Best Christmas Cities: The Biltmore Estate During the Day

The third stop on our road trip was to Asheville, North Carolina to visit the Biltmore Estate built by George Washington Vanderbilt in 1895. This is the largest private home in the United States, which sits on acres and acres of land.

We chose to stop and visit the Biltmore because they decorate this lavish home so beautifully during the Christmas season. Unfortunately, they do not allow photos inside the house so we were unable to capture the beauty of how they celebrate this wonderful holiday...I will try to summarize the beauty:

Miles and miles of pine garlands with red bows and white lights wrap the 3 story spiral staircase, each room, fire place mantels, ceilings, and more. Poinsettias are strategically placed throughout the house (or should I say mansion), giving it that warmth feeling with its red vibrant color. Christmas trees are in almost every room of the house, with the largest one being in the main hall which reached 32 feet. The house was decorated wonderfully to give you that Christmas-ie feeling!

We took the audio tour, which I STRONGLY recommend. It is only $10 more per person. It gives you a background of all the rooms you will visit. It also told the story of how George Vanderbilt obtained his riches, and why he built the house. George seemed like a really kind man, who treated all of his workers like family. The best part of the audio tour was how it took you back in time with its detailed descriptions of the rooms and the activities that use to take place in the home.

The Biltmore during Christmas time (and really any time) is a must see in the United States. That grandeur home is such an icon and I hope it is still here for hundreds of years so thousands more can truly take in its beauty.