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    • Biltmore Estate in Asheville will reopen in November after damage to Helene
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    Biltmore Estate in Asheville will reopen in November after damage to Helene

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    • Parts of the Biltmore property suffered significant flood damage from Helene.
    • Biltmore has laid off an unspecified number of employees due to a “significant decline in tourism.”

    ASHEVILLE – A reopening date has been set for Biltmore Estate after Tropical Storm Helene passed through Western North Carolina, forcing the closure of one of the area’s most popular tourist attractions.

    The Biltmore Estate will reopen on Saturday, November 2, the company announced in an October 19 press release.

    The Citizen Times previously reported that parts of the Biltmore grounds and some buildings suffered significant flood damage from Helene. Biltmore House, the estate’s conservatory, winery, gardens and hotels suffered minimal or no damage from the storm.

    The Nov. 2 reopening marks the start of the holiday season for the 8,000-acre estate, which employs about 2,400 people. While the Biltmore House, restaurants and other estate attractions will be open to visitors, the company is still clearing roads and wooded areas. The company said its Trails and Outdoor Adventure Center will remain closed until further notice.

    “We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support for our community and the determination of our first responders, utility workers and community volunteers,” Bill Cecil Jr., president and CEO of Biltmore, said in a statement. “As the recovery unfolds, welcoming guests back to Biltmore not only means we can open, but also provides critical support to our region’s economy to help area workers, local businesses and friends.

    No storm-related fatalities among staff have been reported, Marissa Jamison, a spokesperson for Biltmore, said in an Oct. 19 email to the Citizen Times. All staff are unaccounted for, although several employees lost their homes during the storm, Jamison said.

    Some are also unemployed.

    Citing “a significant decline in tourism that is expected to continue in the near term,” Biltmore, one of the largest employers in Buncombe County, has laid off an unspecified number of employees, according to Jamison.

    But the furloughs are temporary, she said, and staff members will return to work “in phases” after the reopening.

    More: Biltmore Estate shares first look at damage to Helene, parts of property had ‘significant flooding’

    More: Biltmore Estate: What We Know in the Aftermath of Helene’s Destruction in Asheville

    Jacob Biba is the provincial watchdog reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times. Reach him at [email protected].

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