The Magnificent Estate & Gardens Of Biltmore

Elegance and grandeur abound at Biltmore, America’s largest home. This French Renaissance castle in the heart of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains is an architectural jewel. The home features 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces.In addition to the house, the 8,000-acre estate is home to forested trails and beautiful gardens, which include one of the country’s most complete collections of azaleas. Biltmore is also where you’ll find the nation’s most-visited winery. As you explore the estate, enjoy shopping, dining and luxury accommodations.

Biltmore is as magnificent today as it was when it was built more than a century ago. George W. Vanderbilt created the estate in the 1890’s as a grand retreat in the North Carolina mountains. The estate officially opened to his friends and family on Christmas Eve 1895. Mr. Vanderbilt brought in Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture, to design the gardens and trails. Biltmore was the last great project for Olmsted, whose work also includes New York’s Central Park and the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. The Estate is still privately owned and operated by George Vanderbilt’s descendants.     

Take a stroll through meticulously manicured gardens designed by America’s foremost landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. Begin in the Italian Garden, which features a series of reflection ponds, before heading down to the patterned Walled Garden. The Walled Garden features a rose garden with more than 250 varieties. In the spring as part of the Biltmore Blooms celebration, see the bright blooms in the Azalea Garden, one of the largest azalea collections in the country. Don't forget to head inside the Conservatory greenhouse, which showcases a wide variety of exotic plants including stunning orchids and a unique model train display,