Are you ready to experience the Biltmore Estate with kids? We recently toured America’s chateau-like castle with our four children and are so grateful! It is family friendly and there are lots of great photo opportunities with gorgeous backgrounds! I am ready to go back for their legendary Christmas decorations.
What is the Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate is a Gilded Age mansion built between 1889 and 1895 by the George Vanderbilt family and it is still owned by their descendants. Mountains and nature surround the Biltmore which sits on over 8,000 acres of land on 1 Lodge Street in Asheville, North Carolina. With over 175,000 square feet, it is the largest privately owned home in the US. This must-see estate is just 7.5 hours away from Washington, DC. We made core memories with our children soaking up the grounds and home.
Where to Stay and Eat in Asheville, NC
We stayed about 8 minutes away from the Biltmore at the Element. With four children, we try to stay places that has free breakfast! There are several places to choose from and all are very drivable to the Biltmore. You can also stay on Biltmore’s property at the Village Hotel, the Inn, or Cottages on Biltmore Estate.
Where to Eat In and Around the Biltmore Estate with Kids
Asheville, NC has a variety of places to eat with children. You’ll find Chipotle, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and lots of fast food options. We heard good things about Asheville Pizza & Brewing and Homegrown.
Admission to the Biltmore Estate
Children Agee 9 and under are free! Children ages 10-16 have a discounted admission price. Admission for adults vary based on the season, but start at $79 per ticket to tour inside the home. There are tickets to only visit the gardens and grounds, but visiting the home is a real highlight!
Arriving and Parking at the Biltmore
The Biltmore grounds are open daily at 8:30 am. The shops, attractions, dining spots, and tours close at various times. We got to the Biltmore around 9:15 am and left at 4:50 pm when the shops were closing down. It was a full and wonderful day! There are several parking lots. We parked in lot C and took the free trolly to the very front of the Biltmore. Parking lots A and B are also good ideas if you want to walk down to the Biltmore from the top of the hill instead of ride the trolley. We rode the trolly to the front of the house, walked to the top of the hill and walked back down for our tour.
The Grounds of the Biltmore
The 8,000 acre land has a lot to explore and seemed stroller friendly. As mentioned, we went to the top of the hill to look down at the Estate and loved it. After we toured the home, we walked the various gardens, saw fish in the Italian Garden, and visited the Conservatory which is large and has plants inside. We also visited the shops and ate at the Stable Café. Our children especially loved the Toymaker’s Shop, Confectionery, Dairy Bar! My souvenir was wine from the Market. You get 10% off when you purchase three bottles of wine. And they have complimentary wine tasting!
A Tour of the Biltmore Estate with Kids
Our digital tickets to tour the home were for 11:30 am. They ask guests to arrive 15 minutes early to get in line. The line was long, but flowed nicely. Inside the house there are lots of stairs, so I do not recommend a stroller at all for maneuverability. While we waited in line, we discussed with the children what our family rules are inside the home: 1) we are quiet and respectful, 2) we always walk and are mindful of everyone around us, 3) we do not touch anything. Guests can take photos inside the Biltmore Estate, but videos are not permitted.
After stepping inside the Biltmore Estate, greeters hand each person a handheld self-guided tour device to hold to your ear. They have a child’s tour version and an adult tour version–which is great! The kids loved these devices that look like an old school cell phones. Display signs tell visitors which number to press to listen to the audio tour.
Walking around the Biltmore is stunning and huge! When visiting the Biltmore, you will visit rooms in this order:
Entertaining Areas
- Entrance Hall: This entrance sets the stage for the grandeur of the home.
- Winter Garden: See a glass roofed oasis with beautiful plants and lots of sun.
- Billiard Room: Find two pool tables with gorgeous sitting areas.
- Banquet Hall: This room can’t be missed or forgotten with a massive fireplace and extremely tall ceiling.
- Breakfast Room: Find two Renoir paintings here.
- Salon: This is a gorgeous sitting area with a desk.
- Music Room: Be sure to look at the ceiling for even more intricate details!
- Loggia: Look outside at the Blue Ridge Mountains from this room.
- Library: The gigantic library showcases half of Vanderbilt’s 22,000 collection of books.
- Tapestry Gallery: This massive room covered with tapestries is stunning!
Family Rooms
- Second Floor Living Hall: This room pays homage to the architect of the Biltmore and the landscape architect. These large paintings were commissioned by Vanderbilt which shows his respect for their work in making his dream a reality.
- Mr. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom: This room is stately and huge.
- Oak Sitting Room: Note the portraits of Mr. Vanderbilt’s parents above each fireplace.
- Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom: This is an oval room with purple and yellow paint and it is thoughtful and gorgeous!
Guest Rooms
- Third Floor Living Hall: This was a place for guests to gather and visit.
- Third Floor Hallway
- Louis XV Hallway
- Damask Room
- Claude Room
- Tyrolean Chimney Room: This would have been my personal favorite room to stay in as a guest because of the chimney 😉
- Louis XV Room: This gorgeous room with a view was the birthing room for Cornelia and grandchildren!
- Louis XV Bath: We loved seeing the pull system toilet.
Recreation Area and Basement
- Stone Hallway: Here you’ll see the foundation of the Biltmore which looks impressively strong.
- Halloween Room: During a NYE party, the Vanderbilt’s and guests painted the walls in the basement.
- Bowling Alley: This was the first indoor bowling alley in a private home.
- Dressing Rooms: Guests did not walk around the home in swimsuits and changed in these dressing rooms before entering the pool.
- Swimming Pool: See a 70,000 gallon impressive, indoor pool lined with beautiful tile!
- Gymnasium: A place for stay physically fit.
Servants’ Areas
- Pantries: There are a few pantries in the basement.
- Servant’s Bedrooms: These are smaller and not nearly as elaborate, but at least female employees got to live inside.
- Pastry Kitchen: They kept pastries away from heat so they wouldn’t be destroyed.
- Rotisserie Kitchen: This was designated only for meat.
- Main Kitchen: This is a large area for all sorts of food prep.
- Kitchen Pantry
- Servant’s Dining Room
- Laundry Room
- Walk-in Fridge
Bachelor Area
- Smoking Room: Some guests said they thought it still smelled like smoke
- Gun Room
- Bachelor’s Wing Hallway: This is where you’ll turn back in the audio tour device.
Visiting the Biltmore Estate with kids is doable and unforgettable. My mom surprised our family with a trip here when I was a child and have never forgot it! I am glad we were able to bring our children here. Now, I am ready to go back and visit again!
Also, Asheville, NC is about an hour and 45 minutes from Dollywood, so after a visit here, we went to Dollywood for a few days and had a blast. Then drove the 7.5 hours back to DC.
We did receive complimentary tickets to the Biltmore, but the views are all my own. I reached out to the Biltmore because I wanted to visit here with my family and share about it with you!
