Places We Love: The Biltmore Estate

The next stop on the tour of places we love is the Biltmore Estate located in beautiful Ashville, North Carolina. Ever since the doors opened on Christmas Eve night in 1895, The Biltmore has been dedicated to welcoming and celebrating family and friends on the 8,000 acre property. This Christmas Eve will mark 125 years being open, and that history can be seen all throughout the estate.

Let's take a peek into some of the most iconic spaces of the house. The first room on the tour is the Winter Garden. The octagonal room features a large glass roof to allow massive amounts of sunlight to reach the indoor garden no matter what season it is. At one time, parts of the roof did open to allow a cool breeze in during times of entertainment or relaxing. As you can see in the photos, poinsettias and lights have been placed all around the room to bring in the spirit of Christmas. Located in the center of the space, the fountain acted as a point for all the rooms on the first floor to radiate off of.

The next space that deserves a feature is the banquet hall. Featuring a massive dining room table that is 72ft long and 42 feet wide, it is the perfect spot for entertaining. Seating up to 32 people, it is a great setting for a party or family gathering. The banquet room gives guests a tiny peak into the beauty they are going to see as they travel around the rest of the estate.

A few more iconic rooms that deserve recognition along your tour is the salon, tapestry room, and library. The Salon is known for its beautiful fabric ceiling. The Tapestry gallery was designed specifically around 3 different tapestries from the 1500s. Finally the library, which expands over two stories, gives guests and those staying at the estate endless options to explore. On the second floor there is a hidden door connecting to the guest suites to allow friends and family to grab a book before heading off to bed. Most importantly, don't forget to check out the bowling alley and full size pool on the lower level!

Rounding out the tour, you are able to see a few of the bedrooms. Although you aren't able to tour all of them, there are 33 guest rooms on the property giving plenty of space to host family and friends. They are all given their own names and designed to a specific style. Click through the gallery below to see a few of our favorites!

Before you leave don't forget to check out the beautiful views from one of the many balconies or outdoor patios. You can see beautiful views of the grounds and as well as the surrounding area of Ashville, North Carolina.

If you have been to The Biltmore Estate please share your thoughts and photos below. Make sure to check back in the coming weeks for more posts about this trip!