Asheville, N.C.
The Biltmore mansion is the largest privately owned home in America. George Vanderbilt, son of the railroad magnet Cornelius Vanderbilt, built the mansion between 1889 and 1895. For decades, visitors have journeyed here for a chance to tour the estate and marvel at the Vanderbilt’s wealth. Beyond its sheer size, visiting the Biltmore is an astounding and unexpectedly refreshing experience.

The estate’s homepage scarcely exaggerates in promising “travel to a whole new state of mind.” In America, a land without castles or genuine aristocracy, nothing compares with the Biltmore home, which boasts more than four acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 33 bedrooms, three enormous kitchens, 65 fireplaces, and every turn-of-the-century luxury in between.