July 29, 2013
The Biltmore is located in Asheville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II in the late 1800's. He spent 6 years building this gorgeous estate which has 250 rooms including 34 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms.
Very few homes at this time had running water - this home had hot AND cold running water. Few homes had telephones. This one had ten. Few had electricity. This had elevators and refrigeration.
The gorgeous landscape surrounding the home was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who famously designed Central Park in NYC. The estate originally spread over 125,000 acres! However today, it covers "only" ~8,000 acres.
The Greenhouse
Flower garden
Cost: If you buy your tickets online at least 7 days in advance, the cost is $44/person which includes parking. However, I was surprised to discover it did not include the hand-held audio tour device. That cost an additional $10.
Verdict: I'm a little torn on this one. I guess this is what I think.... if you live in or visit the eastern half of the United States, then yes, this is a must do! But otherwise, not something you necessarily need to travel thousands of miles to see.
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