9 In North Carolina/ Travel

Asheville, NC- Biltmore Estate

Anytime I mentioned that I was going to Asheville the immediate question was, “Are you going to visit Biltmore Estate?”.  I hadn’t done a lot of research on Asheville, since I was visiting Liz, and knew that she would direct me.  Lo and behold, one of the things she highly recommended was none other Biltmore Estate.  Liz and Lina are annual pass holders, so I was incredibly fortunate enough to be able to use one of their free guest passes!  (Aren’t they so awesome?)

IMG_8141

To be honest, even though everyone had said that Biltmore was something to see, I wan’t really anticipating to be blown away by it.  I was wrong.  There is so much more here than just the house and I realized that very quickly on the drive.  The estate sits on almost 11 square miles!  It’s crazy huge!  The estate originally sat on 125,000 acres, but a large chunk of that was sold to the federal government and is now part of Pisgha National Forest.  So, I was already in love by the drive to the parking lot… But how can you not be?

IMG_8142

IMG_8143

IMG_8146

We walked from our car up this very short path to the actual estate, and WOW!  I had seen photos, sure, but seeing it there, in person, on these gorgeous grounds, with the Blue Ridge Mountains behind it was pretty incredible.  It is legitimately like a French Chateau, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the US.

IMG_8157

IMG_8163

IMG_8169

Construction began on this massive house in 1889, and they finally moved in Christmas Eve of 1895.  I really wish photography was allowed inside the house, so I could share the amazing beauty of the interior of this house.  However, it was actually nice to be completely surprised by the beauty within this house, and to be completely in that moment: taking in the furniture, tapestries, secret passageways and everything else!  Be sure, to take advantage the free audio guide because it’s full of really great information that I would have never known. (We went the day after the end of their Christmas display, which was pretty cool, because most of the house still had decorations up, and we didn’t have to pay all that extra money!)  

I loved seeing all of the bedrooms and elaborately decorated rooms, but I really loved downstairs.  Downstairs were the kitchens, pantries and laundry rooms, which was incredible to see how they worked and how innovative they genuinely were.  Plus, I loved seeing this side of a big estate, especially after being a devoted Downton Abbey watcher. (The three of us referenced the characters all through this tour.)  Other really cool parts of the downstairs of this house were the gym, bowling alley and pool!  So cool!

IMG_8164

The stables outside of the estate have been renovated into shops and restaurants and they’re absolutely beautiful, and the food all smelled really incredible!  After touring the amazing estate and making a very quick run through the shops (stopping to buy some chocolate treats, of course) we drove through more of the estate grounds to get to the winery!

IMG_8184

IMG_8187

IMG_8188

The drive through the grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, was incredible.  I cannot wait to come back in a warmer season and take plenty of time to explore these grounds, ride my bike and picnic with friends!

IMG_8189

A visit to the winery, while at Biltmore, is a must!  It, like everything else, is really beautiful, and there are so many things to choose from besides wine, like dips, jams and many other things.  However, we were there to sample wine.

IMG_4411

Screen Shot 2014-02-05 at 6.25.06 PM

This photo is from Liz while sampling wine.

The wine sampling was so much fun!  We were full of giggles, talking about family, our accents, travels, and of course, the wine!  It was a really fun and tasty end to our day at Biltmore Estate.

For more posts and travel articles I find interesting ‘like’ the For the Love of Wanderlust page on Facebook. Simply click HERE.

You Might Also Like

9 Comments

  • Reply
    mylifeintheair
    February 27, 2014 at 11:45 pm

    What a pretty building.

    • Reply
      PaigeBrown
      March 1, 2014 at 9:25 am

      It’s very pretty! It’s set perfectly in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and inside is incredible! Thanks for reading!

  • Reply
    liz
    February 28, 2014 at 6:42 am

    Great post, Paige!! It was so much fun to read about your thoughts and expectants, and then your experience. How beautiful and fu is it going to be to just drive over there this summer and have a picnic – you know they have lots of other, fun activities going on in the summer as well. Can’t wait!! LOVE YOU!

    • Reply
      PaigeBrown
      March 1, 2014 at 9:28 am

      Thanks, Liz! I was stressed about it! I can’t wait to play all around the grounds this summer! Stacey is going to visit and it will be SO MUCH FUN!!!

  • Reply
    hollyhilla
    March 1, 2014 at 12:05 am

    Biltmore is my favorite place in the US. It is fantastic! I’ve been there probably 20 times and even before some of the floors were open for viewing. I love it at Christmas with trees in every room! Your photos are lovely. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Did you go in and see all there is? I love the servants quarters and the various kitchens in the basement…so cleverly done. Several movies have been filmed there.

    • Reply
      PaigeBrown
      March 1, 2014 at 9:29 am

      Thank you so much! We did go in! I loved it! I’m moving to Asheville in July and I think I’m going to visit again multiple times!

  • Reply
    GennaDac
    January 16, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    Absolutely beautiful! I will definitely have to stop by the Biltmore if I return to NC. I’m glad you enjoyed the winery, too! I’ve heard it’s great, and it looked like you had fun in your pictures. 🙂

    • Reply
      PaigeBrown
      January 21, 2016 at 8:51 am

      It is really amazing largely because of its location and the property it sits on. It’s quite expensive to visit, but if you order your tickets ahead of time they’re much cheaper. It’s very fun and I think you’ll really enjoy it!

      • Reply
        GennaDac
        January 22, 2016 at 4:31 pm

        That’s an awesome tip! Thank you. Actually, the reasons we didn’t go is because we were short on time and the tickets were pricey. I’m hoping we can make it back to Asheville some time soon and spend much more time there!

    Join the Conversation!

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.