The Biltmore Estate
I
love being able to see into other people’s homes, especially at dusk when
inside lights are on and the inside of the home has soft lights on and it feels
so warm, cozy and inviting. Maybe that weird,
but this was the ultimate look into someone’s home! Completed in 1895 after 6 years of
construction, George and Edith Vanderbilt (yes, as in the Vanderbilt’s and
Vanderbilt University) opened the doors to family and friends. George Vanderbilt decided on Ashville NC
after a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains with his mother and thought it would
be perfect for his country home (the ultimate country cabin…haha). This house once sat on 125,000 acres,
currently it is now on about 8000 acre of awe inspiring views. It is a 250-room chateau, including 35
bedrooms, 65 fireplaces and 43 bathrooms, this is quite something considering
most homes didn’t even have indoor bathrooms (even better, no one had to share)! The gardens were designed by the same man that
designed Central Park in NY. Much of the
land had been cleared by the previous owners and George was advised to replant the
trees and cover most of his estate in a forest.
Carl Schenck was hired to oversee the planting of over 2 million trees and
also founded the first forestry school in the US while undertaking the project. They also employed over 400 employees who
worked in the dairy barn and throughout the estate. In 1930 Cornelia Cecil, the only child of the
Vanderbilt’s opened the doors to the public and it has been evolving ever since. Eventually the dairy barn closed and 1971 was
replaced with the Biltmore vineyard followed by the Biltmore winery. The Inn on Biltmore Estate was open in 2001 followed
by the development of the Antler Hill Village in 2012 and a 2nd hotel
the Village Hotel opened in 2015. It is still owned and operated by the family! The are so many incredible and fascinating stories
and facts about the estate and I would encourage a visit to find out more!
The Biltmore Estate:
There is almost a Disney
Resort-ease in the respect of being able to park and then access the entire estate
and even downtown Ashville with their shuttles with zero entry lifts. It is important to note however, that complimentary
shuttles are only available to those who have accommodations at one of the
Biltmore properties (The Inn, Village Hotel or Cottage). If you do not stay on property, a vehicle is
required to get around to the different areas of the Estate, but there are
parking options in each location which I will review later in the post.
The Biltmore House:
The only
accessible floors are the first and second.
Because the basement and the 3rd floor are not wheelchair accessible,
tickets are offered at a reduced price.
There is a rest area on the 2nd floor Living Hall where
visitors are able to watch a video tour of those 2 areas of the house. There are also attendants all throughout the
house that can point you in the right direction. It is also worth noting that periodically the
audio tour is changed which changes the route of the house tour. I was advised by an employee that some tour
routes are easier than others for those in wheelchairs/scooters. If you are flexible on dates it may be worth
calling prior to going to see if the current tour is a preferable one. For
those who have hearing loss or are deaf can either get a printed transcript of
the audio tour and films shown at the house or get a Neckloop Telecoil Coupler
at the front desk of the Biltmore House.
Those who would like a Sign Language Interpreter can call 800-411-3812
or email the Biltmore at least 7 days prior to visit. Audio Guides are available complimentary to
those with low vision or are blind.
There is also dining and shopping located at the Biltmore
House all of which are accessible. Shopping
includes: A Christmas past (Christmas
chachkis), Bookbinders (books about the Vanderbilt family and that period in
history), Carriage House (more period chachkis), Confectionery (yummy treats),
Toymakers (yeah, toys). Dining includes:
Stable Café (Appalachian comfort food in
the old horse stable, not sure how I felt about the old feeding troughs on the
wall…haha), The Bake Shop (coffee and baked goods), the courtyard Market (hot
dogs, salads, snacks, drinks), and The Biltmore Dairy Bar (ice cream,
milkshakes, drinks).
The Biltmore Gardens:
The Biltmore
Gardens includes many different sections; some are more accessible than
others. The Walled Garden is considered
accessible and is paved. Other sections
of the Gardens are not paved and may have debris on the paths, speaking with a
Biltmore attendant would be important before venturing out beyond the Walled
Garden area. There is a shuttle that
will transport from the Biltmore house to the Conservatory which is where the
Walled Gardens can be accessed and enjoyed. Currently this shuttle is offered
from April through October. There is one
dining place located in this area, the Conservatory Café (light snacks and
drinks, think food cart) and one shop, A Gardener’s Place (books, gifts,
plants, other gardening items).
Antler Hill Village and Winery:
This is a
very fun area of the Estate with numerous eating spots including; Village Social
(seafood and regional favs), Cedric’s Tavern(pub food and craft beer), Bistro
(farm to table), The Creamery (I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice
cream!), Smokehouse (BBQ) and The Kitchen Café (sandwiches, coffee, yogurt,
baked goods) which is located in the Village Inn Lobby. Shops include The Barn Door (arts and crafts),
Antler Hill Outfitters (clothing and accessories), Traditions (home accents),
and Wine Shop (you got it, wine and lots of other must have souvenirs). There is complimentary wine tasting at the
Biltmore winery along with tours. The Village
Green and Bandstand has live music, yoga on Sunday mornings and even Santa pays
a visit around Christmas time! All of
these areas are easily accessible with paved paths throughout the village. The Village Hotel is also located in this
area of the estate. With its convenience
of location to all of these attractions, it is a great place to consider staying. The pool is also accessible if the weather
calls for a dip.
The Inn:
I did not
go into the Inn so I am unable to speak personally about this Hotel or the
restaurants (The Dining Room; estate
raised and local ingredients and Library Lounge; artisan salads and gourmet
sandwiches)and shops (Marble Lion; apparel and luxury items and Cottage Door; children’s
items, gourmet snacks, newspapers, magazines).
I would love to explore this part of the Estate next time and if you are
able to visit and have any info to add I would love to hear it as I’m sure
others would too!
Parking:
There are basically 3 options when
it comes to parking and visiting the different areas of the estate.
1.
As a guest
of the Biltmore Estate properties there is a complimentary ADA accessible
shuttle that can transport you from your hotel to the different areas of the
grounds as well as complimentary transport to downtown Ashville starting at 3
pm. The shuttle downtown does need to be
reserved but the others do not. The drivers
are great and full of great stories and trivia. It was probably my favorite
part of the whole visit!
2.
For those
who are not overnight guests, there is ADA parking close to Deerpark where the
horse stables are, the Antler Hill Village and Winery where the Village Inn and
various shops, restaurants and winery are located, and there is also a park and
ride which provides a shuttle with zero-entry lifts that transport from the
parking lot to the front of the Biltmore House.
3.
Another option is to reserve a Biltmore Express
Shuttle which is $15 per person, kids are free, and it will provide transport
around the estate.
Travel Tip
The Biltmore is host to many special activities and event such as concerts, 4th of July fireworks, craft demonstrations, always check prior to see if you would like to coordinate your visit with one of these events! Starting May 24th, the Biltmore Gardens will showcase 800 feet of handcrafted model train and rail.
For
further information or if you have additional questions that I did not address,
Guest services can be reached at 800-411-3812, website is www.biltmore.com,
and of course , there is an App!
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