Architect Richard Morris Hunt modeled Biltmore Estate after three chateaux built in 16th-century France.
Photo: The Biltmore Company

When George Vanderbilt first laid eyes on the blue-hued mountains surrounding Asheville, N.C., he knew he wanted to create a dream house there. Dream house is a weak description of the gargantuan abode he built in 1895. The 175,000-square-foot Biltmore Estate has 250 rooms, 83 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, an indoor swimming pool and bowling alley, just to name a few of the features. Though no one has lived in the home since the 1950s, it's still owned by descendants of Vanderbilt and remains the largest privately owned home in the United States. The stunning palace was opened to the public in 1930 to spur tourism in the area during the Depression and is still a major tourist attraction, welcoming more than 1 million visitors each year.

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