Since we were done working so early yesterday we were able to go play in the afternoon. One of the big sights to see around Asheville is the Biltmore House, the 250 room country retreat built by George Vanderbilt.
The enormous Biltmore House
After my first two pictures here, my camera battery decided it had worked enough on this trip. Thanks to Jenny for sharing her pictures with me so I could use them here!
One of my favorite parts of the house was the huge staircase. When inside, looking down from the fourth floor was dizzying!
Main entrance and exterior of the grand staircase. Photo courtesy Jenny Forbes
The house has 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. There was also a basement that had a swimming pool, gymnasium, changing rooms, bowling alley, servants’ quarters, and kitchens.
There were lots of gargoyles. Photo courtesy Jenny Forbes
Taken from the garden at the side of the house. Photo courtesy Jenny Forbes
There were statues scattered around this garden and the ponds at the front of the house.
One of the statues surrounding the house. Photo courtesy Jenny Forbes
The ponds lining the length of the final drive leading to the house. Photo courtesy Jenny Forbes
The entire driveway to the house was over 3 miles long and wound through the amazing land surrounding the house.
Even in the dead of winter, the views from the estate were amazing.
Views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the house. Photo courtesy Jenny Forbes
I would love to see this place in spring or fall. We got to drive through the gardens, which were huge but pretty brown since it’s winter. It would be amazing to see them in full bloom. There were some nice pics on their website though.
One of the lions at the main entrance to the house. Photo courtesy Jenny Forbes
After touring the house and the nearby grounds, we drove through the gardens on our way to the winery. We took their mini tour and browsed the gift shop before heading into Biltmore Village for an early dinner.
If I lived around here, it would be fun to get a yearly pass to to Biltmore Estate to be able to come back to see the different seasons and explore the property more.