Tour of the Biltmore House (Friday, March 2, 2018)

The Biltmore Estate, built by Cornelius Vanderbilt's grandson, once sat on 125,000 acres.  Eventually 87,000 acres were sold to the federal government and comprise the core of the Pigsah National Forest.  The neighborhood where Ryder and Brandy live sits on land that was once part of the estate.  The 250 room house, the largest private residence in America at more than 175,000 square feet, is still owned by the Vanderbilt heirs.

The flag flew at half mast in memory of the Rev. Billy Graham, whose funeral was March 2.  The Rev. Graham's training center, The Cove, is near Asheville.

Atrium just inside the Biltmore House.

Library with 10,000 books.  Costumes from The Titanic were on display during our visit.  For those of you who've seen Silence of the Lambs, one of the scenes with Hannibal Lector was filmed in the library.  The Last of the Mohicans was filmed on the estate, as were some of the running scenes in Forrest Gump.

Basement bowling alley.  Pins were set by hand, with just enough space behind a column for the pin setter to stand to avoid being hit by flying pins.