It’s not often you have access to a photo tour inside the Biltmore mansion, especially at Christmas. Thanks to Mark File of ROMANTIC ASHEVILLE,here’s our inside look at the Biltmore holiday display this year. Road Trip Anyone?
Guest Post from Mark File, RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide
It’s the most wonderful time of the year at America’s beloved castle. Don’t miss Christmas at the Biltmore mansion, happening now through January 10, 2016. It’s your opportunity to see North Carolina’s own “Downton Abbey” decked out with dozens of elaborately decorated trees, miles of garland and over 1,000 poinsettias. Enjoy live music during candlelight tours, shop at a variety shops, dine at several restaurants and sample Biltmore’s own wines at the winery. It’s just a two-hour drive from Charlotte.
On Candlelight Christmas Evenings, the ornaments sparkle with the reflections of lights and cozy fires in the home’s fireplaces. Sounds of choirs and musicians create a festive atmosphere. Out front, a 55-foot Norway spruce tree glows with 45,000 lights and is surrounded by hundreds of hand-lit luminaries. Biltmore’s design team has woven this year’s theme “A Gilded Age Christmas” throughout every display created for the season, incorporating elegant details inspired by authentic Vanderbilt Christmas stories.
The centerpiece of the elaborate decorations is the 35-foot Christmas Tree inside the Banquet Hall. With a 7-story high ceiling and Flemish tapestries from the 1500’s, this massive room was the scene of grand dinner parties and celebrations. A 1916 Skinner pipe organ echoes throughout the banquet hall as you admire the elaborate decor and expansive space.
The Breakfast Room is set to start the day in style. Every room inside Biltmore House is filled with exquisite art. For example, see two paintings by Renoir in this gorgeous room.
The favorite room for many visitors is the Library, demonstrating George Vanderbilt’s love of books. The Library is designed around the Pellegrini ceiling painting, The Chariot of Aurora, that George Vanderbilt found in a palace in Venice.
Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom is quite opulent with its gilded wallcoverings and canopy bed fit for a king and Mrs. Vanderbilt’s oval bedroom is especially enchanting on a candlelight holiday tour.
After your house tour, stop by the Conservatory to stroll through poinsettias and lush tropical plants. It’s a great place for photographs. Underneath at A Gardener’s Place, attend free holiday decorating workshops every day at noon and 1 PM.
Romantic Asheville’s Tips for Visiting Biltmore:
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Buy daytime tickets at least 7 days in advance on the Biltmore Estate Web site and save $10 or more per ticket.
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Tour time reservations for house tours are required on the busiest days (weekends and week of Christmas), so plan ahead!
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Plan to spend an entire day. There’s much to see throughout the estate.
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Get a great opening rate of $179 at the new Village Hotel on Biltmore and be one of the first to stay there, on December 1 – 13
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Wear comfortable walking shoes. Next door to the house is the Stable Café, a perfect spot to take a break after the house tour.
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The audio tour is highly recommended and well worth the extra charge.
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Biltmore offers reduced-price admission to guests with disabilities. Parking assistance is available for those with state-issued parking permits. They have some wheelchairs inside the house for guests at no charge if one is available.
See more in the Christmas at Biltmore Guide on RomanticAsheville.com.
