Biltmore opens Saturday for first time since Helene with 28-foot-tall Christmas tree

A 28-foot-tall Fraser Fir Christmas tree was delivered to Biltmore on Wednesday days before the estate plans to welcome guests back after Hurricane Helene.

Helene hit on Sept. 27, bringing unprecedented devastation to western North Carolina. Biltmore closed shortly after impact.

The Biltmore will reopen to guests for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 2, kicking off its Christmas at Biltmore event, a 130-year tradition, which runs through Jan. 5.

WRAL News was there Wednesday morning as the giant tree was delivered. Dozens of crews worked to unpack the tree, carry it into the estate and rise it in the banquet hall.

According to Biltmore, it takes at least 50 people to lift the tree off of the back of a truck and carry it through the front doors of the estate. On Wednesday, staff worked both upstairs and on the ground level, using ropes to raise the tree off of the floor and position it in its final location.

The first decorations to go on the tree are 500 LED Edison bulb-style electric lights. Next, 500 ornaments are placed.

Biltmore staff said tree raising was extra special this year, symbolizing that Christmas lives on, just as it did in 1895 when George Vanderbuilt opened the home to family and friends on Christmas Eve.

"Biltmore, for five generations now, has been a beacon of hope, and this community stands for resiliency," said Chase Pickering, who is Vanderbilt's great great grandson. "It's moments like this to come back stronger."

The tree is not kept in water, but due to its size, it won't dry out quickly. Still, it will begin to dry out, requiring staff to replace it halfway through the season.

There will be 58 decorated Christmas trees inside Biltmore House and a total of 45 additional decorated Christmas trees at other estate locations, including the winery, Antler Hill Village and The Inn on Biltmore Estate.

Is Biltmore ready for visitors?

A new map shows what areas in western North Carolina are ready for tourists. People traveling to the area need to plan ahead, checking hotel and reservations and reviewing the status of closed roads on drivenc.gov.

Many hotels near Biltmore are open and accepting reservations, but a boil water advisory is in place in Asheville for any water used for drinking or brushing teeth. Since hotel guests can't boil water, hotels are supplying bottled water for guests.

Many restaurants in the area have also reopened.

The Biltmore House itself was not damaged due to Helene, but thousands of trees that fell across the property are still being cleared from trails and wooded areas. Seven buildings were damaged, including the gatehouse shop and a guest cottage.

The entrance to the estate, located in historic Biltmore Village, was heavily damaged from flooding from Helene.

Helene dropped more than 14 inches of rain in Asheville, and the flooding in Biltmore Village was largely from the Swannanoa River. Some residents said the water in Biltmore Village rose as high as 15 feet, covering signs and windows on buildings.

Biltmore recently posted the entrance in Biltmore Village "will be ready to welcome you to the estate" but that extensive recovery efforts remain underway in the area.

Helene marked only the third time in history Biltmore was closed to guests for an extensive period of time. The first closure was after World War II, and the second was a two-month-long closure during the coronavirus pandemic.

Christmas at Biltmore opens Saturday, when guests can enjoy complimentary wine tastings, the popular Antler Hill Village, the gardens and more. Access to the Chihuly art exhibition currently installed at Biltmore is available with some ticket packages.

People looking for ways to help western North Carolina can find information here.