Is Biltmore House haunted, and how did the estate get its name? How many bathrooms are there? Is it true that the grounds once spanned 95,000 football fields? And, where did all of that art come from? How did the winery start?
As one of Asheville’s most popular things to do, uncover the coolest facts about Biltmore Estate – from history buffs, Asheville locals, and Biltmore Estate annual passholders. All photos are our own.
Some of my favorite Biltmore Estate facts include its role in popular movies, its 70,000-gallon indoor swimming pool, and the idea that George Vanderbilt started the first version of Goodreads. Ohhhh, and the fact that the gorgeously lit walk to the winery during the holiday season was once the cow manure tunnel. Yea… Keep reading for all of the details.
If you are headed to Asheville, along with these fun Biltmore facts, be sure to read my entire guide to Biltmore Estate’s best activities and dining to get your money’s worth. For history lovers, check out these great Asheville historic sites and museums. Touring Biltmore House and dining on the estate make for easy rainy day activities.
14 Best Facts About Biltmore Estate
This list is a collaboration with dark tourist historian (and good friend), Jeremy Paterson. I also recommend reading Denise Kiernan’s book, The Last Castle, for even more interesting facts about Biltmore Estate. I found the book enlightening and well-written. Plus, Kiernan is a local Asheville author.
In addition to online sources and reading books about Biltmore and Asheville, many of these facts come from years of Biltmore tours I’ve taken – audio, winery, behind the scenes, and more – paired with Jeremy’s knowledge.
Best Books To Read About Biltmore To Learn More
1. George Vanderbilt named Biltmore after his ancestors’ land
George Washington Vanderbilt II was the quiet and cultured youngest son of William Henry Vanderbilt of the famous Vanderbilt family. He grew up spending time in New York with his father and traveling around the world.
Upon visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains with his mother, the scenery and climate captivated George, inspiring the location of Biltmore Estate. George chose the name “Biltmore” as a combination of two parts: “Bilt” and “more.” “Bilt” came from “De Bilt,” the land of his ancestors in the Netherlands, and “more” came from the term “moor,” meaning “an open, rolling land.”
2. Biltmore House is America’s largest home
Back in the late 19th century, George Vanderbilt desired a “little mountain retreat.” However, what he created rivaled most European palaces. At 175,000 square feet, Biltmore is America’s largest home. Biltmore House boasts 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces, with 250 total rooms. Construction started in 1889 and finished in 1895.
Due to the scale of the estate, the project required its own brick kiln, woodworking factory, and railroad (to bring in materials). The entire project cost five million dollars, which is about $164 million by today’s standards – and that does not include the cost of furnishing the mansion.
If you like Biltmore Estate, discover even more of Asheville’s most popular tourist attractions.
3. Biltmore Estate’s grounds include 8,000 acres of land
Biltmore Estate consists of 8,000 acres of land, including numerous gardens – home to those gorgeous Biltmore Blooms – meadows, large areas of forest, a long driveway, winding roads, and non-mansion buildings.
Visitors can enjoy Antler Hill Village, a farmyard, a playground, estate hotels, numerous restaurants, shops, exhibit halls, 22+ miles of hiking and biking trails, a lagoon, and more. The French Broad River runs through the estate, and what was once a dairy barn is now Biltmore Winery.
4. Biltmore Estate used to be the size of 95,000 football fields
Biltmore Estate is just a fraction of what the property used to be at the turn of the 20th century. Back then, Biltmore spanned more than 15 times the size it is today, at close to 125,000 acres.
As one of the coolest facts about Biltmore, that size is the equivalent of close to 95,000 football fields, meaning the original estate was larger than 17 of the world’s recognized countries (not all put together, but still). In 1914, Edith Vanderbilt sold 87,000 acres to the federal government, creating the protected Pisgah National Forest.
5. George designed Biltmore Estate with self-sufficiency in mind
The Vanderbilts built the estate with sustainability as a main goal. This is noteworthy because many of the ultra-wealthy of this time did not think long-term or care about the environment.
To make Biltmore Estate self-sustaining, George enlisted Frederick Law Olmsted, one of America’s most famous landscape architects. Together, they worked out the logistics of natural development and sustainability, including the introduction of livestock, the farming of river bottoms, and engineering transitions from formal gardens into natural ones.
Upon Olmsted’s suggestion, George enlisted trained forester Gifford Pinchot to perfect a system of management and conservation. Later, German forester Carl A. Schenck joined the team. He established the Biltmore Forest School – the first North American school of forestry.
6. Biltmore Estate opened its winery in 1985
William A. V. Cecil, George’s grandson, started Biltmore Winery in the early 1970s when he planted vines on the estate. Cecil believed in continuing his grandfather’s agricultural and sustainability legacy. Not to mention, George collected (and appreciated) fine wines. Biltmore Winery officially opened in 1985.
Today, Biltmore Winery produces about 150,000 cases of wine each year, shipping them to 40 states. As mentioned above, one of the most surprising Biltmore Estate facts is that the sparkling indoor walkway to the winery used to be the cow manure tunnel.
If you enjoy Biltmore’s Winery and have time, be sure to check out the great wineries and vineyards near Asheville, especially in Henderson County.
7. George Vanderbilt’s library contains 24,000 books
Asheville is a book lover’s dream. You cannot miss Biltmore’s extensive library, which is two stories tall and houses over 23,000 books. George is said to have read up to 50+ books a year and recorded everything in his journal, starting at the young age of 12.
Find 19th-century American and English literature, as well as art, architecture, travel, philosophy, religion, and history books, along with French fiction and nonfiction books, since both Vanderbilts possessed fluency. Look closely in the library while there. You might just see James McHenry’s gift to George Vanderbilt: a chess set and gaming table that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte.
8. Biltmore has secret passageways and hidden doors
Biltmore House has secret doors, leading to secret passageways, including the library and breakfast room. However, they aren’t as cool as a Clue mystery. Biltmore staff used these to serve meals to guests without being obtrusive and to move between common areas and other rooms. There is also a secret trap door in the Winter Garden covered by large blocks of marble.
Local author Robert Beatty features secret passageways in his Serafina series about Biltmore Estate. Start with Serafina and the Black Cloak.
9. Biltmore House boasts a large collection of artwork
As well as being a passionate nature conservationist, George Vanderbilt collected plenty of art. He made several trips overseas, purchasing rugs, carpets, furniture, decorative ornaments, prints, paintings, and linens. In particular, he brought back expansive 16th-century tapestries which still hang on the walls today. There are, of course, some old-fashioned, American-made artifacts as well, including the walnut grand piano and rocking chairs.
10. Biltmore featured novel advances
A “smart house” of its time, Biltmore was one of the first residences powered by electricity. One of my favorite facts about Biltmore: George Vanderbilt and Thomas Edison were friends. They eventually swapped Edison’s DC electricity for our modern-day AC electric power.
Also, inspired by the World’s Fair, George wanted an elevator in Biltmore House. And, because of the luxury of electricity, George installed an indoor swimming pool. The pool held 70,000 gallons of water with ropes hanging along the side for emergencies and non-swimmers. On top of all of this, George had the first private bowling alley.
11. Biltmore might be haunted
For spooky facts about Biltmore Estate, it is obviously haunted… When standing in front of the main marble fireplace, people claim to hear the ghostly voice of Edith Vanderbilt calling out to George, much as she did in life.
Even more unnerving is the report of maniacal laughter coming from the drain in the underground swimming pool. Those who hear it report the sensation of getting splashed with cold water.
12. You can take a tour of the roof (and other places not included with general admission)
Did you know that you can take a special tour of the areas that are unavailable to regular guests and visitors? Biltmore offers a variety of add-on tours, including one of the rooftop. Spy sprawling Blue Ridge Mountain views that the original Vanderbilt family enjoyed. See 9 gargoyles and grotesques that lurk on the mansion’s rooftop extremities.
13. Many movies feature Biltmore Estate
Hollywood loves Biltmore. The grounds and home are featured in movies like Forrest Gump, Patch Adams, Being There, The Last of the Mohicans, A Biltmore Christmas, and Hannibal.
14. There is more to the decorative details than meets the eye
Throughout Biltmore, find extra detailing and embellishments connected to the Vanderbilt family. For example, the Vanderbilt family crest features acorns and oak leaves as symbols of strength, growth, and longevity. George Vanderbilt’s initials are also prominently featured throughout the building and grounds. Go on a scavenger hunt like you would for hidden Mickey Mouses at Disney. See how many you can spot.
Biltmore Estate Visitor Information
Address: 1 Lodge St., Asheville NC 28803
Website: https://www.biltmore.com/
Phone Number: (800) 411-3812
I spent summers in my youth with my grandparents in Ashville. My grandfather helped them (was hired ) to open the first restaurants for visitators on the property. I remember fishing on the estate, stocked to the gills. One cast, one fish. I also remember the Cecils were very nice to me. Ashville is completely different today. This was before The Cut. I still remember the traffic back up when it was just the tunnel.
I have been all over the house, inside storage rooms, in rooms not open to the general public, I don’t think it is haunted.
Hey Brett, Thanks so much for sharing your story. It’s incredibly unique and wonderful. We appreciate it. I have never personally felt like Biltmore is haunted either (yet), but I do personally appreciate a fun ghost story/the myths. Thank you for the thoughtful comment.