Biltmore Estate Christmas – How To Turn Back the Clock To 1895

Do you love Downton Abbey? Can’t get to England to visit the mansion? Then experience a Biltmore Estate Christmas in Asheville, North Carolina, the largest private home in America. For pure glamour and nostalgia, visit during the Christmas season.

I have an annual pass and visit at least every season because of the changing seasonal flower displays in the massive gardens. There are also special exhibits such as the recent Downton Abbey exhibition.

George Vanderbelt III

When 33-year-old George Vanderbilt III welcomed family and friends to the Biltmore Estate on Christmas Eve in 1895, it marked the formal opening of the most ambitious home ever conceived in America.

It took six years to create the 250 room mansion with 33 family and guest bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, three kitchens and an indoor swimming pool. The ground encompassed 125,000 acres of forests, farms, and a dairy, a 250-acre wooded park, five pleasure gardens and 30 miles of roadways.

Candlelight Christmas at the Biltmore Estate

The Christmas season is the only time the Biltmore Estate opens its doors to guests in the evening. This is the best time to visit in order to experience the candlelight, firelight, and live music. It is also the only time all the fireplaces are burning. The extravagant décor of Biltmore House brings holiday warmth. It is easy to imagine yourself a guest at the first Vanderbilt family Christmas in 1895.

Christmas Trees

A majestic Norway spruce and pathway luminaries welcome you to the house. Inside, thousands of ornaments reflect the soft glow of candles, fireplaces, and twinkle lights.

The largest tree inside Biltmore House is the 35-foot-tall Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall.

A lighted 65-foot-tall Norway spruce anchors the front lawn of Biltmore House.

A total of 52 additional decorated Christmas trees are at other estate locations, including Antler Hill Village, the Winery, The Inn on Biltmore Estate and estate restaurants.

Lights & Candles

• There are around 45,000 lights and 150 candles inside Biltmore. Approximately 135,000 LED and mini lights twinkle around the estate. More than 55,300 lights illuminate the Front Lawn tree. The surrounding trees and shrubs contain an additional 33,280.
• Hand-lit at dusk, 250 luminaires line the driveway and Esplanade in front of Biltmore House, welcoming guests for Candlelight Christmas Evenings. 

Ornaments

• The Banquet Hall tree is trimmed with 500 ornaments and 500 LED Edison-style electric lights, along with an abundance of gift boxes.
• Around 13,870 ornaments are hung on the other trees in Biltmore House, and another 13,000 are used to add holiday cheer around the estate. 

Poinsettias & Other Blooms

There are more than 1,200 traditional poinsettias on display throughout the estate—about 150 of which are part of decorations in Biltmore House. Other familiar holiday plants and flowers include amaryllis, Christmas cactus, bromeliads, orchids, peace lilies, cyclamen, begonias, and kalanchoe.  

The Conservatory

The beautiful Conservatory was completed in 1895 and highlights a wide variety of exotic plants. Its tall arched windows look out onto the terraced butterfly garden and the Walled Garden beyond and the pointed glass roof lets in an abundance of natural light. 

Wreaths

About 225 fresh wreaths and sprays, along with 90 faux pieces, are used as decorations in Biltmore House and around the estate for the season.

Garlands

• About 3,120 feet of fresh evergreen garlands, made of mixed white pine and Fraser fir, are used during the season. The garlands are replaced weekly to maintain a fresh look and fragrance for the guests.  
• Faux garlands add another 1,000 feet in Biltmore House and around 1,800 feet in other estate areas.

Ribbons & Bows

• There are about 600 handmade bows used in decorations in Biltmore House with an additional 1,200 across the estate.
• The amount of ribbon needed to make a bow ranges from 5 yards for a bow used on the fresh garland on the Grand Staircase, to 15 yards to make a tree-topper bow for a 16-foot tree in the Tapestry Gallery or Banquet Hall.  

Finally

The house has reopened with restrictions as well as the gift shops and restaurants. Admission is pricey, starting at $94 per person.

Besides the magnificent house, an admission ticket to the Biltmore Estate allows access to the gardens, conservatory and Antler Hill where there are additional decorations, shops and restaurants. Here you will also find two hotels, one upscale and one more moderate in price. There are also trails, a petting zoo and a winery. To see everything requires more than one day so I suggest at least two days for your visit.