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Asheville’s Biltmore Estate will soon reopen
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Asheville’s Biltmore Estate will soon reopen



CNN

The historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, plans to welcome guests again starting November 2, after more than a month of closure due to Hurricane Helene.

The estate’s popular Christmas in Biltmore experience debuts for the property’s reopening season and runs through January 5.

The large house, completed in 1895, was not damaged during the storm. However, low-lying areas of the property, including the entrance and farmhouse, “experienced significant flooding and building damage,” the Biltmore said in an early storm damage update. “Unfortunately, we lost a few of our animals during the storm, but the vast majority are safe and accounted for.”

In the wooded areas, which “make up a large portion of the property, wind damage is extensive to sites and some structures,” the Biltmore said.

The main entrance to the estate in Biltmore Village was damaged, along with dozens of businesses located in the historic mixed-use development outside the estate. According to the estate’s website, the entrance is undergoing “major repairs.” Part of that work includes removing weakened cottonwood trees along the entrance.

The entrance to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville on October 20.

Guests who planned to visit between September 27 and November 1 were given the option to rebook to a later date or receive a refund.

The estate and its owners have launched a $2 million Biltmore Relief Fund for Western North Carolina (WNC).

“Western North Carolina has been home to our family for more than 125 years, and we are devastated to see Helene’s impact on our region,” said Bill Cecil, Jr., president and CEO of Biltmore, in a statement.

“We remain committed to supporting our employees and neighbors in the aftermath of this unprecedented storm and the long-term recovery efforts. Now more than ever, we must work together to stabilize and rebuild this community.”

Cecil is a descendant of estate founder George Vanderbilt, a grandson of famed shipping entrepreneur and industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt.

George Vanderbilt first visited Asheville in 1888 and decided it would be the site of his grand mansion, the largest privately owned home in America. The 250-room French Renaissance-style castle has 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. The house was opened to the public for the first time in 1930.

CNN’s Holly Yan contributed to this report.