Located just south of Asheville, the Biltmore Estate, at 178,926 square feet (16,622 m2), is the largest privately-owned home in the United States. Built between 1889-1895, the house served as a mountain retreat for the Vanderbilt family, who had earned their money through a shipping and railroad empire. Although the mansion is still owned by the Vanderbilt family, it now mainly serves as a tourist site (and an expensive destination since admission cost $49 if purchased in advanced and $59 is purchased at the door!)
Sadly, photography is not allowed inside the house; however, it is a pleasant little self-guided tour (you would think that for $49 they could at least have tour guides...) Moving through the house, you see a variety of different rooms still decorated in the original style - and several of the rooms have priceless works of art dating from the 1400-1700s.
After my time in the house (I only spent about an hour inside the house since I'm not one to stand and look at every single historic item), I walked through the gardens. Surprisingly, I found this to be my favorite part of the Biltmore Estates. The gardens on the Biltmore grounds were designed by Frederick Olmstead, the man who designed Central Park in New York City. Walking through the vast grounds, you almost feel like you are in a gigantic city park. (I guess unlimited wealth allows you to splurge on a team of gardeners.)
After my time in the gardens, I walked to the estate's Bass Pond and saw a charming twig bridge and boathouse. On the way back to the mansion, I took the Woodland Trail, which lead me through a very natural forest (I felt as though I was back on a hike in the woods.) When I finally arrived back at the house, I caught the shuttle bus and headed to Antler Hill Village and Winery, which proved to be little more than a small petting zoo and a collection of restaurants. Overall, the Biltmore Estates proved to be an enjoyable destination (though perhaps not worth the $49.)
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