Breathtaking Biltmore!

George Washington Vanderbilt was the 1oth and last child of William Henry Vanderbilt (who was the firstborn son of Cornelius, 'the Commodore'). When The Commodore died in 1877, he left the bulk of his estate to his oldest son, William, who inherited 100 million dollars. Within 10 years, he had almost doubled that amount. When he died in 1885, he left the bulk of his estate to his 2 oldest sons and left 23 year old George, 10 million dollars. (That's about $250 million in today's dollar.)

In 1888, George hired Richard Morris Hunt to design a summer estate. He also hired Frederick Law Olmsted (who designed Central Park)to design the gardens. Work began in 1889 and was completed in time for a Christmas Party in 1895, when George was 33 years old. Talk about an eligible bachelor!

The 4 story house is 175,000 sq. feet (4 acres), with 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms and 34 bedrooms! It has it's own bowling alley, indoor pool and gymnasium. With a staff of 30 -35, the kitchen ran almost around the clock.

The estate was designed after several French estates and was designed to be a working estate.

Biltmore is the largest privately owned house in the United States.

In 1898, George married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, and in 1900 they had their only child, a daughter Cornelia. George died in 1914, at the ripe young age of 52, from complications of an appendectomy. His daughter was only 13 years old. In 1924, Cornelia married John Francis Amherst Cecil. They opened the home for tours starting in 1930. It is her youngest son, William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil and his children who own and operate Biltmore today. They are responsible for the amazing restoration work that is going on.

It is not inexpensive to visit Biltmore. My ticket was $45 (through the RV park, $50 at the door) and you must rent the $8 headset which gives you all the background information. You should also plan to spend at least a full day as there is so much to see! (Because I bought my ticket from the RV park, it was actually good for 2 days.)

The grounds are breathtaking. And spring is a great time to see the Azaleas in bloom in the conservatory area.

The view from the balcony.
Most of the trees you see in the foreground were planted when the house was built.

This is my favorite photo.

Visiting the Biltmore was definitely a highlight of this trip. Les had opted to ride his motorcycle that day, and I'm sorry that he didn't get to experience this, but it also gave me the freedom to see it at my leisure. If you ever get the chance, this is a 'must-see'.