Visiting the Biltmore Gardens and Conservatory at the Biltmore Estate with the whole family is an unforgettable family vacation! Here are the highlights. 
We had a lot of fun this summer. We spent a week at the beach in the outer banks. We visited a lot of farmers markets. And we loved our family trip to the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. My favorite part of our day at the Biltmore House, however, was visiting the Biltmore Gardens and Conservatory.
The house was magnificent and I shared more here about why we enjoyed it so much, as well as our tips to get the most out of your visit. But the Biltmore Gardens really stole my heart.
Visiting the Biltmore Gardens and Conservatory was an absolutely magical experience.
Right now, both the Biltmore House and Gardens feature an extensive display of Dale Chihuly’s glass blown sculptures. I loved seeing them at the big house, but they were the most magnificent and breathtaking in the gardens. Chihuly’s artistic vision combined with the best mother nature has to offer makes for a lot of beauty in one place.
The Chihuly exhibit is only at the Biltmore until October 7, 2018. So, if you’ve been on the fence, now is the time to consider visiting the Biltmore Gardens. You don’t want to miss this!
But, if you can’t go yourself, here are some of our family’s favorite parts of visiting the Biltmore Gardens and Conservatory this summer.
The outdoor gardens are tidy and well planned. I loved the organized rows and coordinated colors. It felt like walking the pages of a storybook. But inside the conservatory, I fell in love with the wild feel of all the exotic plants.
The conservatory is home to the most interesting collection of flowers and plants I’ve ever seen in one place. There are flowers bigger than your head. Leaves with polka dots, stripes, and rainbows. I’ve never seen so many incredible orchids in my life. The kids even spotted a bunch of bananas growing in there!
Mingled all through the gardens and paths are stunning Chihuly pieces that often mimic the plants around them. I just can’t say it enough – it’s really breathtaking!
But here, I’ll let you see for yourself:
I love the way Chihuly’s pieces are designed to fit into their surroundings while also commanding the whole space. The photo above and below are perfect examples of this level of mastery.
Wow, right?
Hats off to the gardeners at the Biltmore! They’ve really outdone themselves.
If you’re planning a visit to the Biltmore House, don’t skip the gardens! They were my favorite part of the trip.
My only regret is that we didn’t have enough time for the Azalea Gardens or to see the Chihuly sculptures all lit up in the dark. See my original post for more information about how much time to plan for your visit (I’d say at least 4 hours). Next time I’ll follow my own advice.
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