Touring the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.
 

Is it really worth the $39 entrance fee?

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO DOUBT!!!!!!!! More than any other place I've visited, this is one of those sights that you don't want to miss, and is SO worth the price of admission. I live in North Carolina, and have paid that fee three times........ once at night at Christmas when it's all decorated for the holidays. It's am amazing place............ go for it!

Yes, definitely. A few caveats, though. The earlier you can get in (and out) the better, esp. on popular summer/holiday weekends. Get your tickets/time reservations ahead of time (you can even get them on site the night before for the next day.) Wear comfortable shoes, for sure. When the garden is blooming it's lovely, and when Biltmore's decorated for the holidays, it's especially lovely. You can split your visit and do a sort of self-tour one day, guided tour another. The guided tours get seriously crowded as the day wears on, and certainly by lunch-time, the shops+food stalls in the courtyard area to one side of the entrance get shoulder-to-shoulder crowded. Think about lunch somewhere else.

Some of the ancillary sites are less wonderful -- I was very unimpressed with the winery, and only their reserve wines are worth the tasting (let alone the buying) -- and not all of them. Still it's kind of fun to putter around the shop/tasting room, etc. The attached restaurant/cafe isn't bad, though, but get a reservation if possible.

Don't miss Biltmore Village outside the entrance gate.

We took the Christmas tour and I believe they start sometime in November. The estate was decorated beautifully and we all enjoyed it! We had an excellent dinner there (made reservations for that when we made reservations for the tour) and we also brought home some of their very good estate wines. Fortunately i bought extra of their cardinal crest as it was a good year for it. We stayed at a motel near by (the Best Western) I believe as Grove Park was a small fortune.

I agree, I have also been around Thanksgiving so the X-mas decorations were up...Also recommend trying the wine and eating in the Stable restaurant,I thought the food was excellent.

Thanks for the quick responses from everyone! We're going to be in the area from mid-late October so it sounds like we need to AVOID the weekends and start early in the day!

Is it worth it? Without a doubt, yes! Why?

Well, because what you're essentially getting for that price is admission to a world-class museum plopped down in the middle of a world-class botanical garden. I'd shell out the bucks to see the gardens alone, and the exotic plants in the Victorian greenhouses, but I'm a plant geek.

Lots of people chafe at the high price, but something to keep in mind is that Biltmore doesn't receive a penny of funding from any government body -- not the City of Asheville, County of Buncombe, State of North Carolina, or the feds. When you pay, you're paying for the preservation and restoration of priceless paintings, tapestries, sculptures, furniture and glassware, and Victorian technology.

As a local, I adore Biltmore and this city is immeasurably better for being its home. I've been twice, once in August and once around Christmas and would gladly shell out the dough to go again without hesitation.