A Great American Haunting: The Biltmore Estate

Million's on top of million's have witnessed the beauty and majesty of the Biltmore Estate nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC. From the gardens in the Summer to the Christmas decorations in the Winter. Everything about this home is impressive.

All of those things are almost as impressive as the events that seem to have taken place there. Rumors of haunting's and paranormal activities have occurred on the grounds ever since its owner, George Washington Vanderbilt passed on to the other side in 1914 due to complications from surgery.

It's been recorded that his widow, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser Vanderbilt, carried many conversations with her deceased husband over the years. Edith passed away in 1958. It is said that's when a lot of the strange events began to happen. Employees began to hear laughing, talking, footsteps, and would see George Vanderbilt in the library, as well as Edith.

In 2004, the last time that I went to the Estate, I actually got to speak with an employee that worked in the home, usually after hours trying to tidy everything up for the next day.

The employee, who asked to remain nameless, stated that she's seen and heard a lot of things in the home and after seeing and hearing Edith Vanderbilt crying in one of the bedrooms, she won't go past the second floor by herself anymore. "That's the first time I've ever seen anything like that before and it had to be here."

Many of the tourist's have mentioned that they would feel like the paintings eye's would be following them and watching every step that they took. A young boy, on a field trip from a local school said that he saw a headless cat walking around. Odd thing to see, but according to several locals, the boy wasn't the first to see a headless, orange cat wandering around the premises.

My cousin got me in touch with a local construction worker, whom I'll only refer to by his first name Edward, said that he worked on some minor renovations on the cottage on the grounds in 2007. He said, "Every step I took inside that place, I felt like I was being followed. I caught a cool breeze flowing through the cottage in a light whisper and a smell of a strong cologne. It gave me cold chills, but the slight sense of an uneasy feeling blew away with the breeze."

Could Edward have felt the presence of George Vanderbilt? Or was it the spirit of a past worker approving of his work?

I've only been able to speak to a couple of people that had paranormal experiences inside the home or on its property, but I've heard hundreds of stories from people saying that they know people who felt or seen things.

The last time that I visited the property, tourist's weren't allowed to take pictures on the inside of the house. Tour guides and employees say that it's because the flash could damage the old paintings and such. Not that I believe that.

One local resident said that his brother-in-law was on a group tour and wandered away from the tour and decided to visit a few area's of the house that was forbidden to the public. Stating they were personal rooms kept blocked off out of privacy of the family. His brother-in-law said he encountered something on the third floor and the ghost seemed to be pacing in front of one of the windows. He was apprehended and barred from the house. He stated that he got a photograph of the spirit, but refused to let me see it.

I have personally seen photograph's of apparitions from the stable area and out in the garden towards the late evening, but can't tell if they're doctored or not.

The wife and I will be staying in the cottage later next year, hopefully I can get more information and some physical evidence of the haunting's and update this story.

At this moment, I have been denied comment to verify this from other employees, by phone. All five people that I've talked to state the same thing, "We are unaware of anything like that going on." As well as a couple that replied via email. Stating the same line as above.

Is something going on deep inside the walls of this home or is it just legend?

Stay patiently tuned as I attempt to uncover the mystery and experience these claims myself.