Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

The second day of our spring break trip to Asheville was spent at the Biltmore Estate. I have been looking forward to this day, more for the gardens than the mansion itself. Unfortunately, it rained for much of the day so we were stuck indoors.
Biltmore Estate is a large (6950.4 acre or 10.86 square miles) private estate and tourist attraction near Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House, the main residence, is a Châteauesque-style mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 square feet (16,622.8 m2) of floor space (135,280 square feet (12,568 m2) of living area). Still owned by George Vanderbilt's descendants, it stands today as one of the most prominent remaining examples of the Gilded Age. (Wikipedia)
I was awestruck by the opulence of the place. Most of the areas are cordoned off but you see enough to appreciate how life must be like for the residents in the olden days. The upper rooms were grand and all but I appreciated the basement more. That's where the servants did their work. The pool was a highlight as well.

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