TN-NC Adventure--Day 6 Part 2

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At the end of the last post I said that I’d probably revisit this later. I forgot that those photos were all just from the family’s living area and where they entertained. I have photos from the lower stories where there are recreation facilities and the servants’ domain. So here’s another post.

People going downstairs to a lower level at Biltmore house.

We followed instructions from our audio tour to go downstairs. This staircase is not as elegant as the staircases in the family area.

Halloween Room with red floor and walls painted in yellow and gray.

The Halloween Room is on the lowest level. The room was originally used for storage, but in the 1920’s Cornelia (daughter of George and Edith) and her husband painted the room for a New Year’s Eve Party. It became known as the Halloween Room because of the colors and some of the motifs painted on the walls.

Image of soldiers in front of Biltmore house painted on a brick wall.

It currently includes displays about building the Biltmore House.

Bowling alley with two lanes in the lower level at Biltmore.

There is a two-lane bowling alley on the lower level.

Long hallway with dressing rooms on one side.

There is a hallway with several dressing rooms so that women guests could change into bathing costumes.

Indoor pool covered with white tiles throughout.

The pool was heated and still has the original underwater lighting.

Corner of the gymnasium, white tile on walls and floor, workout equipment.

This is a corner of the gymnasium.

A view of the main kitchen.

Large stove with pots in place.

The large stove in the corner of the kitchen.

Shelves with vases and other decorative pots for use in all the Biltmore rooms.

This is one of several rooms off the main servants’ hall. In this room floral displays and plant decorations were prepared.

Exterior of Biltmore House

After touring the house we explored the grounds a bit more.

Brick bridge and reflection over Bass Pond.

There were several trails around the gardens and going about 1/4 mile to the Bass Pond. This bridge is along that trail.

Kirby holding a chicken.

We drove to the area known as Antler Hill Village. There are farm animals, a playground, and demonstrations of some of the crafts practiced in the early 1900’s. We spoke to a blacksmith…

Weaver at old loom.

…and a weaver.

Sign in front of the Biltmore Gardens Railway.

Our last stop before things closed was the Gardens Railway.

Model of Taj Mahal in the Biltmore Garden railway

There were several model trains running through this garden. The buildings are models of famous landmarks around the world, all constructed of natural materials found on the estate.

There is so much more to see at the estate. If I ever go back to North Carolina, I wouldn’t mind stopping there again.

It was time to get on the road. We headed towards Nashville.