The Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore House, Estate and Inn on Biltmore are usually the first reason that people come to visit Asheville. It is the largest private home ever built in North America, and the statistics are staggering (for fun, we’ve included some below).
The house is open from 8:30 to 5:30 every day except New Year’s during the regular season. They may have reduced hours during the first few months of the year. Daily rates are from $39 per person on up.
The original size of the estate was 125,000 acres (probably larger than Rhode Island, and that may be because the Vanderbilts were always trying to outdo one another with their estates, and most of them were in Newport, R.I.). The current size is approximately 8,000 acres, which is still huge, when you consider that Asheville now pretty much surrounds it.
We are located about four blocks from the entrance to the estate (Biltmore Village lies between us and the entrance). Biltmore House and Inn on Biltmore is three miles from the entrance—and is, in fact, at least that far from the winery and hotel. So you do not walk to the house from anywhere, although you are free to walk the grounds once you have gone through the entrance gate.
We are proud to annouce our Biltmore Estate partnership status as featured in the Biltmore Estate Visitor's Planner (presented on the right). As a partner, we are authorized to offer for your convenience an exclusive two-day ticket to tour the estate.
Biltmore Estate and Inn on Biltmore have a wide variety of activities in addition to the house. There is the winery (we’re told the most-visited in the country). Recently added are an equestrian center, carriage rides, and an outdoor center. The estate often has activities and concerts (if you buy the annual pass, they’ll keep you informed). There are also three restaurants and shops, with more on the way. The newest addition is the Inn on Biltmore Estate, which people often confuse with us (no way—they have more than 200 rooms).
The two biggest seasons on the Biltmore Estate are Christmas and fall color. The color season is essentially October; Christmas includes both November and December. During those times, and other busy seasons, the Estate has what is called “timed entry” to the house on Saturdays. That means you must go to the entry, and get a time to go in the house.
OUR BIG ADVANTAGE for timed entry is this: The grounds open at 8, so you can go over to the estate before breakfast, get your time for your party (take all the tickets) and return for breakfast. Then you can enter at your leisure.
We’ll advise of other practical ideas relating to the Biltmore Estate and Inn on Biltmore when you arrive.
