The Biltmore Estate is one of the most famous homes in the United States. This beautiful mansion is a great example of the Gilded Age and is a very popular place to visit.

The beautiful Biltmore Estate.

Take a tour of the famous Biltmore Estate in this short video. Then, answer a few questions about it and study the script.

Questions

After watching the video, try answering these questions. If you can’t find the answers, you can find them in the script below.

1. What is special about the Biltmore Estate?
2. When was it built?
3. Where is it located?
4. What can you see when you visit the Biltmore Estate?
5. Would you like to visit the Biltmore? Why/why not?

Script

“It’s a long, winding 3-mile driveway to get to the Biltmore Estate. It was built by George Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895. This beautiful mansion is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina.

This is the largest privately owned house in the United States. There are 250 rooms, including: 43 bathrooms, 35 bedrooms, 65 fireplaces, and three kitchens. You can tour the inside of the house, but photos are not allowed.

Be sure you take time to explore the grounds. The formal and informal gardens that surround the estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York.

You can easily spend a few hours just walking around, admiring the natural beauty. You may even spot butterflies on the path. You’ll also see a few ponds and lakes, which are all man made.

Another highlight of the Biltmore Estate is the beautiful Conservatory. There are many different plants and flowers here, including orchids, different kinds of cactus, and even some hummingbirds.

There’s still more to see, including the lovely Walled Garden. Stop to smell the flowers in the Rose Garden before leaving.

After exploring the gardens, head to Antler Hill Village. Here, you can visit the Biltmore Estate Winery. Learn all about the wine and how it’s made as you tour the underground cellars. Finally, sample some of the wines and pick your favorite to take home.”