Biltmore House & Gardens: A Garden Lover’s Guide
A garden lover’s trip to Asheville, North Carolina is not complete without a stop at the famous Biltmore Estate. Let me show you what to expect when planning a visit to Biltmore House & Gardens where advance preparation is rewarded.
During my October visit, I was reminded just how different two garden experiences can be. Earlier that day, I had explored the Asheville Botanical Garden. It was peaceful and filled with native plants of the Southern Appalachians.
At Biltmore House & Gardens, I found myself surrounded by carefully manicured landscapes, elegant statues, colorful fall plantings, and visitors eager to experience one of America’s most famous estates.
Both gardens were beautiful, but Biltmore required a different approach from my typical garden adventures. It took significant advance planning.
Biltmore House & Gardens at a Glance
Why Planning Ahead Matters at Biltmore
While it’s possible to visit Biltmore without advanced preparation, my experience revealed several reasons to plan early.
Biltmore is Much Larger Than You Might Expect
The estate covers 8,000 acres or 12.5 square miles. Biltmore House & Gardens alone cover nearly 80 acres. Other popular sites within the estate include Deerpark, Antler Hill Village and Winery, and the Biltmore Inn. They are all miles apart and connected by slow winding roads.
Tickets, Reservations, and Timing
Biltmore House requires advance ticket time-slot reservations which is available through their website. They also suggest booking at least a week in advance. I would suggest even earlier if you are planning a visit over the holidays and during other peak seasonal events.
Parking and Transportation
Parking on site for the house and garden tour is available in multiple lots and is included in your ticket purchase.
- You will need to show them your ticket at the entrance to the estate in order to drive up to the parking lots.
- Be prepared for an 8-10 minute walk to the house from the parking lots.
The shuttle system seriously confused me, and I highly recommend you familiarize yourself before you go by visiting their Directions and Parking website. Basically there are complimentary shuttles available for guests staying at the resort, complimentary ADA shuttles, and shuttle passes for purchase by visitors. There are not complimentary shuttles for regular guests throughout the entire estate.
Determine Your Itinerary Before Arriving
You could easily spend 2-3 days at Biltmore touring the house, grounds, winery and shops.
Biltmore offers different ticket options, so examine them carefully before you go. I was interested in the gardens and house so I chose the House & Grounds ticket for $110.
If you prefer to skip the house tour entirely and simply explore the gardens, consider the Grounds Only ticket for $85.
Garden Traveler Tip!
Take advantage of the gardens before your house tour time slot. You can wander and explore as long as you want until it’s time to go tour the house.
Exploring the Gardens at Biltmore Estate
Garden lovers will be delighted by the elegantly designed estate grounds, gardens and conservatory. Frederick Law Olmstead, the mastermind behind Biltmore’s gardens, also created Central Park in New York City.
The Italian Garden
With three lovely pools, the Italian Garden is the perfect formal garden to stroll before touring the house.
I love how the fish come up for a visit!
Take a close look at the water lilies. These are chosen every spring and are incredibly unique specimens that have been part of the original intent of this garden since 1895. I plan to return to Biltmore as an evening guest to see the night blooming water lilies.
The Shrub Garden
This might sound like a boring garden to some, but I think this space was spectacular. I felt like I wandered through this garden thinking “I can plant that one in my garden, oh wait I want that one. Where’s the name tag for this?” I can’t afford Biltmore style statues and koi ponds, but I can add some Biltmore shrubs, right?
Look at the orange berries on this Foster Hybrid Holly-perfect for the fall garden!
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden is extremely intriguing and understandably one of Biltmore’s signature gardens. The formal geometric gardens mirror both sides of the covered walkway as each vignette displays vibrant colors and texture.
Even though I was visiting in early fall, the flowers in the Walled Garden were strong performers.
The summer season was waning, but the Dahlias were bursting with color.
I’ve always been enamored with roses, but South Carolina has not been kind to my rose growing efforts. These roses look stunning. So beautiful!
The Conservatory
One of the grandest features of Biltmore is the Conservatory. Covering 7000 square feet, the structure houses palms, orchids and extensive collections of tropical plants.
Believe me when I say it is warm in the Conservatory! This would be my favorite spot during the cooler months, but today we reached an unusually warm fall temperature of 80. I was sweating inside the conservatory, but I was also completely captivated by the jungle of tropical plants.
The orchid collections in the Biltmore Conservatory are impressive.
I know this is becoming photo heavy, but I love sharing these exquisite horticultural specimens!
Garden Traveler Tip!
Behind the conservatory is a small café cart with snacks and beverages. This hidden gem is perfect for a quick snack and beverage. There are also restrooms located next to it.
Visiting Biltmore’s Gardens in the Fall
Western North Carolina is one of my favorite autumn destinations. Visiting Biltmore House & Gardens in October is spectacular. The leaves are changing and the seasonal plants are in bloom.
While October brings cooler fall weather, daytime temperatures can still be warm and pleasant. I suggest wearing layers and watching the forecast carefully.
Beautiful weather means larger crowds. Expect a few tour groups, field trips and lines into the house.
The chrysanthemums are extraordinary, especially in the Walled Garden near the conservatory.
Overheard in the Garden:
Apparently chrysanthemums bring out the best in opinionated gardeners.
As I strolled through the Walled garden, I overheard two ladies vehemently debating whether mums should be included in Biltmore’s landscape because they are too common and cheapen the gardens.
Ducking under the pergola and into the opposite garden space, I immediately encountered two different ladies happily photographing the chrysanthemums and exclaiming at how stunning their colors looked in the garden.
Are you Teams Mums? Or do you think they don’t belong in the fall garden?
I can’t wait to come back in the spring and see what guests think about tulips…
A Brief History of Biltmore’s Gardens
During my visit and through my research, I learned that George Vanderbilt began creating his grand estate in Asheville, North Carolina, in the late 1880’s. He envisioned a landscape that would complement the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
He hired Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect behind New York City’s Central Park, to design the grounds. Olmsted created a beautiful combination of formal gardens, winding woodland paths, and natural landscapes, including the Italian Garden, the Walled Garden, and the Conservatory.
Olmsted believed in balancing design with nature and encouraged Vanderbilt to establish one of America’s earliest managed forests. More than a century later, Biltmore’s gardens continue to reflect his vision, welcoming visitors with seasonal displays of tulips, roses, azaleas, chrysanthemums, and other beautiful plantings.
During my October visit, colorful fall plantings were still on display, adding seasonal beauty to the historic gardens. Although the warm weather and crowds influenced how much of the estate I explored, I enjoyed seeing how Olmsted’s original vision continues to shape the experience for visitors more than a century later.
Touring Biltmore House
I chose to add the house tour to my ticket because I enjoy exploring historic estates. At approximately 175,000 square feet, Biltmore House is 3 times larger than the executive residence of the White House.
Plus, they started putting up all of the holiday decorations inside the house. I lost count of the number of Christmas trees, but they are so gorgeous!
What to Expect
Your house tour ticket is a timed reservation. At your scheduled time, proceed to the front of the house and follow the line of guests waiting to enter.
Once you enter, you will receive an audio device to follow the self guided tour. Each room/location has a numbered sign that you enter into the audio device and listen to the history of that room.
How Long is the Tour
If you listen to the entire tour and take your time walking comfortably through the house, it will take 1-2 hours.
Since this was not my first time touring the house, I chose to do a ‘speed tour’ and cruised through at faster pace than other guests. It still took me at least 45 minutes, and I was hustling!
Favorite Rooms
It’s probably no surprise that this garden lover’s favorite room at Biltmore is the Winter Garden. This indoor ‘greenhouse’ is one of the first rooms you enter at Biltmore and was the place guests would have been greeted.
It’s filled with tropical plants and palms year-round nurtured by the sunlight streaming through the glass and wood ceiling.
There’s even a hidden door in the floor where staff members would’ve transported plants between the lower basement level and the Winter Garden room to avoid disturbing guests.
Biltmore House & Gardens: Know Before You Go:
- Plan Plan Plan. Make an itinerary and purchase tickets in advance.
- Multiple dining options are available. I highly recommend making reservations during popular seasons.
- There are plenty of benches, terraces, and covered areas to rest, but be sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothing. There’s quite a bit of ground to cover.
- School age children will enjoy this visit. Very young children might be overstimulated after hours of touring and crowds.
- Allow extra time to travel and park when visiting Biltmore House and when traveling between the sites within the estate.
- Biltmore identifies the Walled Garden and the Conservatory as accessible. There are stepped areas, but alternate paved paths are nearby.
- Similarly, the house is mostly accessible via ramps and elevators, but not completely.
- Charge electric scooters completely before visiting and consider bringing a backup battery.
Beyond the Gate: More to Explore in Asheville
We garden lovers are always on the lookout for more gardens to explore, and Asheville doesn’t disappoint!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Asheville Botanical Garden is a delightful native plant based garden that feels like a gentle hike through the Appalachians. Be sure to stop in for a quick visit.
Absolutely make time to visit the North Carolina Arboretum during your time in Asheville. I was expecting a few trails through the woods and some tree labels. Boy, was I wrong! I can’t wait to share how incredible this experience was!
Final Thoughts: A Little Planning, a Lot More Enjoyment
Biltmore House & Gardens deserve time and thoughtful exploration, but visitors don’t have to see everything in one day.
If you’ve ever been to Disney World, then you are already familiar with the following:
- Parking and walking to the destination
- Lines at the entrance and sites
- Crowds and noise
- Advance reservations for tours and dining
You would also know that planning can make your experience even more magical, right? Do the same for Biltmore. Make your plans early and enjoy the magical grandeur of this incredible estate and stunning gardens!
Interested in another popular estate? Read about my visit to Cheekwood Estate and Gardens in Nashville, Tennessee.
If you like conservatories and orchids, read about the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the orchids they have on display.
