​Biltmore offers winter adventure in a setting fit for “Downton Abbey”

In a setting fit for "Downton Abbey," the Biltmore is offering winter specials. Image courtesy of the Biltmore.

ASHEVILLE, NC — January through March is typically a quieter time of year for visiting America’s largest home, allowing time to discover extra touches throughout the estate. Special deals combined with warm indoor attractions make a wintertime visit at Biltmore the best value of the year.

Travelers can take advantage of the lowest admission prices of the year January 13 through March 19. Estate admission begins at $39 when tickets are purchased seven or more days in advance. Regular tickets are $49, and kids aged nine and younger are free. Tickets include free new audio tours of Biltmore House.

This winter, you can discover more at Biltmore. Available at no additional charge January 13 through March 19, two new audio tours give an updated interpretation of Biltmore’s grand rooms, architecture, collection of art and antiques, as well as true stories about the Vanderbilt family, their guests and servants. For the first time, Biltmore has introduced a children’s audio tour in addition to the standard audio tour, created to give kids an imaginative connection to life in the Vanderbilt household. Biltmore’s curators and hosts narrate the standard audio tour, while the children’s tour is told from the point of view of Cedric, the Vanderbilt’s beloved Saint Bernard. Both tours follow the same route through Biltmore House for families to enjoy together.

Travelers also won’t want to miss a brand new area to explore in Biltmore House in 2014: the second floor living hall. This is the latest restoration project undertaken by Biltmore’s curatorial staff and reopened to the public last fall.

More indoor enchantment awaits in the Conservatory. Possibly one of the warmest spots in North Carolina’s mountains during winter, the Conservatory is filled with thousands of tropical plants, including an expansive orchid display at its showiest peak in March. Orchids and Biltmore have a long history; in fact, some 800 orchids were on George Vanderbilt’s list to be purchased for the Conservatory in 1894. Through the efforts of Biltmore’s orchid expert Jim Rogers, the estate has procured heritage varieties found on the 1894 list that can be seen on display in the Conservatory.

New educational tours are offered in the Conservatory Mondays through Fridays January 20 through March 19 at 11 a.m. Expert gardeners discuss the many types of orchids in bloom and topics such as Biltmore’s heritage orchids, the history of orchid cultivation, and details about Biltmore’s Conservatory. Growing tips and general care information will also be offered. Capacity is limited and orchid talks are free with the price of estate admission.

As the fourth season of “Downton Abbey” airs on PBS this winter, fans of the show have taken note of similarities between Biltmore and the period drama hit. Thematic story lines and the era of the show overlap with the time when George and Edith Vanderbilt lived in the 250-room Biltmore House and raised their daughter Cornelia. Parallels between Biltmore and Downton Abbey can be brought to life in two specialty tours at Biltmore. During the Butler’s Tour, visitors discover how Biltmore House functioned, past and present, and learn about the work of the Vanderbilt’s domestic servants. As for the opulence upstairs, it’s easy to imagine what it would have been like to stay at Biltmore (circa 1895 to the early 1930s) with the Vanderbilts as your hosts during the Vanderbilt Family & Friends Tour. Tours are offered daily and advance registration is required. Each tour is $17 per person in addition to estate admission. Finishing an afternoon with the English tea service at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, complete with traditional English finger sandwiches, scones, fruit breads, and tea pastries, will round out a day in the spirit of “Downton Abbey.”

A stop at Biltmore Winery is a delightful way to spend a chilly winter afternoon with free guided tours of the production facility and complimentary tastings. Specialty wine tours offered at an additional price include the Red Wine and Chocolate Seminar and the Biltmore Bubbles Tour. Antler Hill Village is just steps away from the Winery and features “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad,” an exhibition highlighting archival letters, personal items and exotic treasures the Vanderbilts collected around the world.

Special rates are available at the four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate.

For more information, please visit www.biltmore.com or call 800-411-3812.

Published January 27, 2014