Biltmore Estate – Asheville, NC…

The place numerous people recommended and the number one place we wanted to see in Asheville, NC was the Biltmore Estate.

The prices I found on the internet were so high we thought it just was not something we’d choose to do.

Yesterday we stopped by the ticket office to ask about pricing and if there were any discounts available. We were told it would be $63 per adult and $31.50 for each of our four kids ages 10 and over. Under age 10 would be free. $252 is a splurge for us, but it was quite a bit less than we thought it was going to be so we decided we’d do it.

We loaded into our van this morning to head toward the Biltmore Estate. We stopped by the RV office to mail some postcards. A woman staying in the park saw our TX license plate and came over to talk to us because she is from Texas as well. When she found out we were going to the Biltmore Estate, she offered us some free tickets she had that she wasn’t going to use. We were so excited – our WHOLE family got in for free! Thank you, Jeanette!

The Biltmore Estate is the largest home in the United States. It is a 250-room French Renaissance chateau. Construction began in 1889, and the first guests were welcomed in 1895.

We enjoyed walking through the house and seeing each space.

Our kids especially loved the library, the bowling alley and the swimming pool.

I loved the huge organized pantries.

We thought the gymnasium was so fun to see. There were wooden dumbbells and some really interesting work-out equipment.

Once we finished touring the house, we walked around the outdoor gardens.

We saw photos of how gorgeous the gardens look in the spring. There were hardly any flowers blooming due to visiting during winter season, but we still enjoyed walking through.

There is a conservatory on the grounds that is full of beautiful plants.

We appreciated seeing all sorts of unique flowers and plants.

I personally love succulents, so the space devoted to those was my favorite.

When we walked out of the conservatory, it was raining. We walked as fast as we could with small kids in tow – not very fast – back to our van.

Then we drove to Antler Hill Farm on the estate.

There we got to see and pet some farm animals.

I never pet animals at petting zoos. It’s not my thing. But this pregnant goat, who is likely carrying 3 kids and will deliver soon, loved me. No matter where I stood, she kept walking up to me wanting me to scratch her cheeks. Having been very pregnant nine times, I couldn’t resist giving her the love. Ha. So I scratched and scratched her cheeks.

Bravely goes wild over any animal and repeatedly yells, “Puppy!”

River is pretty unsure about most animals. She mustered up all the courage she could, and she petted a rooster. I did offer her a cookie to help her press toward bravery. She was excited she did it, and she enjoyed a cookie at the RV later.

All in all, it was a really good day! We loved visiting the Biltmore Estate.