When visiting Biltmore, don’t forget about the lush paradise in the Conservatory If you’re like me – not a member of the landed gentry or their cousins across the pond here in America – you learned about conservatories via the board game, Clue. And so, I learned from a young age that they were sneaky places. And have a secret
The five most colorful, interesting, important or Hollywood people in the history of the mountains Frequently, when doing research for an article – or noodling aimlessly about on the internet – I’ll come across some historical figure or colorful character and wonder, “Why haven’t they turned this person’s life story into a movie?” The No. 1, person for this Robert
Local reviews the Biltmore experience at Christmas I’m not what you’d call an upper-crust kind of guy. The few times I’ve tried to make my way into the more structured world of the elite, I didn’t like it. But what do I like? I like the trappings. I love the tapestries and giant fireplaces and everything that came with being
A movie fanatic ranks famous flicks filmed at Biltmore Estate in Asheville In Selma, the muddy and mighty Alabama River curves under the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge where the infamous Sunday Civil Rights March took place. I worked in one of those buildings, next to the bridge. Working next to an iconic location you get used to a few things, including
A Local Offers Tips on What Not To Do at Biltmore Estate In the mountains of Western North Carolina stands America’s answer to Versailles the one in France, not Kentucky. An opulent mansion built by the grandson of one of America’s great robber barons, Biltmore stands as a beautiful testament to vision, persistence and the power of obscene amounts of
Just as there are Titaniacs in the world, attracted to the intersection of wealth and tragedy, so are there Biltmoriacs As someone who has written extensively about the Biltmore Estate, I find the darker parts of its history appealing. The trappings of power and extreme wealth and decadence are seemingly attractive to those of us whose nature leans a little
A look at the Biltmore Estate, from today’s standards In the 1880s, George Washington Vanderbilt II came to the mountains with a dream. He also came with the type of generational wealth typically reserved for kings and pharaohs. So when Vanderbilt wanted a summer house, he purchased nearly 700 parcels of land – 50 farms and at least five cemeteries
Mysteries and rumors surrounding Biltmore as passed down through generations When I visit Biltmore, I always think about how we are trained to think of great houses as places of secrets and mystery. And when we think of the enormous North Carolina estate, a playground for people with enough money to buy their way out of trouble, the mind tends to wander.
Things you never knew about Biltmore: $100 loans, pink hair and family drama Every time I visit Biltmore and the estate, I am amazed by its beauty, the architecture and its rich history. I’ve been fortunate enough to take the tour many times now – both self-guided and with audio. Below, are some of the fascinating facts I learned along
The Biltmore estate has been a place of beauty, wonder and mystery since George Washington Vanderbilt II committed his fortune to create a mansion and grounds worthy of the best houses of Europe in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The Biltmore House and estate – which was 125,000 acres at its peak – is many things. It’s a testament