George Vanderbilt's Biltmore

Biltmore, one of the country's most popular historic sites and welcoming more than 1 million guests each year, centers on the 250-room Biltmore House, America's largest privately owned home, completed in 1895. George Washington Vanderbilt, who visited the Asheville area in the late 1880s and was captivated by its climate and mountain vistas, eventually purchased 125,000 acres for his country estate. To realize his vision for a grand estate, Vanderbilt hired leading American talent: architect Richard Morris Hunt, who drew inspiration from French chateaux, and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed the gardens and grounds. At the heart of the estate was Biltmore House, surrounded by gardens, landscaped grounds, extensive farming operations including a dairy famed for its milk, and the country's first scientifically managed forest on a large scale. By 1894, nearly 1,000 workers were employed in the construction of Biltmore. Today, Biltmore remains a family-owned, working estate encompassing nearly 8,000 acres and offering tours, dining, shopping, outdoor activities, America's most-visited Winery, and a four-star inn.

Biltmore Forest, North Carolina · United States