Summer Fun: Just Like in the Vanderbilts’ Day

Summer is the season for outdoor fun at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, and your choices are as plentiful today as they were for the Vanderbilt family and their guests more than a century ago.

Whether it’s your first time visiting Biltmore or you’re an Annual Passholder planning a return, here’s a look at a few of our favorite ways you can vacation like a Vanderbilt this summer by exploring the great outdoors at Biltmore.

A grand getaway for summer fun

George Vanderbilt enjoying a summer day at Biltmore with his niece Adele, her husband Jay Burden, and a St. Bernard, June 1896

When George Vanderbilt 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. With Biltmore, he created a retreat where 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.

Get Ready for Games

Guests in 1905 play croquet in the Italian Garden.

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.

Head Out on Horseback

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

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.

Reel Summer Fun

Edith and Cornelia fishing at the Lagoon.

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 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 to picnic, listen to live music, and hang out with friends and family at Antler Hill Village . 

Make a splash

Cornelia Vanderbilt swimming in Front Lawn fountain.

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.

Rolling on the river

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

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 by walking or biking on easy trails that offer beautiful views. Download our Trail Map or visit the Bike Barn in Antler Hill Village for bike rentals and information on outdoor activities.

Pack a summer picnic

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

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.

Vacation like a Vanderbilt this summer!

Stroll through lush late summer blooms in the Walled Garden.

Summer 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.