Summertime Fun: Just Like in the Vanderbilts’ Day

Whether it’s your first time visiting the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, or you’re an Annual Passholder planning a return, summertime is the season for outdoor fun at Biltmore, and the choices are as plentiful today as they were back in the Vanderbilt days over a century ago.

Here’s a look at a few of our favorite ways you can vacation like a Vanderbilt this summer by exploring our great outdoors at Biltmore.

Cornelia with one of her St. Bernards on the Esplanade of Biltmore House, ca. 1903.

A Grand Getaway for Summer Fun

Cornelia Vanderbilt, the only child, born to George and Edith Vanderbilt, is the picture of relaxed elegance, enjoying the company of one of her St. Bernards on the Esplanade of Biltmore House. This is what her father, George Vanderbilt, intended when he chose the mountains of western North Carolina as the setting for his country estate in the late 1800s. He sought an antidote to the social pressures and hectic pace of New York City, and created a retreat where he, his family, and friends could relax and immerse themselves in the area’s natural beauty during the summer.

The Vanderbilts offered tennis, croquet, archery, fishing, horseback riding, golf, swimming, “automobiling,” and lawn bowling in the formal gardens and landscaped grounds surrounding Biltmore House.

Guests in 1905 play croquet in the Italian Garden.

Get Ready for Games

The family welcomed hundreds of guests to Biltmore House through the years. And with all the amenities of a luxury resort, it’s no wonder they stayed for weeks at a time! The combination of the elegant French château, gently rolling hills, and mild weather captured the imagination.

Spring and summer lured the hosts and their friends outdoors to play. A dazzling array of activities appealed to nearly every taste and whim, including croquet in the Italian Garden.

Among the many outdoor activities offered for today’s guests, Croquet in Antler Hill Village just might be one of the most authentic Vanderbilt-era activities Biltmore has to offer!

Cornelia and Edith Vanderbilt in Biltmore’s stables, c. 1917

Head Out on Horseback

George Vanderbilt descended from a family famous for its love of racing and raising horses. Coaching and riding were always favorite recreational activities. Cornelia grew up riding horses, and for a time, she even had a donkey to ride. It’s tough to find a more exciting and beautiful way to see the estate than from the back of a horse.

Today, you can also explore the estate’s scenic views on horseback through guided trail rides or with a leisurely carriage ride around the grounds.

Edith and Cornelia fishing at the Lagoon.

Reel Summer Fun

Edith was known to be an avid fisherwoman. She often gave fishing parties at Biltmore, and daughter Cornelia fished right alongside her.

Our archives note that the family enjoyed hikes into the forest and across estate ridges during the summertime. George Vanderbilt himself loved to get out in the woods and see the estate on foot.

Today, we honor these memories by offering activities like fly fishing lessons on the Lagoon and making the estate grounds easily accessible for guests interested in leisurely strolls, bike rides, or hikes to explore the very same scenery George Vanderbilt and his family saw back in their day. You can also find a good spot on the Village Green to picnic, listen to live music, and hang out with friends and family. 

Cornelia Vanderbilt swimming in Front Lawn fountain.

Make a Splash

As a little girl, Cornelia splashed around in the front lawn fountain, and later as a young woman, entertained guests at the pool on the South Terrace. 

The pool is no longer on the South Terrace, but both The Inn and Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate have swimming pools surrounded by beautiful scenery that open for the summer to overnight guests.

George Vanderbilt (seated) and friends crossing the French Broad River on a ferry, circa June 1896.

Rolling on the River

From the late 1800s through the 1970s, a ferry traveled back and forth across the French Broad River bringing passengers from the farming operations on the West Side of the estate to Biltmore’s main dairy facility, where the Winery is located today. The Vanderbilt family and their guests used the ferry when they ventured to the West Side and employees used it to haul lumber and farm products.

Today, you can explore the scenic views of this gentle river that runs through the estate with river rafting and kayaking activities through our Outdoor Adventure Center.

George Vanderbilt poses in a carriage in front of Biltmore House.

Cruise Through Summer in Style

As automobiles came into fashion, George Vanderbilt was enamored with this mode of transportation. His interest in cars must have rubbed off on Cornelia, for she tooled around the estate in a sporty convertible.

One of the most unique offerings at Biltmore is the Land Rover Driving Experience. Guests are challenged to learn how to navigate a Land Rover through a rugged driving course. 

Pauline Dresser, Edith Vanderbilt’s sister, attending a picnic in Langrolay-sur-Rance, France, 1895.

Pack a picnic

Whether they stayed on Biltmore Estate or traveled to a nearby scenic spot, picnicking for the Vanderbilts and their guests was a much more extravagant outdoor activity that included dining with real china and glassware and sitting atop cushions beneath a tent or shade.

Today’s guests are invited to head out and enjoy a more modest picnic on the estate grounds. Enjoy our great outdoors when you pack your own picnic (see policies) or set out with some grab-and-go items from one of our estate shops or restaurants to enjoy.

Guided fishing is one of the many Vanderbilt-inspired activities available for you during your visit to Biltmore.

Vacation like a Vanderbilt

Summertime fun is just a hop, skip, and jump away! Plan your visit to join us this summer on George Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre Blue Ridge Mountain getaway, just as it was intended.

For even more Vanderbilt-inspired fun, linger longer with summer days and overnight stays on our historic estate, or by joining our Passholder family.