The Biltmore at Christmas
Visiting the Biltmore at Christmas time is something that my husband, Garrett and I have talked about doing for years. Writing travel publications on the side, I've known that Asheville ranks high on the charts of the best places to spend Christmas in the United States. The Biltmore is one of the largest draws for Asheville along with their vast collection of breweries, gorgeous mountainous backdrops, and the Omni Grove Park Inn. We planned on heading to Asheville for a few days close to Christmas and when we heard that record-breaking snowfall was going to come to Asheville, we booked our hotel and headed north to catch a glimpse.
On him: Boots / Jeans / Jacket (sold out) similar here and here / Shirt
The first thing on our list of things to do was visit the Biltmore Estate. Boasting to be "America's Biggest Home" I knew that it was going to be an incredible experience. During the holidays, the staff fill the rooms with Christmas trees that coordinate with whatever room they occupy.
I'll point out that the tickets to enter the property are rather pricey, ranging anywhere from $55-$85 per person. The first night of our trip we stayed at the Residences at the Biltmore, which provided a discount on the tickets and they provided access to the Biltmore for 2 consecutive days. The remainder of our trip was spent at the Omni Grove Park Inn. Both hotels are close to the Biltmore property.
We arrived around 4:00 pm which was perfect because there weren't many people there. I think the snow also contributed to the sparseness of people, but I was delighted because it felt like we had the entire house to ourselves to tour. They were also setting up for a Christmas event (which you can attend and pay an extra fee) which includes different musicians around the house playing live Christmas music as you tour.
Once we finally made it into the house, we were stunned. Towering ceilings, refined interior design, and perfectly decorated trees filled each room of the mansion. Some of the Christmas trees were as tall as 37 feet (which gives you an idea of the size of the room)! We were told to use our cell phones only for photos inside, but if you'd like to see professional images of the house interior at Christmas, you can look here.
We had such an amazing time at the Biltmore! We felt like we were in a fairytale as we walked through this winter wonderland. Below are a few photos I snapped on my phone camera of the home. The pictures are of the tree at the entry of the winding staircase, the library, the formal dining hall and the balcony.
