On Tuesday we were in Asheville to see the Biltmore Estate. David was so excited to show me how huge the Estate is and how beautiful the grounds are.
Here we are at the entrance:
Doesn't that look like a castle?
Please forgive me but I don't remember a lot of details from the inside of the house and they didn't let us take pictures so here are a few I borrowed online:
This is the library. It is FILLED to the gills with books and it is said that George Vanderbilt read every one of them.
The banquet hall. Umm hello hugeness!
The main kitchen. This place was buzzing non-stop everyday to feed the tenants and those employed at the estate. Most/all of their food was from the farms developed on the 125,000 acre estate. Yes, you read that right, 125,000 acres! The house itself is 4 acres of floor space.
Mr Vanderbilt's room. Everything custom made to fit whatever style he preferred at the time.
Mrs. Vanderbilt's room. Isn't that gorgeous??!! Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, George Vanderbilt's wife was actually about 6' tall. That bed doesn't look long enough to me.
And of course being me I thought this was really cool:
The indoor pool. The lights have actually been there the whole time.
I guess George was very into fitness because he had a workout room with showers adjacent to the pool.
Yep, they had a bowling alley. Of course it wasn't automated like they are now so they had to set the pins every time. Still fun though!
All in all this chateau has 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The basement alone would house a swimming pool, gymnasium and changing rooms, bowling alley, servants' quarters, kitchens, and more.
And that's just the chateau! They have absolutely gorgeous grounds. There is a huge flower/herb garden, a lake, pond, winery, countless crops. Its honestly somewhere where you can live off the fat of the land. So gorgeous!
Here are some other pictures outside of the chateau:
You really need to experience this for yourself. One tip: wear good walking shoes!!
2 comments:
Wow! That is all amazing stuff. Maybe this will make me sound stupid but how did the guy get his fortune?
We went to a couple of similar mansions in Rhode Island. It is actually hard to believe that people live their lives in a place like that. It'd be like living in a museum and calling it home. I'd love a pool like that!
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