Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Biltmore mansion and estate is located in Asheville, North Carolina, and was built in the late 1800s by the Vanderbilt family. Known for its history and beautiful location, the Biltmore offers accommodations, a winery, outdoor activities such as hiking and river float trips, as well as guided and self-guided tours daily.
The Biltmore mansion and estate was considered a huge undertaking at the time of its conception. Construction began in 1889 and included a mansion, gardens and farms. George Vanderbuilt enlisted the design skills of famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, as well as landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted. When the mansion opened in 1895, it was still not completed. The final product boasts more than 4 acres of floor space, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces.
Located in Asheville on 8,000 acres in central North Carolina, the Biltmore is surrounded by the Blue Ridge mountains. The estate is best accessed by car, and is an eight-hour drive from Washington D.C. and a three-hour drive from the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C. The estate features the mansion and gardens and the Antler Hill Village, which includes a winery, the Biltmore Legacy and the Village Green and farm. Guests can stay at the Inn or Cottage at Biltmore Estate, as well as visit for the day. Daily admission requires advance tickets, which cost $55 online and $60 at the gate for adults and $27.50 for children ages 10 to 16; children 9 and younger are admitted free.
For guests interested in learning more about the history of the Biltmore, tours can be purchased in addition to an admission ticket with advance reservations. Audio guides are available daily for $10 per guest. These are storytelling guides that guests carry with them throughout the house and tell stories about the home's former occupants.
The Biltmore also offers a Rooftop tour for $17 per person in addition to an admission ticket and advance reservation. Guests will be shown beautiful views from the estate's rooftop and balconies, as well as viewing rooms that are usually closed to the public.
The Biltmore House Behind-the-Scenes tour guides guests through the life of the Vanderbilt family, as well as their guests and servants. Tour guests will gain special access to Mrs. Vanderbilt's bath and dressing area.
For $17 per person, an admission ticket and advance reservations, guests can take a guided house tour. Visitors will learn more about the Vanderbilt's family history and will be able to view estate artifacts.
For Biltmore visitors over age 21 who are interested in wine, the estate offers three winery tours. Between 2 and 4 p.m. daily, guests can participate in a Red Wine and Chocolate seminar for $15 and advance registration at the Winery Portal in the Antler Hill Village.
The Biltmore offers a Winery Behind-the-Scenes guided walking tour every day at 5 p.m. Guests will walk through the winery and learn about the difference between red and white wine, Champagne and about the bottling process. The $8 tour lasts 45 minutes, and guests should arrive by 4:45 p.m. with their tickets.
Every day at 6 p.m., guests can participate in a Signature Tasting at the winery. For $35 per person, visitors will taste different red wines and learn about grape styles and cheese. The program lasts for 60 minutes and guests should arrive by 5:45 p.m. at the Winery Portal with their tickets.
To learn more about the land throughout the estate, visitors can take the Legacy of the Land tour. For $19 per guest and estate admission, guests will take a motor coach tour throughout the estate while learning about the land's history, structures and past residents. Reservations are suggested but not required.
For guests interested in the Biltmore farms, the estate offers the Farm Guided Walking tour, which takes place daily at 5 p.m. from May 28 to October 31 in 2010 for $10 per adult. For youth ages 16 and under, tickets are $5. The tour departs daily from the Antler Hill Barn and guides visitors through everyday life on the farm in the late 1800s. Guests learn about the role of the blacksmith, woodworker and farm animals.