Christmas at Biltmore 2018: By the Numbers

Every year, our talented Floral team creates holiday magic, transforming Biltmore House into a Christmas wonderland filled with decorated trees, ornaments, wreaths, and ribbons.  For 2018, they’ve interpreted a theme based on “The Art of Christmas” featuring inspiration from the Vanderbilt family as patrons of the arts, with details drawn from the treasures they collected around the world to fill America’s Largest Home^®.

A family enters Biltmore House ready to enjoy Christmas at Biltmore

Gilded cherub ornament in Biltmore House

Let’s take a closer look at the spectacular seasonal décor the Floral team has created to delight us in 2018—by the numbers: 

The magnificent Banquet Hall Christmas tree

Christmas trees

Biltmore House: you’ll find 55 decorated Christmas trees in the house for our 2018 celebration.

Largest: the traditional fresh 35-foot-tall fresh Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall takes about 50 Biltmore staff members to carry in, raise, and secure it in place.

Smallest: a tiny tabletop treasure in the Rafael Room.

Outside: a lit 55-foot-tall Norway spruce encircled by 35 more illuminated evergreens decorates the front lawn of Biltmore House for Candlelight Christmas Evenings. 

Conservatory: decorated for the season with “trees” made of potted plants and other natural materials.

Total: Look for 58 additional decorated Christmas trees are at other estate locations, including Antler Hill Village & Winery, The Inn on Biltmore Estate™, Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate®, and our shops and restaurants—plus 30 live trees and shrubs in and around other estate buildings.

Biltmore Floral team member Mary Quirk lighting candles in the Winter Garden

Lights & Illumination

Biltmore House: there are approximately 45,000 lights and 150 candles inside Biltmore House and 135,000 LED and mini-lights around the estate.

Front Lawn: our towering outdoor tree is illuminated by 46,000 lights, with another 35,450 on the surrounding trees and shrubs, plus uplighting for the poplar trees on each side.

Luminaries: as dusk falls each evening, we light 250 luminaries along the driveway and Esplanade in front of Biltmore House.

Members of Engineering Services bring ornaments from storage into the Banquet Hall

Decorative Ornaments

Banquet Hall Tree: trimmed with 500 gift boxes, 500 ornaments, and 500 LED Edison bulb electric style electric lights.

Estate: there are 13,000 ornaments placed on other trees inside Biltmore House and another 13,000 used in other areas of the estate.

Storage: between seasons, the ornaments are returned to our large off-site warehouse, where they are sorted, labeled, and packed away in approximately 1,000 Banker style boxes.

Festive poinsettias and other live plants decorate the Conservatory

Live Plants

There are more than 1,000 traditional poinsettias on display throughout the estate—with about 300 inside Biltmore House. An additional 1,000 live plants including amaryllis, Christmas cactus, orchids, peace lilies, cyclamen, begonias, kalanchoe, and potted greenery decorate the estate.

By the numbers: One of Biltmore’s marble lions wreathed in seasonal décor—and a rare dusting of Christmas snow!

Wreaths & Sprays

Our wreaths are made of fresh white pine and Fraser fir, ornamented with golden arborvitae, holly, and other natural materials such as twigs and cones. Artificial bases are decorated with ornaments, berries, faux flowers, and ribbon. We place 360 fresh wreaths and sprays along with 130 faux pieces around the estate during the season.

Floral team members hang traditional kissing balls and garland

Kissing Balls

Made of fresh white pine and Fraser fir or dried and faux materials, there are 100 of these traditional romantic orbs decorating the estate.

Swagged garlands above the massive Banquet Hall fireplace

Glorious Garlands

Love fresh evergreen garlands? Made of mixed white pine and Fraser fir, ours would stretch more than 7,500 feet if placed end-to-end! Fresh garlands are replaced weekly to maintain the proper seasonal ambience for our guests. Faux garlands add another 1,200 feet in Biltmore House and around 1,500 feet in other areas.

By the numbers: 2,000 bows across Biltmore estate, including Antler Hill Village

Ribbon Round-Up

There are about 1,000 handmade bows inside Biltmore House with an additional 2,000 across the estate. The amount of ribbon required for each one ranges from five yards for a simple bow on the fresh garland on the Grand Staircase to 15 yards for a grand tree-topping bow in the Tapestry Gallery. 
 

By the numbers: Children admiring the greenery and lights of Christmas at Biltmore

Make Biltmore a holiday tradition

Visit during Christmas at Biltmore (November 3, 2018–January 6, 2019) and Candlelight Christmas Evenings (November 3, 2018–January 5, 2019) and discover one of the Southeast’s most beloved holiday destinations.