Where: Asheville, North Carolina
When: year-round
If you like: history, gardens
Why you should go: America’s largest home puts on a show every season—thousands of daffodils, tulips, and azaleas in the gardens in spring; horseback riding and farm-to-table dining in summer; jewel-toned chrysanthemums and turning leaves in fall; and the glow of firelight and fir trees at Christmas. After avoiding the worst of the wrath of Hurricane Helene, which barreled through the area last September, Biltmore is moving forward with plans for its 130th anniversary in 2025. Starting this month, it will present Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures at its own Amherst at Deerpark Exhibition Center. (George and Edith Vanderbilt, who constructed the estate in 1895, visited Egypt often, and their son-in-law, John Francis Amherst Cecil, counted the tomb’s discoverer, Howard Carter, as a family friend.) Also this spring, Biltmore will complete a two-year refresh of the Inn on Biltmore Estate, which added nature-inspired wall coverings, embossed-leather and carved-wood detailing, and re-creations of artwork from the Vanderbilt family collection.
G&G tip: Biltmore is known as the birthplace of American forestry, and its Olmsted-designed grounds house numerous state-champion trees, including a katsura tree with apricot-hued fall foliage and a sweet, cinnamon-like fragrance. Find it in the Azalea Garden.
