Wondering What Tragedies Happened at the Biltmore Estate? Is It Haunted?

Folks are very curious about the strange happenings at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. The mansion was originally the home of George Vanderbilt II, who was an art collector and the son of railroad tycoon William Henry Vanderbilt. The mansion is now a major tourist attraction, partly because it is the largest single residence in the country with secret passages, but also because of several tragedies that have occurred at the Biltmore Estate.

The Biltmore House sits on the estate and is a 250-room Châteauesque-style mansion built during the Gilded Age, and in addition to several tragedies that have happened at the residence, folks also think it may be haunted. So, what happened?

A near tragedy almost occurred when George and his wife, Edith Vanderbilt, had purchased tickets on the Titanic, according to The Smokies, which sank in 1912. They canceled just before they were to depart, but just two years later, George died unexpectedly at the age of 51 following an appendectomy.

In1922, a guard at the Biltmore Forest Development Company named Walter Brooks was investigating a suspicious car near the estate. He had a confrontation with five boys in front of the gates, and he shot two of them to death, per The Asheville Times. He was tried and convicted of the crimes.

Another tragedy occurred in 2022 when a New York City firefighter was killed on the estate. The firefighter was driving on the main road by the Biltmore Estate with his wife and children when a rotting tree crashed onto his car, per ABC13 News. Despite being sued for being negligent by propping the tree up with cables to keep the aesthetics of the residence, another tree fell and killed a woman who was employed by the estate.

The woman was killed in the parking lot after a gust of wind uprooted a pine tree, and she was hit on the back of her head before falling. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sightings of ghosts have also been reported at the Biltmore Estate, and according to Asheville Terrors, guests have heard splashing in the pool and seen shadowy figures at the estate. There are also reports of guests hearing phantom footsteps, and they've even smelled cigar smoke in the air when there is no smoking allowed.

Staff at the Biltmore Estate have reported hearing sounds like a party was going on in the great hall when it was empty. Rumors that ghosts frequent the grand staircase are also abundant, as people have reported hearing footsteps and seeing figures going up and down the staircase.

There are also reports of witnesses seeing ghosts cooking in the basement, and they've also reported seeing ghosts doing chores in the kitchen.

The indoor swimming pool in the basement also has folks spooked after they heard splashing sounds coming from the pool, despite there being no water in it. People say that two ghosts living at the Biltmore are George and Edith, as George was seen, and Edith was heard calling out his name.