Many locals here in North Carolina have heard of the Biltmore Estate. I’m sure most of them envision a picture of the huge mansion and the massive adjacent gardens. It had been years since I visited and now that I have four kids ages 5-13 years old, I was considering another trip since they were older and I was finally stroller free! Much to my surprise, there are several sights and activities for the whole family in addition to visiting the house and gardens. I had so much fun (the kids did too)!
A brief background and history: “The Biltmore Estate is a large private estate and tourist attraction near Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House, the main residence, is a Châteauesque-style mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 square feet of floor space (135,280 square feet of living area). Still owned by George Vanderbilt’s descendants, it stands today as one of the most prominent remaining examples of the Gilded Age.”–Wikipedia
We bought our tickets online before we arrived. At times throughout the year, they have discounts if you purchase them in advance. Their website is user friendly and even has suggested itineraries for the family, which makes the planning part a bit easier. For current ticket prices and information click here: http://www.biltmore.com/visit/plan-your-visit/buy-tickets/daytime
There are many activities and events included in your admission like the Biltmore House and Gardens as well as the Antler Hill Village and Winery. Our first activity of the day was bike riding on the Lagoon Trail. Bike rentals are not included in the price of admission and range from $15-60 per bike. We each rented one for an hour at $15 each. The Lagoon trail is a paved trail along the French Broad River where you get to pass rows of sunflowers and ride over little wooden bridges. Our kids ages 5 to 13 had no trouble riding the approximately 40 minute trail roundtrip.
Below the Bike Barn is “The Barn”, a historic structure with blacksmiths, woodworkers, and exhibits of old farm equipment. The area can also be rented out for private events. Afterwards, we headed over to the Farmyard and the kids got to pet the roosters, chicks, and goats.
They played at the Pisgah playground before heading over to eat at Cedric’s Tavern for lunch. I recommend the Tavern Pimento Cheese with pretzel chips. Yum!
We couldn’t have timed it any better as it rained while we were there during our entire lunch and stopped when we were done. The Biltmore Estate has several options for dining some of which include: a bistro, a cafe, a smokehouse, a bake shop, a lounge for afternoon tea, and restaurants for elegant dining. Some are casual, some are a bit more formal but all can accommodate children.
We stopped into The Biltmore Legacy building which held an exhibition on Vanderbilt family weddings. The curator was kind and patient as my 5 year old son asked numerous questions about the dresses and shoes.
Our Biltmore Estate adventure included a visit to the Vanderbilt Winery (free tours and wine tasting). Even though we only had the grape juice, it definitely looked like a popular place to be. On the weekends they have “grape stomping”. That would have been a blast but we went on a Friday so will have to come back again to try it. The Antler Hill Hotel is super convenient, right next to the village. The village also has a Creamery that I’m sure would be a delight on a warm summer day.
Next stop was to drive to the Biltmore House itself. The 8,000 acre estate is so huge you have to drive a few miles within the estate to get to the different sites. It’s a beautiful drive so I didn’t mind. We parked in the parking lot and took the shuttle even though it is only about a 5-8 minute walk to the House. The rain was iffy so we hopped on the shuttle just in case it poured. As we entered the mansion, we opted to purchase the Audio Guides for the self guided tour as there wasn’t much as far as printed information. It was worth the extra cost in my opinion so you could know the important details and story behind each room. It actually kept my 5 year old’s attention a lot longer than it would have without the Audio Tour. I know he was itching to play Hide-and-go-Seek. You can also purchase different guided tours like the Upstairs-Downstairs or Rooftop Tour. Don’t forget to also look into visiting for the Christmas season when the House is adorned in holiday decor.
I think my favorite room in the House is the Banquet Hall with its seven story high ceiling and large Flemish tapestries lining the wall. I can just imagine the splendor of eating a 10 course meal next to the triple fireplace. My son kept calling it a castle. Yes it is the closest thing to a castle in America. Just Amazing!
The old horse stables now house different shops, the bathrooms, and most importantly, the Ice Cream Parlor. We got a scoop of Moose Tracks in a waffle cone to round out our walking tour. The ice cream gets a “thumbs up” and I’m picky about ice cream.
Our last stop were the gardens which we finished right before the rain came again.
Other Activities (extra fee required) we could have tried include, rafting on the French Broad, paddle boarding, clay shooting, Segway tours, the Land Rover Driving Experience, horseback riding, and many more.
All of us were worn out but all could agree that we had fun filled day at the Biltmore Estate. Have you ever visited? What was your favorite activity or sight? Comment below.
