A few questions about Biltmore Estate

After some of the poor reviews on TA, I%26#39;m debating whether we should take the time out of our trip to go here. We are a family of four with kids ages seven and eight. We are coming down from western NY and traveling through PA, VA, NC, TN and our final destination is KY.

I%26#39;m trying to pick a wide variety of things to do so we aren%26#39;t seeing the same thing over and over again from state to state. Would you consider The Biltmore Estate a ';must do'; if you were in the area? Our total trip time is nine days, including driving time.

Biltmore looks huge and I%26#39;m guessing this is a place that we should spend the entire day. Is this place worth an entire day of a nine-day trip???

We are planning on visiting either Sunday, 4/13 or Monday, 4/14. Which day would be better crowd-wise?

Thanks in advance if you can help me decide what to do!!! ;-)

A few questions about Biltmore Estate

We are a family of 3 (child age 10) and we LOVE the Biltmore. We are traveling to Charleston in a couple weeks and are stopping in Asheville to see the Biltmore. You need to spend the day there. You will be going in April when the gardens will be blooming and beautiful. This will be our 3rd time here. The kids will probably start getting bored touring the house though, then you can take them out to the garden or grounds and let them run around.

If you are into history, this is a great place!

The people with the negative reviews probably don%26#39;t appreciate the place, or understand the history behind it, which is a big part of it.

A few questions about Biltmore Estate

Thanks, Michiganmat. That%26#39;s just what I needed to hear! We are most certainly into history and architecture, so we%26#39;re trying to incorporate this into our trip.

Thanks for your help and have a safe trip to Charleston! ;-)

Oh yes- it%26#39;s a must-do! You can do it in half a day - no problem.

It is definitely a must-see!

You can do it in a half-day if you stick to the house and grounds. Full day if you want to add the winery and other areas.

Have fun!

You should definately make Biltmore part of your trip.

Kids are admitted free with paying adults and there are some things designed especially for families such as such as the Farm Village. As for what day to visit, it is a bit of a toss up. There are usually more live displays such as shep-herding dogs, iron workers, wood workers, etc on the weekends. They usually don%26#39;t have these special displays during the week, but the crowds are a lot less.

So, if you are going to try to do it in just half a day, pick a Monday. If you are making a full day of it, go on Sunday.

Thanks everyone for all the help! Your suggestions were instrumental in our decision. ;-)

I disagree with other reviewers. I think your kids will be totally bored and whiny at the Biltmore. This is not a place for grade school kids. It is for adults who have an interest in the decorative arts. Your kids would enjoy running around downtown Asheville. Take them to the doubledecker bus on Biltmore Avenue where they can get a snack. Go to the kids museum at Pack Place. Eat lunch at the old style soda fountain counter at Woolworth Walk. Let them try the climbing wall on Wall Street (I am not sure about age requirements). Contact the Chamber of Commerce. They may have a brochure of fun things to do in Ashville for kids. Believe me, after 15 minutes they will be bored at Biltmore House. You will have spent a small fortune in entrance fees and snacks are highway robbery there. Have a great trip.

Depends on the child. My daughter is 10, and in 5th grade and just loved it. She was so interested in the history behind the Vanderbilt family that she bought a book with the money grandma gave her to read about it. Again, just depends what your child is interested and the age of the child. For real little ones, yes I agree they might have more fun at the playplace at the local McDonalds.

I agree that it depends on the children, but I%26#39;d say either way you could please everyone. Biltmore is a must see, it%26#39;s absolutely gorgeous, and the history behind it is amazing. I%26#39;m a ';thrill seeker'; who gets bored easily as an adult, and I was thoroughly occupied for a good few hours. I would say though, plan for a half day, and then do something maybe more active or ';kid-friendly'; with the kids in the afternoon, or vice versa. Then everyone ends up happy, and you don%26#39;t miss out on the Biltmore experience. I do think if you spend a full day at the Biltmore, there%26#39;s a chance any child may get bored - but a good half day, then some lunch or an afternoon snack, then maybe the double decker bus like someone else suggested, or something to that extent would be perfect. Also, when we went, the hot chocolate was DELICIOUS! Kids would enjoy on a brisk afternoon!

Thanks everyone for all your help and suggestions! We are going for sure -- still working out the details. I know for sure the kids would get bored if we stayed there all day and honestly, we don%26#39;t have time in our itinerary to stay all day!