Christmas at the Biltmore?

Yes, please.

It’s a joyous time of year, when the brisk chill of winter whirls and swirls, when the cheery lights of the season wink on in windows and dangle, glowing and swaying from shingles and shrubbery in homes across the world. The sights, sounds, and smells of the season are all around. That said, there’s simply no better place to get into the holiday spirit than the Biltmore Estate. Set deep in the mountains of North Carolina, the home of one of America’s most influential families opens up and takes you back in time.

Some Background

As a design firm, we are thrilled to see how so many decorate their homes. We have toured many holiday displays, and of course, filled our own homes to the brim with Christmas decor. However, we would be hard-pressed to say we have ever been more charmed, more delighted, or more inundated with the Christmas spirit than during the Candlelight Christmas evenings spent at the Biltmore. It’s like stepping back in time, and there’s no better season to visit than Christmas. It’s your one chance to tour the estate at night, with the fireplaces lit, carolers singing, gingerbread baking, and candles glowing. Remember, The Biltmore is America’s largest private residence, owned and still operated by the Vanderbilt family. There are not many places that are so grand, and still a family home. 

I won’t bore you with estate history (you can find that here) but there are a few key things you should keep in mind. Construction for the 8,000-acre estate began in the 1890s and includes 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. You read that right, 65 fireplaces, many of which are tall enough to stand inside!

 

Getting to the Estate

I’ll be honest, I truly wasn’t sure what to expect and I certainly underestimated just how much there is to do on the property. I’ve spent the last two December celebrating the holidays at Biltmore Estate, so today, I thought I would share an overview of some of my favorite things to do on the property in December.

As you get close to the house, you will start to see the warm glow of lights welcoming you. Around 46,000 lights illuminate the Front Lawn tree in front of the house. Two hundred fifty luminaries line the driveway and Esplanade in front of Biltmore House. Every day, staff lights all the luminaries for Candlelight guests and extinguishes them at closing.

 

Daily Activities

The Gardens

These gardens, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead who designed Central Park, are simply dreamy. We started in the Walled Gardens, which features a rose garden with over 250 varieties of roses, before making our way up to the Italian Gardens with the reflecting pools. And be sure to take some time exploring the Conservatory greenhouse. It’s one of my favorite spots on the property.

There were even Christmas decorations inside the Conservatory! For example, this poinsettia Christmas tree was in one of the rooms:

Grab a Snack

As we made our way up to the house, we headed over to the Courtyard Market by the house to grab a cup of coffee and a cookie. There are quite a few cute shops in the old stables as well that are a great place to check out.

Personally,

I recommend eating dinner and then doing a later tour of the house for a few reasons. First of all, it is much less crowded. Secondarily, if I am not hungry I can enjoy myself. Lastly, if you are doing a night tour, it takes a few hours, and finding a good meal afterward isn’t as easy as that sounds. I HIGHLY recommend the Stable Cafe and eat upstairs. It is another piece of magic and your server most likely knows some inside info. Ours was knowledgeable of the history of the estate and knew the Vanderbilt family well. The best part? She said they are nice people and great to work for. I loved knowing that!

The Stable Café, which, you guessed it, used to be the stables at the Chateau and is directly connected to the house. Here is a link to all of the restaurants so you can check out the fare. Menu and make reservations are here too.

SHOP

Do a little shopping that you cannot find anywhere else. In an age where we hop on Amazon (guilty!) to order Christmas gifts, this is a fun way to enjoy the grounds at Biltmore. For the foodie on your list, there is the winery with all kinds of snacks and kitchen goodies (and of course, wine.) They even have their own Christmas trees here, themed in what else? Wine items. Red theme. White themed. Champagne themed. Very fun.

 

A toy store has retro toys from days gone by you can almost hear the kids laughing at the jack-in-the-boxes or games that would have been played. Also, new items are hand-selected just in time for Santa to visit.

The candy store (do I have to say more?!) is OUTSTANDING. I could spend hours here (and you can feel the sugar rush just walking in the door. Incredible) where you can pick up handmade treats like chocolate-covered strawberries and turtles or bring something back to celebrate with those you love. Brightly colored lollipops or foil-covered chocolate Santas.

There are a few Christmas stores (I am not sure what they are the rest of the year but I am sure they are just as fun to browse) where you can pick up a special ornament or my personal favorite – a nutcracker.

The bookstore is my favorite stop, though. As a self-aware bookworm, I can always find something I want to read. History of the building of Biltmore or the family that made this grand estate a home. Perhaps something from the period memorialized an important event. I have even bought ghost stories of the area (which is my favorite!) and you will find cookbooks galore throughout the shops.

You can pick up a sweatshirt or jacket if you are chilly, trinkets throughout the village such as gorgeous glassware to enjoy a glass from the Biltmore vineyard, or a children’s book to hear all about the estates most favorite family member – Cedric the St Bernard.

Some of these shops are right near the house itself, some are in the village (highly recommend at least walking around here. It is a gorgeous place unto itself with all of the lights! ) Go during the day to ensure all is open (there is a museum as well with a lot of great stuff like Vintage Louis Vuitton luggage and antique swords that the family owns)

 

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

Honestly, I have a hard time explaining the conundrum that I feel when experiencing the Biltmore House. It is simply breathtaking and also overwhelming to think that one family designed this space as a vacation home. The rooms are gorgeous, have been well maintained, and they are just stunning by candlelight. I have yet to visit the home in any other season and during the daylight, so I would say that I’m a big fan of the candlelight tour if you’re going to do it. Enjoy some of the scenes you may experience on your tour below.

Candlelight Christmas Tour

Absolutely do the Candlelight Christmas tour, and do the evening portion first. It’s magical. And it comes with estate access for a 2^nd day so you can go back through in daylight hours, which I also recommend. Although, if you’ve never been before your first experience must be after dusk, when everything glows from within.

Christmas Trees

Nothing says Christmas like a 35-foot Fraser Fir laden with gifts and ornaments large enough to hold court alone under our most humble household trees.

• There will be 67 decorated Christmas trees inside Biltmore House for the 2023 celebration.
• The largest tree inside Biltmore House is, of course, the Vanderbilt traditional fresh 35-foot-tall Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall. It requires about 50 staff members to carry in, raise, and secure it.
• The smallest ones are a grouping of three tabletop trees in Servant’s Bedrooms.
• A lit 55-foot-tall Norway spruce encircled by 36 illuminated evergreens decorates the Front Lawn of Biltmore House for Candlelight Christmas Evenings.
• A total of 45 additional decorated Christmas trees are at other estate locations, including our Winery, Antler Hill Village, and The Inn on Biltmore Estate. The Conservatory features decorated “trees” made of potted plants and other natural materials.

As you walk through the house, you will see tapestries hanging on the walls in areas such as the great hall. Many of these have a story so be sure to pay attention and the fact that they are lit up with Christmas lights just adds to the magic.

Lights & Candles

• There are around 45,000 lights and 282 candles inside Biltmore House. Another 850,000 lights illuminate the rest of the estate.
• More than 55,000 lights illuminate the Front Lawn tree with an additional 32,000 lights on the surrounding trees and shrubs. Uplighting illuminates the poplar trees lining the lawn.
• Hand-lit at dusk, 400 luminaries line the Esplanade in front of Biltmore House every night for Candlelight Christmas Evenings.
• The illumination of Antler Hill Village features thousands upon thousands of lights, including a pole tree near the entrance that plays a continuous show of synchronized lights and music and large Moravian-style stars that lend a magical touch to the holiday décor.

Ornaments

• The Banquet Hall tree boasts 500 ornaments, and 500 LED Edison bulb-style electric lights along with an abundance of gift boxes and other décor.
• There are 13,870 ornaments used on the other trees inside Biltmore House, and many again around the estate to add sparkle and seasonal interest

• There are over 55 decorated trees in the house.

Botanical Decor

• More than 1,960 traditional poinsettias are found amid the Christmas décor throughout the estate, 271 of which are in Biltmore House.
• Additional seasonal plants include 4,265 amaryllises, Christmas cacti, bromeliads, orchids, peace lilies, cyclamen, begonias, and kalanchoes.
• Biltmore uses more than 1,000 poinsettias and other fresh plants.

• There are 238 fresh wreaths and sprays along with 90 faux pieces around the estate during the season.
• Wreaths are made of fresh white pine and Fraser fir, ornamented with golden arborvitae, holly, or other natural materials such as twigs and cones. Artificial bases are decorated with ornaments, berries, faux flowers, and ribbons.
• The Floral team cuts fresh evergreens on the property every week to create handmade swags to decorate the Grand Staircase in Biltmore House.
• Around 1,600 feet of fresh and faux garlands decorate Biltmore House, and around 1,200 feet are used in other areas.

Ribbons and Bows

• About 600 handmade bows are used in decorations in Biltmore House with an additional 1,200 across the estate.
• There are 9,510 yards of ribbon in the Christmas décor in Biltmore House and throughout the estate—primarily in the form of hand-tied bows.
• Everything from narrow cording to 8-inch-wide ribbon and they were decorated with velvets, metallics, satins, burlap, and printed cotton.
• It takes 5 yards of ribbon to create the festive bows worn by the marble lions at the front door of Biltmore House.
• It takes close to 15 yards of ribbon required to make a tree-topper bow for the 16-foot-tall Christmas trees in the Library.
• Any ribbon that is used year to year is starched and ironed so that it is wrinkle-free and perfect!

Staff

• It takes about 50 team members to raise and secure the Banquet Hall’s Fraser fir Christmas tree.
• The Floral team consists of 10 full-time and 7 part-time floral designers.
• Multiple departments across the estate also help implement the grand plans for Christmas décor at Biltmore each year, including our Engineering, Housekeeping, Museum Services, Horticulture, Guest Services, Security, and Events teams.

 

Curious to peek behind the scenes? Explore this video from Biltmore, offering a sneak peek into the making of the festive season at the Estate!