Biltmore opens summer model train exhibition

In the Conservatory, nearly 800 feet of track carries G-scale locomotives and railcars as they traverse bridges and trestles in multiple rooms at varied viewing levels, according to a press release. Trains weave through exotic botanicals and miniature replicas of estate landmarks. You'll see replicas of Biltmore House, the Stable, the Conservatory, Lodge Gate, the Bass Pond Waterfall, the Gardener’s Cottage, plus All Souls Church and the train depot in Biltmore Village.

In Antler Hill Village, a second railway display showcases the travels of Biltmore’s founder George Vanderbilt, according to the release. Model trains travel on 250 feet of track, passing replicas of international landmarks including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and London’s Tower Bridge. The landscape is designed by Biltmore’s gardeners using shrubs, trees, and flowers.

The miniature replica structures were made out of all-natural materials by Applied Imagination, which is known for popular exhibitions across the U.S. including the New York Botanical Garden and the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. Many of the materials used in the design of Biltmore Gardens Railway were collected directly from the estate including pine cones, bark, bamboo, grapevines, honeysuckle, acorns, pods, seeds and grasses, the release says.

Biltmore Gardens Railway is included with regular daytime admission to the estate, which is in Asheville, about four hours from Raleigh.