Inside the Biltmore: America's Largest Mansion!

Take an exclusive tour of the legendary Biltmore House with Ken on This House. Explore the opulence of America's largest home, built by George Washington Vanderbilt during the Gilded Age. Marvel at the sheer magnificence of the 250-room mansion and its grounds. Journey through the grand halls, lavish rooms, the impressive banquet hall, the antique-clad library, and much more. Hear about the amazing craftsmanship and engineering marvels that went into creating this timeless masterpiece. Share your favorite Biltmore memories in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe for more fascinating tours of historic homes. Biltmore is the biggest house in America.

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Location: Asheville, North Carolina

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Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress,
CC BY 2.0 Photos from: Flickr User: Warren LeMay, Jennifer Boyer
Assets from: Envato Elements
Music from Epidemic Sound

[honeybeez]

My husband and I spent our honeymoon at Biltmore. Every day was a new adventure, from the exquisite mansion tour, the winery tastings, the gardens, the grounds, the horseback riding, dining in the fabulous restaurants....it was a magical time for us. I visited after his passing and the memories came back to life for me. The beauty of Biltmore Estate and grounds is indescribable and an absolute destination to anyone who adores the history of that time period. I shall return one day. Thank you for this video.

[SuperB]

I visited once during Christmas. The decorations were incredible. So beautiful.

[wyattbarnes]

We got engaged at the top of the ramp deuce overlooking the front of the house! After several visits, we still love it! The winery in the old dairy barn is great as well!

[gerryfedde]

Having lived in Asheville years ago and now in a town sixty miles away, I've been to the Biltmore over a hundred times. My favorite room - if you can call it that - isn't in the house at all but the conservatory outside with it's dazzling collection of plants from all over. Inside, I really like the library. Hard to believe something this grandiose was under private ownership. To me, it looks like something you'd only see in movies.

[michaelholbert]

I visited in 2021, and enjoyed it immensely., the Sunday after thanksgiving.at 8:00, (11/26/2023) the hallmark channel will show a Christmas movie that was filmed at the Biltmore. you haven't seen the place till you see it at Christmas.

[Mark]

Well, you've finally done it: the creme de la creme. Excellent video - somehow, you're cadence and perfect English make this "home" and the estate grounds look even more regal. Thanks for all that you do.

[pavelow]

You finally did the BIG better than Hearst Castle, best private House ever built in the United States....and probably will be forever.

[TinaBiebe]

I was attending a forensic Academy in Knoxville, and one weekend we decided let’s drive over to Biltmore. So it was me, a detective from Seattle, and a fellow crime scene tech from Tennessee. We adored the property and stayed there until dusk. After dining at the hotel, we made our way back to Knoxville after dark. This was in 2007. I remember one of the guys told us that we needed to come back at Christmas time because all of the rooms shown to the public would be decorated, and I could just imagine how beautiful it would be. Of all the rooms and areas on the property, I think my very favorite was stepping out onto one of the outside decks, and looking at that glorious view. I kept thinking if I had that kind of money, that’s where I would’ve build a mansion! 😂 haven’t been back since, but I still think about how enjoyable everything was when we went there. Highly recommend it if you’ve never been there.

[angelacarter]

Great channel... I have been to Biltmore many times... Beautiful home and grounds... Completely worth the trip.

[stevevice]

I've visited the Biltmore several times and it never gets old. You can easily spend a few days touring the house, the gardens and support buildings all over the estate. I spent a semester in Europe studying for my degree in Architecture and the Biltmore rivals any estate you will find anywhere in the world.

[gro]

I visited during the summer. Surprisingly, the house wasn't as hot as the gardens. My favorite room was the Winter Garden - a beautiful respite from all the ornate rooms. When I was visiting, the Music Room was being completed. The Library is spectacular and almost overwhelming. It's said the George Washington Vanderbilt had read every book in the room so it's very impressive.

The interiors are spectacular but the gardens are on another level. Olmstead did a masterful job of creating the gardens.

[AlphaLoveFree]

I did a tour of this place when I lived in the area in the late 1990s. Included in the tour were the servants' quarters and a more detailed look at the kitchen. I will never forget the washing sink - the sink where the dishes were cleaned. It was so tiny, I just imagined that one servant would have had to stand there basically from first light to late in the night doing dishes in this tiny sink...

[barretth]

I've visited multiple times and was always blown away, as the pictures don't do it justice. The bedrooms are all so large, that when you walk in, you see what you think is a tiny bed. However, once you get closer to the bed, you realize it's a regular-sized or even large bed that is just dwarfed by the scale of the room. Highly recommend renting the personal audio tour, a set of headphones that plays extra tidbits of information for each room you walk through, as well as ambient noise (like the sound of billiards balls in the billiards room) that make the house come alive.

[stuartm]

I have been a season Passholder for many years. The entire estate is stunningly beautiful and there is so much to see. My Favorite room is the Library, and although it's not opened very often George's office is just off the library. The pool in the basement was a salt water pool. At one time there was an outdoor fresh water pool off the library but has since been covered over. Finally the chandelier that hangs the 4 stories in the grand staircase is attached to the roof by a single bolt.

[foadrightnow]

This castle/palace/home is almost otherworldly! I've never been there. But I have been to Hearst Castle several times. And while that place is truly magnificent, it doesn't hold a candle to the Biltmore! Definitely on my bucket list of places to visit!

[karenpaulin]

Going to the Biltmore was on my bucket list for a long time, so I finally was able to go last year in September with my sisters it was so surreal to be there in front of that huge mansion. I really enjoyed the grounds also with all the beautiful plants and flowers. I’m so glad you did this one makes me want to go back.

[candynewton]

We visited and found the most beauty of the mansion is the view. Money cannot buy this, it's free for you every where. Thank you for sharing your pictures. 🇺🇲

[noraelliott]

I have visited Biltmore Estate, twice. An amazing beautiful home. I loved everything about it. Imagine being a guest in that era. The ladies would have walked in the lavish gardens or maybe for fun ride a bicycle on one of the paths one the estate or maybe played a game of croquet on the massive lawn. The gentlemen riding or racing horses. Possibly, hunting or just walking around discussing business or politics. The stables there were very large and the horses would have been well cared for.
If you ever get the chance to go, take you imagination with you.

[StephanyChills]

Seriously if you hadn't said that this was in America I would have thought that was like somewhere in England or maybe even France. That library is incredible and this by far is probably one of my favorite videos that you done have you ever thought about doing a compilation of one specific architect?

[atlbrysco]

I have been to the Biltmore several times over the past 10 years... it is an incredible place to visit! While Christmas time is a true joy to behold (the way they do things there are amazing!) any time is a special treat.

The property - even in it's reduced state of several thousand acres is still *HUGE* - from the parking lot for visitors you have to take a tram to get to the main house and the ride is over 20 minutes to finally get there; it's also another 20 to 30 minutes winding the exit way out to finally leave Biltmore after you have finished your day there. One of the facts that they relate on the tram (oh, they talk all the way through it about the history and facts!) is that recently (in the last 50 years or so) researchers found the original Western gates of the estate - they were in Tennessee, over 50 miles away! Yeah - make sure you are ready to move because no matter what tour you take (gardens, the House, Upstairs/Downstairs, the Roof, etc.) you are going to be covering a lot of ground!

Biltmore was also the training ground (and arguably the establishment) for the National Forestry Service - because George's estate encompassed so much property and he believed in sustainability, his estate had a lot of forest land that the US govt was the beneficiary of teaching people how to take care of it.

Biltmore is incredible - the organ (when it plays, which it does on a regular interval) is incredible to hear billowing throughout the mansion. My favorite part (which you glossed over) was the butler's pantry and their collection of china - beyond that, I found amusing that the butler's pantry actually has two dumbwaiters - even though George was a "modernist" for technology, when the house was built, electricity was brand new - so one dumbwaiter was electrically operated, while the other (almost never used) was the typical pull rope manual - it was put in "just in case" electricity wasn't a big thing and failed.

Biltmore is a true joy for anyone to see - it's restored sections, while still owned by a private family make it amazing. It is expensive to visit! This most definitely is *NOT* a $20 a day tourist destination - with entry, parking, the base house/garden tour, etc. you rack up the expense. Of course, to truly enjoy it you have to add a few tour options (such as the basement where the pool/work out room is, the servants areas (kitchens, pantry, etc.) and the rooftop (the house has an observatory with a telescope and a "widows walk" to truly enjoy the incredible views!) one can expect a $300-$500 visit for two people for the day not including food, lodging, souvenirs, or wine (the estate is known for it's winery!). But personally, I think it's worth every penny and will be visiting many times in the future!

Thanks for the memories!
RBS

note: edited for grammar