Tour of the BILTMORE Estate ~ Basement ~

Thursday, March 24, 2011
Ok ...Hopefully you saw the first post of us going through the Biltmore house..Up Stairs...But if you didnt see that post you can check it out by clicking the link below!


So here we are heading into the basement!!!

So here we go!!


This stone hallway was beautiful!!!!


This leads to many rooms including the Halloween Room..I didn't get pictures of that room because it was weird..Its room that the walls were painted in lots of different scenes and in that room they had a photographic exhibit of how the house was built.. It cost 10 million in the early 1800's.


Then we entered the Bowling Alley.. Who would have guessed!!! This was one of the nations first bowling allys installed in a private residence. There were no automatic pinsetters so a servant would set the pins up and roll the balls back!


Then we started going down a hallway that had like 6 little rooms with towels and mirrors..

Apparently these were changing rooms for..


well say hi to Scott first!!


And here is the indoor pool!!! This was HUGE back in that time!!
Its 700,000 gallons and was heated ans still has the original underwater lighting! Swimmers could push call buttons located on the wall for drinks or help getting out of the pool to change.


There was also a Gymnasium..I wouldn't have guessed this either!


Guess they had to keep in shape too!


Here is the ping pong table!!

Then there is the Servants quarters in the basement too!


The head housekeeper Mrs. Emily King who for 20 yrs ran the house..

This was her room..


Another servant room..


And yet another..


and another..


and antoher..

The next room was one of the kitchens..

Yes I said one..


This one is the Roasting room!!!

Where big birds were roasted over open fire!


Old sink in the room..


Then here is the main kitchen..


Love the old stove!


This is one of my favorite rooms!

Some how I missed the pastry kitchen..
Maybe I saw it and just didn't get a picture but I don't remember seeing it.

Then we were going into another room and passed..


this dummy waiter..It was actually set up a lot different than I thought..
Looks so nice!


China Cabinet..


This is the Servants table..I actually love this too..
Would love to have this table in my house!!


This is air exchanged unit that circulated cool air  or warm air through the entire house..

Then down the hallway..

To more and more rooms!!


Here is the flower room..

They also had a vase room too but I didn't get a picture!


Then it was to the laundry rooms..

There were rooms for everything..Room for can goods, dry goods, like 4 laundry rooms..Just rooms all over downstairs for the servants to get things prepared for the house..


Then we headed back to the stairs.


Looking up!!


And where came up we ended up at the back of the grand Banquet Hall..


How aaaammmmaaaazzzinnggg!!!!

Ok..More pictures to come!!

Hope you are liking the tour so far!!

K Jaggers