By Regina Sass
The Biltmore House is the largest private residence ever built in the
United States. It was designed as a country retreat, a summer house, by one of the most famous architects of the time, Richard Morris Hunt. The gardens and grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator and designer of Central Park. The 125,000-acre estate has formal gardens, parkland and the first managed forest in the country.
History
Biltmore House was built as a private residence in 1895 for George Vanderbilt. He brought his new wife, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, to live in the home in 1898. Their daughter, Cornelia, grew up in the house. The Biltmore House is still owned by the family and is managed by George Vanderbilt's great grandson, Bill Cecil.
The House
Biltmore house is very much the way it was when it was a private residence. The house is in the French Renaissance style with 250 rooms, a library with 10,000 books, a banquet hall with 70 foot high ceilings, 65 fireplaces, an indoor pool and bowling alley. The house is decorated with art works by Renoir and other old masters, tapestries dating from the 16th century, a chess set once owned by Napoleon and numerous antiques. The admission fee to the estate includes a self-guided tour of the house, which will take about two hours. Several different guided tours are available for an additional charge.
The Gardens
Visitors can walk through the gardens and the managed forests, including the formal Italian Garden, Shrub Garden, Azalea Garden, Walled Garden, Spring Garden, Conservatory and the All-American Rose Garden that is home to more than 250 different types of roses. A motor coach tour of the estate takes you to places that are out of bounds for regular visitors.
The Winery
The Winery hosts free wine tastings of the estates wines. Grape juice is available for those who do not want to imbibe. The Winery offers demonstrations on how wine is made. A wine and tapas bar provides a quick meal. The Wine Shop allows visitors to purchase wines, wine accessories and gourmet foods.
River Bend Farm
River Bend Farm shows what life was like for those who worked on the estate back when it was first built. You can visit with farmyard animals, see craft demonstrations, antique equipment and a kitchen garden. You can shop in the mercantile store and stop in the estate's creamery for homemade ice cream.
The Inn
The Inn at the Biltmore has a total of 213 rooms, a fitness center, outdoor pool, hot tub, whirlpool and library. Activities include horseback riding, Land Rover excursions, fly fishing, river trips, mountain biking, Segways, hiking, clay shooting and carriage rides.
About the Author:
Regina Sass is based in the Adirondack Region of New York State. She has been a writer for 10 years writing for publications in the real estate and retail industries. Online experience includes writing,advertising and editing for an educational web site. Sass is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
