The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is the Country's Grandest Estate

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is the largest privately-owned home in the United States. The house was built by George Washington Vanderbilt, youngest son of American businessman and millionaire William Henry Vanderbilt, between the years of 1888 and 1895. The home is 175,000 square feet in size and boasts 250 rooms. It was intended as George Vanderbilt's summer estate. His love for Western North Carolina and its Blue Ridge Mountain views prompted him to build this expanisve home in Asheville.

The Biltmore Estate, considered to be one of the most prominent remaining examples of the architecture of the Gilded Age, was designed by Richard Morris Hunt, a renowned architect who had created other Vanderbilt mansions, including the fabulous "Breakers'' in Newport, Rhode Island. It is said to be modeled after the chateaus in France's Loire Valley. It most closely resembles the Chateau de Blois, the former residence of many French kings. Vanderbilt also hired renowned landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, to design the grounds around the estate. Olmsted is best known as the designer of New York City's Central Park. Originally, the self-sustaining estate also included poultry farms, cattle farms, hog farms and a dairy, as well as the Biltmore Forest School, the first forestry education program in the United States.

Today, much of the 125,000 acres on which the Biltmore Estate once sat has been sold off to the federal government and is now part of Pisgah National Forest. The home and grounds occupy the remaining 8,000 acres. It has been a public house museum since 1965 and is owned by the Biltmore Company, headed by George Vanderbilt's grandson. Visitors number about 1 million annually and the estate is the number one tourist attraction in Western North Carolina.

Visitors to the Biltmore Estate can enjoy a tour of the house and grounds and also visit the interpretive River Bend Farm and the Biltmore Winery, all for one admission price. Tours of the house include the opportunity to view Vanderbilt's impressive collection of artwork, which includes several works by Renoir and an array of 16th century tapestries; the 10,000-volume library; a chess set belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte; a 70,000-gallon indoor swimming pool; an early bowling alley and exercise equipment; priceless antique furniture; and much more. It takes about two hours to explore the house. Estate admission includes a self-guided tour but specialty guided tours may be purchased at an additional price.

Guests can also stroll through the gardens, which are still set up according to Olmsted's plans made almost a century ago. The grounds boast hundreds of varieties of trees, flowers, and shrubs, including about 250 varieties of roses.

The Biltmore Winery is the most-visited winery in the nation and guests at the estate can enjoy a behind-the-scenes guided tour, a grape stomp, a wine and chocolate seminar, and other wine-related workshops. Kids will love a visit to the River Bend Farm, where they can interact with the animals, watch craft and farm equipment demonstrations, and enjoy dairy treats at the Creamery.

Visitors can also arrange to participate in a number of outdoor activities at the estates Outdoor Center, including horseback riding, river float trips, carriage rides, hiking, biking, and fly fishing. Reservations are required.

The onsite Inn at Biltmore Estate provides luxury accommodations with river and mountain views and close proximity to the estate. Reservations are essential, especially during peak tourist season.