay on the property if you want to really throw yourself into the experience.  After paying $218 for admission, I was not going to ask for any add-ons if I could help it, with the exception of lunch of course. I already had reservations for The Stable Café.

The Biltmore Estate is 8,000 acres of nature and architectural badassery.  Growing up, my home was filled with love, but it also had wheels under it. The rich people in my life had cable and central air, not a castle.   My jaw was on the ground the entire drive to even get to the parking area.  I can not begin to imagine life as a Vanderbilt living in this palace.

Beware, you will have to walk a bit to get to the mansion.  Paths are nicely paved and the  walk is not strenuous.  There is also security you will have to pass through to enter.  

Before you go through security though, there is a catwalk that gives you your first expansive views of the Biltmore. IT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY!  I know it is just a house, but if you do not get the tingles looking at this for the first time you must be dead inside .My husband just looked at it and muttered, “I’ve seen bigger.” Also beware, my husband is an A-1 smartass.  

I also need to add a disclaimer: I don’t know anything about architecture, other than I know I appreciate the lines and details of a building.  I will butcher all technical terms, I would like to say I am sorry for that, but I am not.  I am how I am, please just enjoy the ride.  This post is written from events I remember and details and facts from the website.

Before we get started about the tour, I guess I will bring people up to speed on The Biltmore.  Some of you may have never heard of this place or you may just not know the history.  Here is the cliff notes version.

George Vanderbilt, grandson of one of the wealthiest men in America, Cornelius Vanderbilt, visits the Blue Ridge Mountains.  George, like most of us, is in awe of the natural beauty of the area and thinks what a great place this would be for a summer home.  What’s a super rich fella to do? Well buy a bunch of land and commission a ginormous home to be built and no home is a home without acres upon acres of beautiful landscaping. Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmsted were hired to bring the dream to life.

The end goal was to have the lavish estate finished for unveiling by Christmas Eve 1895. Construction started in 1889. In all, The Biltmore has 250 rooms.  This includes 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces.  According to the website, the mansion itself is four acres! I cannot imagine having 43 bathrooms in 1895.  Hell my grandparents didn’t even have indoor plumbing until 1963! The disconnect of how we live is appalling.  Can you imagine the horror of one of these heiresses leaving that splendor to having to endure the hardships of an outhouse or a bathtub in the backyard?

The one thing about the Biltmore though that I was surprised to learn, was that it was not just about flashy grandeur.  It was built not only for George and his family, it was built for ALL their friends and family.  They opened their doors for them all. I am jumping ahead here, but George’s daughter Cornelia, hosted a gathering of friends and they painted the basement.  These paintings are still there today and were one of my favorite moments of the tour.  It made the Vanderbilt’s seem, well, real.

After building the home, work continued.  There were the stables that were constructed along with a dairy.  Over the years, The Biltmore has grown, and shrunk.  87,000 acres were sold to the US Forestry Service.  Wineries were added as well as lodging options.  The family continues to run the expansive estate today.  Here ends the history lesson.

Now for the meat and potatoes!  The tour!  Like I said in the beginning you can choose several different options.  We opted for the standard audio tour, but there is a VIP tour(Expert-Guided Visit Plus)  as well where more of the home is available to visit and you get a personal tour.

For me, the tour started with my eyes.  Outside of the home, pay attention to the intricate detail of carved statues of knights, faces, and gargoyles. There are other critters as well so pay attention!

When it is time for your timed entry you will be guided into the mansion and given a handheld phone.  You will be prompted to enter certain numbers during the tour to learn about the areas you are walking through.

As soon as you enter you are exposed to the lavish décor of The Gilded Age. There are high patterned ceilings, a glass atrium, beautiful plants, and tapestries embellishing the walls..  You will get the opportunity to tour bedrooms, the library, living areas, and more.  I was fascinated with the indoor pool, gym, and kitchens.

I loved the 4 acre elevated terrace.  This is the perfect location for a dream wedding.  The backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains makes for a perfect fairytale setting.  The twisted trees, as I call them, were a sight to see.

As I stated many times in this post the Biltmore is not just a mansion to tour.  It is an experience.  There are hiking trails, a conservatory filled with exotic plants and a garden that makes you think you think you are in Wonderland.  

If you are an outdoorsman you can also purchase add on excursions.  The Biltmore offers everything from marksmanship, hiking and biking, to falconry.  Although it does come with a cost.  My dreams were shattered when I saw that my cheapness would not support a falconry class at the Biltmore.

We ate lunch on site at The Stable Café.  We did have reservations, but you can go without although there may be a wait.  We wanted to eat onsight and found that The Stable Cafe had great reviews, a menu that we understood, and pricing that was not too hair-raising for being at the Biltmore.  All in all, the restaurant was pretty good.  As the name indicates, it used to be the stables that have been converted into a restaurant.  If you are looking to cool off from the July heat, you will be disappointed.  There are only fans and open windows.

You can spend as much time at the main gardens as you desire.  There are other places you can also explore.  We decided to venture to Antler Hill Village and Winery.  This is accessible with Biltmore admission. 

Antler Hill Village and Winery is an adventure in its own.  There is a hotel onsite, along with the winery, shops, and craftsmen.  You can relax and enjoy a wine tasting at the winery.  If you have children, you can take them to look at the farm animals and a playground..

There is also what I like to call a living history museum.  This is all outdoors, but you can look at farm machinery from the early days, artisans making brooms and spoons, and even a blacksmith. You can also tour an exhibit about the Vanderbilt’s and get to absorb more of their history.

The Biltmore for me was an awe inspiring experience.  We were there all day and still missed so much.  You could easily turn this into a long weekend if you stayed on site and tried to experience everything the Bilmore offered. You could also easily spend a small fortune there as well trying to participate in everything that is offered.  This is a trip for anyone, if you can afford general admission alone and no extras, it is well worth it.  If you can go to any of the extras, that’s great too.  I am glad I got to experience it, and even if it was only for one day, I got to pretend I was among the elite and drink my tea with my pinky out.