We finally made it to the Biltmore Estate! We live just a couple hours away but always thought it was not a place for kids. We recently visited with some friends and had a blast. I was so surprised how much the kids loved it!
The Biltmore Estate is in Asheville, NC and is worth a visit! The property itself is HUGE at around 8000 acres. I had no idea there was more to do there than just tour the house. They have 2 hotels onsite, a winery, gardens, and hiking trails to name a few. Also, just outside the entrance is the Biltmore Shopping Village with plenty of stores and restaurants. Asheville has plenty to do so make it a weekend!
House Tour
We went on the house tour on a Saturday evening. We had to schedule a specific time for the tour. I would recommend arriving early as it can take a while to get to the house. We arrived with enough time to walk around the outside of the house and take in the views. My favorite part of the Estate was the views. They were amazing!
You will be able to stand in line with your mask on about 10-15 minutes before your scheduled tour time. You walk through the house at your own pace and do a self-guided tour. There are plenty of staff members around if you have questions. I highly recommend reserving the audio devices when you buy your tickets online. They provide historical information about the different rooms in the house. That was probably my boys favorite part!
It took us about an hour to get through the house, but we went through fairly quickly. After exiting the house you will see a little courtyard to your left. There are ice cream and drinks for sale so of course we indulged. They also have a couple little shops back there. We found a Christmas store so I got my soveniour ornament!
Biltmore Inn
No we didn’t stay at the Biltmore Inn. We simply went there for breakfast the next morning. If money were no issue I would have gladly stayed there. It is on the property and up a hill with more fabulous views. Breakfast was expensive but delicious! I would recommend getting there early in the morning. If it were warmer, I would have loved to eat outside overlooking the stunning grounds. After breakfast we did go outside to check it out for ourselves. Then we quickly went back inside and warmed up by the fireplace for a few minutes.
We ended up staying at the Holiday Inn which was probably about 1 mile from the entrance and right off the highway. It had a restaurant and a pool. The pool was a huge hit with the boys as you would imagine. It was clean and very reasonably priced! I would stay there again.
Antler Hill Village
This was a pleasant surprise! In this Village there were shops and restaurants along with a winery….oh and more ice cream. Nearby they had a wonderful playground. It was fenced in with a gate which was great because I didn’t have to worry about the boys wondering off. However, the farm animals were an even bigger hit than the playground. They had a little area setup where you could pet some of them. Our youngest was able to hold a baby chicken and that made his day. There was also an exhibit with trains which was fun to watch. Last but not least was the winery. We briefly walked through what felt like an underground tunnel with white christmas lights around. Then it opened up to the wine shop. You can do a free wine tasting there but you need to set an appointment before-hand.
Gardens
We didn’t get to fully tour the gardens as the kids were getting hungry and tired by this point. However, we did walk through the greenhouses which were impressive. There were also plenty of trails around to do more sight-seeing of the grounds. The grounds even have a nice size bass pond and little waterfall to visit.
Conclusion
Whether you go on a visit for a romantic weekend or a family trip you will have a great time. There is plenty to see and do in the area. I would love to go back when it is all decorated for Christmas…..maybe even try it kid-free 😉
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