The Biltmore Estate House was built by George Washington Vanderbuilt (sorry Teri!!! it was not the "Biltmores"). He was a bachelor and had inherited 10 million dollars from his grandfather's 100 million dollar shipping fortune. (His father had increased that to 200 million). It was officially opened on Christmas Eve 1895. He had decorated the house himself. Three years later he married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser and in 1900 their only child, Cornelia, was born there.
Cornelia married the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil. In 1930 the Cecil's opened the house to the public in 1930. Today the Biltmore Estate is still a private family business run by Cornelia & John's grandchildren.
The Biltmore Estates are on 8,000 acres and include the Biltmore House, a winery, a garden, an inn, a carriage and trail ride barns, a farm plus a shopping and restaurant area in the stables next to house.
It was especially beautiful with the fall colors as you drive to Biltmore House. There are several rivers and lakes on the Biltmore Estate.
The Biltmore House has 250 rooms and with all the other places to tour on the estate you could take days to see it all.
The Stable Cafe is actually the old stable next to the Biltmore House. We had a combo dinner that included chicken, ribs, and pulled pork with corn spoonbread (like stuffing), collard greens, coleslaw and corn bread. It was truly a taste of the south.
This time of year the gardens are full of mums. Most inspiring.
This is the Inn on Biltmore Estate. It has 213 rooms. It would be a perfect place to stay for a few days or a week when touring the estate.
The winery is 4-1/2 miles from the House and you can tour the production area and enjoy a wine tasting afterward.
We realized we needed more than one day to tour the entire Estates so the next time we are in town we are coming back.
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