Great American Mansions III

The Christmas season is the most magical time of the year. Of all the places to enjoy the Yule-tide spirit, there is none quite as wonderful as Biltmore. To visit the majestic chateau built by George Vanderbilt in 1895 is a profoundly inspiring experience. From the renowned architecture to the awe-inspiring gardens and vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there is no part of this national treasure that does not touch the guest’s heart.

Inside and out, from every angle and in every room, the house is made festive in a style and manner that dates back over a hundred years. Santa leads the procession as a horse drawn carriage approaches the house, bringing along a tall Frasier Fir destined to be festooned and decorated in the mansion’s Banquet Hall. Estate pastry chefs keep the annual tradition of creating a grand scale gingerbread house of Biltmore covered in sweet treats down to the smallest detail. Smells of freshly cut garland and pine wreaths mingle in the air with the scents of warmly burning hearths and the hundreds of poinsettias highlighting the lavish decor. In each room, the light of the season drawn from candles and the sparkle of ornaments dance in the shadows and in the eyes of welcomed guests.

Let this masterwork, Christmas at Biltmore®, excite your own memories of the holiday season both at the estate and from your own home and family holiday traditions. From everyone at the Thomas Kinkade Studios, we thank you for sharing the light and wish you a very merry Christmas. - Patrick Kinkade