Mindfulness Walk

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Biltmore’s woodland trails and fields are the perfect place to sharpen focus, bring clarity to your thoughts, and set intentions for the future. This gentle, one-mile morning walk experience invites you to slow down, connect with nature, and live fully in the present moment. During your guided walk, you’ll receive simple reflection prompts that encourage the full engagement of your senses as you move mindfully within the natural beauty of Biltmore’s great outdoors.

Maximum of 10 participants. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.

Biltmore House Backstairs Tour

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Limited Capacity: 12 Guests per Tour
Travel back in time as your guide shares the fascinating stories of the people who worked and lived on the estate in the Vanderbilts’ era. Taking you behind the scenes to rarely-seen domestic staff’s areas, this exclusive 60-minute tour gives you an in-depth look at what it was like to work at America’s Largest Home®.

Advance reservation required. Tour includes 200 stairs with no elevator access. Wheelchairs, strollers, and baby backpacks are prohibited. Backpacks are not allowed on any guided tours. Guests are required to leave backpacks in a locker or in their vehicle. To participate in this tour, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a package stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties that includes Biltmore House admission.

En Plein Air: A Painting Workshop

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Available exclusively to our overnight guests, this outdoor workshop is inspired by Biltmore’s breathtaking landscapes and the en plein air (in the open air) techniques made famous by iconic painters of the Impressionist period of the mid-nineteenth century.

Enjoy the unique experience of painting an original landscape while immersed in the natural splendor of George Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre estate, receiving professional instruction, and sipping a glass of Biltmore’s award-winning wine.

Local artist Erika Busse will share the fundamentals—painting what you see, light and perspective, color mixing, brushstroke techniques, and more—as she encourages and empowers you to express your creativity during this unique-to-Biltmore activity.

NOTE: Participants will stand for the duration of this workshop. To request a stool or chair, please call 1-800-858-4130 prior to estate arrival.

Glass of Biltmore Wine and bottled water provided. All materials (easels, tables, palettes, paint, brushes, canvas) also provided; guests’ paintings are theirs to take home. Maximum of 12 participants per class. Advance reservations required. Available exclusively to overnight guests of Village Hotel, The Inn, and Cottages on Biltmore Estate.

All Workshops 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

  • Sunday, May 5
  • Sunday, June 2
  • Thursday, July 4
  • Sunday, July 28
  • Thursday, August 8
  • Sunday, August 25
  • Sunday, September 1
  • Sunday, October 6

Naturalist Talks

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Join our knowledgeable Outdoor Adventure Center Guides for engaging and informative talks about some of the wildlife that call our 8,000-acre estate home!

Hosted in Antler Hill Village’s historic Horse Barn, these brief presentations introduce you to different wild Biltmore inhabitants each month:

  • April – Rabbits
  • May – Skunks
  • June – Bears
  • July – Turtles
  • August – Foxes
  • September – Snakes
  • October – Spiders
  • November – Turkeys
  • December – Deer

Find out where they live, what they eat, and what (if anything!) eats them. You’ll also learn about their life cycles and behaviors, including how they interact (or not!) with humans. Full of fascinating facts about each creature profiled, these talks inspire a deeper connection to the natural world around us.

No reservation required. No minimum age required; parent or guardian must accompany guests under age 18. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.

Historic Barn Walking Tour

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Experience a leisurely stroll through Antler Hill Barn and the surrounding area while discovering its history and ties to Biltmore Dairy. During your guided tour, you will hear stories of the families who lived here and worked the land during George Vanderbilt’s era, stories that come to vivid life via vintage, rarely seen photos shared by your guide. Enjoy gentle climbs and descents on gravel paths, multiple extended narrated stops with short walks in-between, as well as an exclusive private demonstration by one of Biltmore’s skilled crafters. Each ticketed guest will receive a special handmade keepsake as a take-home memento of their tour.

Maximum of 10 participants. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Must be 15 years of age or older to participate. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather, wear comfortable clothing and flat shoes, and bring bottled water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, raingear.

Farmyard Tractor Wagon Ride

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Enjoy this fun-for-the-whole-family Tractor Wagon Ride. See the working Farmyard and learn about the importance of the animals that were, and continue to be, an important part of Biltmore Estate life. A memorable way to learn about Biltmore, this activity offers abundant opportunities to take photos, ask questions, and interact with our friendly goats, pigs, chickens, and cows!

Maximum of 12 participants. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Paying parent or guardian must accompany participants 16 years and under. Ride takes place rain or shine and in cold temperatures. Participants are encouraged to dress comfortably for the weather. Pets are not permitted to ride. Wagon is not ADA-accessible.

Friday Night Bikes

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Light up the summer night with Biltmore’s most unique biking adventure!

This leisurely guided ride—the only guided bike ride offered in the evening hours—is a relaxing 3- to 6-mile cruise along mostly flat gravel and paved trails from the Bike Barn in Antler Hill Village to the Lagoon. Participants will experience the estate at sunset as dusk settles over Biltmore House and the estate. When darkness falls, the bikes, each outfitted with their very own set of light-up wheels and frames, come to vivid, luminous life for the ride back to the Bike Barn. An entirely new way to enjoy the estate is yours with this one-of-kind adventure!

Maximum of 12 participants. Advance reservations are required. To make reservations for this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or an overnight stay booked at Village Hotel, The Inn, or Cottages on Biltmore Estate.

Westover Woods Hike

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Explore Westover Woods with a two-mile classic-style hike through the woods and meadows behind Antler Hill Village and The Inn. Your expert Outdoor Adventure Center hike guide will share interesting information about the wildlife, birds, and trees you’ll see along the way. Offering more technical footing (dirt rails with uneven terrain, possible roots, rocks, and mud) and an undulating route, this hike is recommended for more experienced hikers and walkers in good physical condition.

Maximum of 12 participants. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.

Crafter Workshop: Broom Making

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The art of broom making comes to life as one of Biltmore’s talented master crafters guides you in the creation of your very own traditional cobweb broom! Talented master broom maker Marlow Gates will share his passion for the craft, its history, and its special connection to the Appalachian Mountain region. After learning about brooms, broom making, and the tools, techniques, and materials associated with this timeless craft, you will apply your new-found skills to complete a one-of-a-kind, handmade take-home memento of your time at Biltmore: a long, narrow broom designed to reach elusive cobwebs!

All tools and crafting supplies provided.

Maximum of 6 participants. Activity takes place inside Antler Hill Barn. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Must be 15 years of age or older.

Mandala Making from Natural Elements

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Discover the history and types of mandalas, as well as the basic shapes, designs, and natural elements used to create them during this fun creative outdoor activity! Participants will explore our fields and forests to find materials with which they will create their own personal and unique mandala. After ending the session with a collective moment of reflection and gratitude, the group will gift their creations back into the natural world from whence they came. Be sure to bring your phone or camera to capture a keepsake image of your mandala!

Maximum of 10 participants. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.