The Blue Ridge Mountains as viewed from the grounds. All the surrounding forest used to belong to the Vanderbilts as well.
Just before our trip to North Carolina, both Gabe and Katy finished reading the book Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. This book, about a special little girl solving a set of disturbing disappearances, is set at the most famous home in Katy’s hometown- the Biltmore House. We decided to take time to tour the house and grounds but we did not make it to the farm on the property. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biltmore was built in the late 1800s by the Vanderbilt family as a summer home.
Biltmore has four acres of floor space and a total of 250 rooms including 35 bedrooms for family and guests, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, 3 kitchens, and 19-century novelties such as electric elevators, forced air heating, centrally controlled clocks, fire alarms, and a call-bell system.
No expense was spared in the designing, building and furnishing of Biltmore. It is the largest privately held home in America. It is open to tourists all year long, but you do not need to wait until you find time for a trip to North Carolina. We are sharing our favorite features here. Just run your mouse over the photo and captions will appear. Click on the pictures if you wish to see them bigger.
The dining room can easily handle a feast.
The giant library is my favorite room. There are even ladders that attach to the walls so you can get to the books up high.
We did not manage to get any good pictures of the indoor pool with its very nice changing rooms, or the bowling alley in the basement, but we very much enjoyed seeing them. Also worthy of note, but with no pictures, were the kitchen and larders, and the neat system that had for drying the bed sheets.
The grounds between the house and the greenhouse are covered in manicured gardens and paved walkways. There also used to be an outdoor pool but it was filled in a long time ago now.
lubabob
the Creasman Experience 
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