Runaround America-Visiting the Glass House of the Biltmore Estate

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Designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, this glass-roofed building nurtures exotic orchids, ferns, and palms. During the Vanderbilt’s time, it provided flowers and plants for Biltmore House.

Biltmore’s Conservatory is a 7000 sq ft glass house on the grounds of the Biltmore estate in Asheville North Carolina. It is an beautiful example of a 17th century conservatory still in use today.

Nestled in the mountains, near the point where the Swannanoa River flows into the French Broad, there is a beautiful land. Natural resources are abundant. The bottomland is rich and fertile. And the history is long and varied. Before it was Biltmore Village, it was the town of Best. And before that, it was home to the Cherokee. If you’ve ever visited, if you’ve ever seen the area, it’s easy to understand why so many people from so many eras have been eager to call this place home.

As I began the miles long trek down the rambling roads that lead up to the 8000 acre estate I was struck by the overall beauty of the grounds but once the tour began I was twice struck by their Southern hospitality.

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The beautiful Conservatory was completed in 1895 and highlights a wide variety of exotic plants. Its tall arched windows look out onto the terraced butterfly garden and the Walled Garden beyond, and the pointed glass roof lets in an abundance of natural light.

Once inside the beauty of the plants take over my senses, and I spend hours wandering around drinking in the smells and sights of rare plants that I may never see again.