Biltmore Estate kicks off its annual Christmas celebration early… the first weekend in November! It’s not surprising though. If you had a 175,000-square-foot home dressed to the nines for the holidays and hosted thousands of visitors, you’d keep the magical spirit of Christmas going as long as possible, too.
Biltmore House in Asheville
The 2018 Christmas at Biltmore celebration began on November 1, with the raising of a 35-ft live Fraser fir tree in the Banquet Hall of Biltmore House. In addition to the live tree, which has been expertly decorated with ornaments and lights, there are an additional 50+ decorated Christmas trees, miles of garland and thousands of twinkling lights along with other holiday décor inside Biltmore House and other decorations all around the 8,000-acre estate, from Antler Hill Village & Winery to the Conservatory near Biltmore’s Walled Garden.
Here are some photos from inside Biltmore House:
The Louis XV Room, where Cornelia Vanderbilt was born and where she gave birth to her two sons two decades later
The Tapestry Gallery on the first floor of Biltmore House
The Third Floor Living Hall, where Biltmore guests would relax, read and socialize
The Library in Biltmore House… our favorite room!
The Winter Garden room adjacent to Biltmore House’s front hall
When reserving your stay direct at the Inn on Mill Creek B&B, you can add Biltmore daytime admission tickets at a discounted rate that are also good for the following day for FREE, so you can get as much out of your Biltmore visit as you want. Don’t forget, you’ll want to sample their special Christmas wine, maybe pick up a gift or two for loved ones from one of the various shops on the estate (our new favorite is the Barn Door in the farm section of Antler Hill Village & Winery), and eat locally-sourced food at one of Biltmore’s dining destinations. Our top choices are Cedric’s Tavern and the Creamery, which has not only ice cream – and who cares if it’s cold outside, the Creamery has an enclosed heated patio!! – but they also have yummy sandwiches as well.
Biltmore also offers an evening experience called Candlelight Christmas Evenings, which includes a self-guided tour of Biltmore House with crackling fires lit in the many fireplaces, romantic lighting in the rooms, and live music.
Imagine being a Vanderbilt guest having dinner in the seven-story Banquet Hall, kept warm and cozy with its three huge fireplaces!
You can upgrade your daytime ticket to add a Candlelight Christmas Evenings ticket on one of the days you visit the estate – we have a special phone number for guests to get their upgraded tickets so just let us know when you book if you would like to do so.
If you will be staying with us at the Inn on Mill Creek, let Innkeeper Brigette know if you have any questions about Biltmore when planning your trip to the Asheville area!
Thanks for sharing!