By the Numbers: The Making of “A Biltmore Christmas”

Fans of the holidays, mystery, time travel, and romantic comedy were in for a treat when A Biltmore Christmas premiered on Hallmark Channel in November 2023!

Take a peek behind the scenes with some fun, “by the numbers” tidbits about the making of this festive yuletide movie.

How to watch this year: Check your local listings for viewing on Hallmark Channel or stream on-demand with Hallmark TV, Netflix, Peacock, Hulu + Live TV, YouTubeTV, and other subscription services.

Bethany Joy Lenz as Lucy Hardgrove in “A Biltmore Christmas,” by Hallmark Media. @2023 Hallmark Media/Photographer David Scott Holloway.

About A Biltmore Christmas

Filmed at Biltmore in January 2023, this Hallmark movie features locations across the historic estate, including the Gardens, Conservatory, and The Inn on Biltmore Estate. Biltmore’s long history as a film location dates back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, but for the first time, Biltmore House has a central role in the storyline of A Biltmore Christmas.

The film centers on the fictional story about a modern-day screenwriter Lucy Hardgrove (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Jack Huston (Kristoffer Polaha), the dashing lead of the beloved holiday movie His Merry Wife!, first filmed at Biltmore House in 1947. The classic movie is scheduled to be re-filmed at the iconic estate, but a mysterious hourglass intervenes, and Lucy is transported back in time to 1946 as the cast and crew prepare to re-make the classic movie.

Kristoffer Polaha as Jack Huston in “A Biltmore Christmas,” produced by Hallmark Media. @2023 Hallmark Media/Photographer David Scott Holloway

A behind-the-scenes look by the numbers:

• 8 vintage cars were used during the filming of A Biltmore Christmas. 
• 200 yards of artificial snow were used.
• 300 Asheville-area locals were hired as extras in the movie.
• 8,000+ people submitted applications online to be cast as extras, which Hallmark producers said is the most they’ve ever received.
• 9 rooms inside Biltmore House were used for filming: The Library, Tapestry Gallery, Main Hallway, Staircase Hall, Vestibule, Winter Garden, Banquet Hall, the corridor around the Winter Garden, and the corridor behind the Banquet Hall.
• 4 out of the nine rooms were decorated with a 1940s theme. Some of these rooms had multiple variations: some were made to look like an everyday room in the 1940s; a 1940s movie set; or a room set for a 1940s party. Except for the Library, all of the interiors were redecorated for present-day scenes with variations made for the “one-year later” conclusion. Wow, time travel can be confusing!
• 2 exterior locations directly attached to Biltmore House were used for filming scenes: The Loggia and the Library Terrace.
• 4 rooms at The Inn on Biltmore Estate were used as film sets: The Lobby, the Library Lounge, and two guest rooms.
• 11 costumes were worn by star Bethany Joy Lenz in A Biltmore Christmas. Four of them were 1940s-era costumes. Of the collection of 1940s looks costume designer Keith Nielsen created for Lenz’s character Lucy Hardgrove, Lucy’s Finale Ballgown is perhaps the most dramatic. Nielsen sourced an original Carolina Herrera design specifically for its fabric reminiscent of men’s tie patterns of the era. Modifications included a gathered bust that drapes around the back and the addition of a tiered tulle underlayer. Lucy’s necklace is an original 1930s Czech crystal from the collection of Nielsen. This costume will be on display at The Inn on Biltmore Estate throughout the holidays.
• 1 hourglass is used as a plot point in the movie.
• Biltmore is mentioned 9 times in the film.
• 15 days of filming took place at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

In 2023, the Library Christmas Tree was based on the 1940s plot line of Hallmark’s “A Biltmore Christmas”

The magic of A Biltmore Christmas

During the 2023 Christmas season, Biltmore guests enjoyed a look at the mysterious hourglass in the Library of Biltmore House, several costumes worn by stars Bethany Joy Lenz and Kristoffer Polaha, as well as props from the set were on display at The Inn on Biltmore Estate, Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate, Traditions in Antler Hill Village, and at the estate’s Reception and Ticketing Sales Center.

For extra holiday-movie-magic, the décor in the Library was based on the 1940s plot line of the movie, featuring classic red and green elements, with dramatic cascades of silver-sequined tinsel adorning the room’s Christmas tree.

Treat yourself to the beloved estate tradition known as Christmas at Biltmore!

Now that you’ve enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at the making of A Biltmore Christmas, book your tickets or special overnight stay packages on Biltmore Estate so you can match up iconic Hallmark movie moments with their real-life settings during Christmas at Biltmore!