North Carolina Landmark Is Among Most Overpriced Tourist Attractions?
Before we go one step further here, let me be clear: I don’t believe this report for a second. When Debbie and I moved to Greenville, SC, in 1995, she fell in love with all things Biltmore Estate. I can’t remember how or why, but soon after our arrival in the area, a trip to Ashville’s most famous landmark became a must. “Happy wife, happy life,” so sure…let’s go. We went up on a Friday night for a romantic dinner on property and a “Candlelight Tour” of the mansion. The next day we went to the winery and had a great lunch at the Bistro. “WOW!” doesn’t cover what we thought.
To us, The Biltmore Estate was and is, magic. Debbie joined some club so that we would get discount rates on tickets and for many years, a trip to the Biltmore around my birthday (December 5) became a regular thing. So, when I read this today, I could not be more disappointed or more in disagreement. Budgeting website SavingSpot took a deep dive on TripAdvisor to see what tourist spots around the country and globe that people thought were a waste of money. Their findings are categorized by the type of attraction. In other words, art galleries and museums are not in the same column at theme parks. Speaking of which, The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London — The Making of Harry Potter, a museum tour that displays props, memorabilia and other items from the popular franchise, topped that list. It has received over 8,000 negative comments regarding the cash it costs to take the tour ($55 to start) as well as the prices of merchandise inside the museum. Anyway, back to the Biltmore. On their list of the worst tourist attractions by state, The Biltmore Estate is the one listed for North Carolina. I’m not saying it’s not expensive. It will cost you a dime or two to go. However, I defy anyone to go, for example, on Biltmore’s candlelight Christmas tour and come away feeling cheated.
