Biltmore In Living Color: A Shutterbug’s Dream

Combine the stunning architecture of Biltmore House against a background of maple, elm and oak trees in the midst of changing seasons, and you have a location like no other to capture photos of western North Carolina’s annual fall leaf show. Biltmore House and its surrounding grounds offer a photographer’s dream setting for getting fall color photos packed with huge “Wow!” factor. Here are some of our favorite photo-opportunity spots at Biltmore. Consider them as you scout locations for album-ready photography:  

The Rooftop of Biltmore House – The Rooftop Tour provides you with a bird’s eye view after a climb up the Observatory’s spiral staircase and onto the balconies and rooftop of the 250-room house. At 70-plus feet above ground, you have a primo spot to snap shots of the statue of Diana across the Vista and the perfect summit from which to spy autumn-hued chrysanthemums sunning in the Walled Garden.  

Top of the Rampe Douce – The Rampe Douce is a wide, graduated stairway zigzagging along a rough-cut limestone wall across the wide front yard from Biltmore House. The Rampe’s location allows for fitting the entire front of the house inside your viewfinder.

Statue of Diana – Beyond the Rampe Douce and up the hill, the statue of Diana stands at the perfect vantage point and elevation for capturing a majestic view of Biltmore House with sky and mountains in the background.  

The South Terrace Tea House – The wide open terrace gives you long-range views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in one direction and the Black Mountains in the other. At its edge perches a limestone teahouse with panoramic views of the deerpark, Lagoon and Mount Pisgah at 5,897 feet, the highest peak in the distance.  

The Loggia – This location is on the back of Biltmore House, accessible on the ground floor right off of the Music Room. The Loggia is an open-air porch with soaring arch ways above an ornate balcony. A favorite of wedding photographers, the Loggia overlooks the deerpark with views of the carriage ride trail across the fields. This setting served as backdrop for many Vanderbilt family photos.