The girls and I went on our first big field trip of the school year last week with our cousins! It was such a fun experience. Definitely one of those core memory experiences! I have wanted to visit the Biltmore for a long time but it's an expensive field trip and I wasn't sure how we would do with the 2.5 hour drive. I am happy to report that all three girls (ages 6, 10, and 12) did wonderful! The house has an audio tour created specifically for kids and they each commented on how much they liked it. If you're curious about visiting this beautiful estate I thought you may be interested to hear how our day went.
Let's start at the very beginning. It's too late to take advantage of this opportunity, but it comes back every year so mark your calendars- kids 16 and under are FREE at the Biltmore all summer long. With tickets starting at $80/ea for visitors 10 and up, that's a BIG savings! It's also more economical to visit earlier in the week vs. a Friday but sometimes you just have to go when you can. We went on a Friday but the rate was slightly higher. If you keep an eye on the Biltmore website or sign up for their emails you can stay up to date on the best sales and promotions!
We set our date, bought our tickets and planned to leave with plenty of time to arrive. When you buy your ticket you select a house tour reservation time. The grounds open a 9:00am and with a day-pass you can visit the grounds as soon as they open. We chose an 11:30 tour to give ourselves travel time. It would also give us a little time to navigate parking and possibly explore the gardens a little before our tour time.
We left Columbia (SC) around 7:30 and arrived at the Biltmore entry at 10:00 exactly! Parking was a little confusing, but that's mostly because I overthink too much. We learned after driving through all the parking lots (accidentally) and talking with a shuttle trolley driver that parking lot A and B are the closest to the house. We parked and it was a short walk on a paved path to the house.
I have to say, my most favorite moment of the entire day was when my girls turned the corner at the entry gate and took in the house for the first time. The way their eyes lit up and their jaws dropped it was heart melting! It really does look like a real life castle! (Although, we know it's not a castle, it's an extraordinary estate, but to little girls, it's basically a castle)
We walked up the walled pathway to take pictures and asked a kind stranger to take a picture of our little group together. This a a great spot to get a picture without too many people in the background while also taking in the whole house! The girls loved playing at the fountains too.
Next we were off to explore the small ponds, the garden, and the greenhouse. We were enamored with the absolute BEAUTY of all the plants, flowers, and vegetation in the expansive garden area. We were so much more impressed by the elaborate greenhouse! It seemed to twist and wind in so different directions absolutely packed to the BRIM with every plant you can image all in perfect health and growth!
After we walked through he greenhouse we had enough time to use the bathrooms and make our way back up to the house. There are no bathrooms accessible to guests on the house tour so it's important (especially with kids) to go before you get in the queue for your tour. Our tickets were scanned three separate times before entering the house so we were glad to have them easily accessible in our AppleWallet app.
Once in the house you're immediately given an auto tour listening device. It looks sort of like a cross between a big remote and an old school cell phone. There are two different versions of the audio tour. The girls were given devices programmed with the kids tour and my cousin and I got the regular listening tour on ours. Each room of the house has a sign with the name of the room and number associated with the audio tour. We started through atrium, the billiards room, the great hall, the breakfast room, and two of the salon rooms before realizing it would be much more enjoyable to all be on the same listening tour. I took our devices with the regular tour over to an attendant and asked if it was possible to switch them for the kids version. She was incredibly friendly and said it was an easy switch. She also mentioned the kids version was her favorite of the two.
As I listened I could see why! It's "narrated" by the family dog, Cedric. He's an adorable and engaging tour guide sharing lots of facts and information while also sharing fun perspectives only a dog may notice. My cousin and I liked that we were on the same page as the girls for the tour and could make connections together. If you asked me, I'd recommend doing the same if you go with your kids.
The house was stunning. So many beautiful rooms and interesting artifacts. It was a good amount of walking and it does include going up and down several sets of stairs. I noticed there was a working elevator but when I looked it up, the elevator only accesses the first and second floors while the full tour takes guest through the third floor and the basement as well. We loved learning about the lives of both the family and the staff living at the house. We noticed the beautiful architecture and thoughtful design of every square inch. The girls thought the in ground pool was pretty cool and the dryer that took up an entire room.
As we exited the house you're immediately in a courtyard area with an ice cream shop, coffee shop, and an outdoor cafe type of restaurant. Beyond the courtyard is a small shopping area, perfect for finding souvenirs. I think we visited all the shops included a confectionary where everyone found a sweet treat to enjoy! That same area has a sit-down restaurant, The Stable Cafe, you can visit as well but you'll definitely want to make a reservation. A kid's lunch is just $10 and includes options like burgers, tenders, or barbecue.
We decided to enjoy or lunch picnic style over at Antler Village. We walked back to the car and traveled over. It's about 5 miles apart but an easy drive all on the Biltmore property. We never encountered traffic and any difficulty navigating the property. In fact, when we parked at Antler Village we were in a very front parking space directly connected to the path walking up to the pavilion and playground.
The picnic tables were spacious and enjoyed by a few other families with children. After lunch the girls enjoyed exploring the Farmyard and seeing animals. They learned a few facts about the animals at Biltmore too! We were very surprised that the farm crew collected 208 eggs the day before we visited! That's a lot of eggs! The Farmyard area also had a coloring station with crayons, picnic tables, and free coloring pages. Us mamas appreciated the hand washing station as you exit the Farmyard with lots of soap and easy to use sinks/paper towel dispensers.
Then we went up to the Heritage Craft area where we found a few live demonstrations. We saw woodworking, blacksmithing, quilting, and a weaver/broom maker! Each demonstration was led by an artisan sharing helpful information as they worked on their craft.
Antler Village also has a couple shops but we decided with the 2.5 hour drive ahead of us it was time to head home. We had a full day of exploring! Occasionally, Biltmore runs promotions with a second day of grounds access (no house tour) and I can see how families would enjoy this. We saw a lot and we packed a lot into one day but if we had a second day, I think we'd still have plenty more we'd enjoy exploring!
Traveling back we experienced minimal to no traffic (even on a holiday weekend!) The Asheville area was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024 and we noticed some road construction but other than that we didn't see significant damage to the Biltmore area. *It's important to note we went directly to the estate and did not explore the Asheville area on this trip. I wonder if we explored the area we may have had a different experience?
It was a beautiful day filled with so many happy, core memories! We had so much fun and I'd highly recommend it! All three girls (6, 10, and 12) did excellent! They had fun and learned a lot. I'd say our field trips for the 2025-2026 school year are off the a pretty amazing start!
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This trip was not sponsored by the Biltmore and all opinions and experiences share are my own. Have a question about our trip or the house or about field trips in general? Don't hesitate to ask! Comment below or email me directly at hello@everydaylearnandplay.com