Christmas at Biltmore in Asheville, NC, has provided generations of guests, their families, and friends with an awe-inspiring getaway filled with festive Christmas decor, heartwarming traditions, and memories that last a lifetime.

2025 marks a special milestone in Biltmore’s history with the 130th anniversary of the very first Christmas that George Vanderbilt opened his home to friends and family in 1895.

Let’s take a look at just how much Christmas decor it takes to bedeck this 8,000-acre estate as we celebrate this milestone season!

Each year, a 35-foot tall Fraser Fir from Newland, NC, stands tall in the Banquet Hall of Biltmore House and ready to welcome guests back to Biltmore. (photo from 2024)

“With this being the 130th anniversary of the first Christmas celebration in Biltmore House, we wanted to showcase some of the special details we’ve learned from archival letters and estate records, “said Lizzie Whitcher, Floral Manager.

When you visit this Christmas at Biltmore, look for festive designs inspired by the Vanderbilt family’s stories, furnishings, art and objects, and architectural details. Expect classic colors like red, deep green, copper, and plaid, along with natural elements like antlers, “groceries,” and, of course, holly and mistletoe.

The halls of The Inn on Biltmore Estate are decked for the holidays with Christmas decor, making an extra special holiday getaway for you and your loved ones. (photo from 2024)

Christmas trees

• 36 decorated Christmas trees inside Biltmore House.
• The largest tree inside Biltmore House is, of course, the Vanderbilt traditional fresh 35-foot-tall Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall. It requires about 50 staff members to carry in, raise, and secure it.
• A lit 55-foot-tall Norway spruce encircled by 40 illuminated evergreens decorates the Front Lawn of Biltmore House for Candlelight Christmas Evenings.
• A total of 75 additional decorated Christmas trees are at other estate locations, including our Winery, Antler Hill Village, and The Inn on Biltmore Estate®, restaurants, retail shops, and the Tutankhamun exhibition. The Conservatory features decorated “trees” made of potted plants and other natural materials.  

As night falls, Christmas magic glows with thousands of lights and Christmas decor displayed around Antler Hill Village and Winery. (photo from 2024)

Christmas lights & candles

• There are around 45,000 lights and 442 candles inside Biltmore House.
• More than 55,000 lights illuminate the Front Lawn tree with an additional 32,000 lights on the surrounding trees and shrubs. Uplighting illuminates the poplar trees lining the lawn.
• Hand-lit at dusk, 400 luminaries line the Esplanade in front of Biltmore House every night for Candlelight Christmas Evenings.
• The illumination of Antler Hill Village features over 75,000 lights, including a 25-foot light tree that plays a continuous show of synchronized lights, meadow lights, and large Moravian-style stars that lend a magical touch to the Christmas décor. 

Christmas decor and ornaments adorn the grand halls of Biltmore House for the season.

Christmas ornaments

• Harkening back to the first Christmas, the Banquet Hall tree boasts 500 ornaments and 500 LED Edison bulb-style electric lights, along with an abundance of gift boxes and other décor.
• There are more than 10,000 ornaments used on the trees inside Biltmore House, and many again around the estate to add sparkle and seasonal interest.
• One gingerbread house displayed inside the Main Kitchen, measuring in at a whopping 78½” wide x 32” deep x 32” high.

Biltmore’s floral designers plan and prepare for Christmas decorating for months.

Festive ribbons & bows

• There are 7,740 yards of ribbon in the Christmas décor in Biltmore House and throughout the estate—primarily in the form of hand-tied bows. 
• Our team uses everything from narrow cording to 8-inch-wide ribbon, and they decorate with velvets, metallics, satins, burlap, and printed cottons.
• It takes 6 yards of ribbon to create the festive bows worn by the marble lions at the front door of Biltmore House.
• Any ribbon that is used year to year is starched and ironed so that it is wrinkle-free and perfect!

All of the wreaths on display in Biltmore House and throughout the estate–like these one adorning the Conservatory–are handmade by our teams.

Holiday wreaths & greenery

• There are 203 fresh wreaths, swags, and kissing balls crafted of fresh white pine and Fraser fir, ornamented with golden arborvitae, holly, or other natural materials such as twigs and cones.
• 90 faux pieces around the estate during the season. Artificial bases are decorated with ornaments, berries, faux flowers, and ribbons.
• Our Floral team cuts fresh evergreens on the property every week to create handmade swags.
• Around 1,600 feet of fresh and faux garlands decorate Biltmore House, and around 1,200 feet are used in other areas.

Be sure to look for festive Christmas decor in Biltmore’s historic Conservatory during Christmas!

Poinsettias & other botanical Christmas decor

• A total of 1,618 traditional poinsettias are found amid the Christmas décor throughout the estate, all tended daily by our Floral and Horticulture teams.
• Additional seasonal plants include amaryllises, Christmas cacti, bromeliads, orchids, peace lilies, cyclamen, begonias, and kalanchoes displayed inside the Conservatory.

It takes approximately 50 employees carry the tree into Biltmore House and hoist it into place.  (photo from 2024)

Team effort

• Transforming Biltmore Estate into a holiday oasis bedecked with awe-inspiring Christmas decor requires meticulous research, creative inspiration, 12 months of preparation, and harmonious teamwork around the entire estate.
• It takes about 50 team members to raise and secure the Banquet Hall’s Fraser fir Christmas tree.
• Multiple departments across the estate also help implement the grand plans for Christmas décor at Biltmore each year, including our Engineering, Housekeeping, Museum Services, Horticulture, Guest Services, Security, and Events teams.

Each year, Biltmore’s Christmas decor changes, but your warm welcome stays the same.

Be part of our 130-year holiday history

The timeless beauty of the Christmas decor, the soft sounds of seasonal music — it all comes together for you just as it did for Mr. Vanderbilt’s family and friends in 1895.

We extend a warm welcome to you and your loved ones to be part of our 130-year holiday traditions this Christmas at Biltmore. From Biltmore House and the Conservatory to the Winery, our overnight accommodations, estate shops, dining, and festive lights throughout Antler Hill Village, there is something for everyone to enjoy during our most beloved and storied holiday season!