It is the Gilded Age and you have become one of the world’s richest people by means of the shipping and railroad industries. What do you do with your riches? If you are George Vanderbilt, you spend 1889-1895 building America’s biggest house near Asheville, North Carolina.
The Biltmore Estate, by the numbers: 255 rooms, 2.4 million cubic feet of interior space, 135,280 square feet, nearly 8,000 acres. A brick kiln on the construction site produced 32,000 bricks a day.
It is a house beyond imagination, even for HGTV addicts accustomed to the expensive whims of home buyers.
We were among throngs who visited today (yearly visits total 1.2 million). The gardens, especially the azaleas, were spectacular. We enjoyed about two hours walking many of the informal trails. The self-guided house tour was fascinating, but we missed getting a feel for how the family lived. It was dark and felt stiff. Exceptions were the 22,000-volume library and the billiard room. The enormous indoor swimming pool was impressive.
They put us in the old horse barn for lunch. We ate in a stall next to the trough. I should point out that it had been tastefully cleaned up and decorated. It is one of 15 restaurants on the property.
Is the tour worth the $60 admission? If you cannot secure a private invitation from George Vanderbilt’s great-grandson, who owns the property and lives in the area, then we think it is a place for the ages, not to be missed when you come to Asheville.
carryoncouple 
I agree the tour is worth the admission. There is so much to explore: manicured gardens and grounds, winery, farm, decorated mansion, gourmet food, and the family history. Lovely, lovely place.
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We agree, but wish they had given a better idea of life there. We were curious about what daily lofe was like and why the family chose such a home.
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Amazing! I hope the $60 included dinner!
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Unfortunately, it did not!
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I’ve toured this house& the grounds 3 times since I have lived here & have enjoyed each visit very much. Springtime is especially beautiful!
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We especially like the grounds and the Asheville area is great!
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