Written by Murray Ashton on Sep 24, 2012. Posted in General Interest

Filming on location at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina

The Biltmore Estate is in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, in the eastern US and was built by George Washington Vanderbilt. It’s America’s largest privately-owned home and has welcomed an impressive number of film, TV and commercial shoots over the years.

Features have included Jennifer Garner’s The Odd Life of Timothy Green in 2011, series of high, as well as Forrest Gump, Patch Adams and Hannibal. Commercial projects in recent years have included spots for Land Rover and Lowe’s.

Today, Travis Tatham leads a team of three who help co-ordinate photo and film projects at the estate: “We take care of all the logistical details to facilitate filming in a timely manner. I love all the people I meet from all over the world and the variety of projects we work on. We are open every day but do not allow filming in November and December inside the House due to the Christmas Events.

“We simply require a letter of intent which outlines what the photos or footage will be used for, when and where filming will occur and the impact of the project on the Estate. Location fees vary depending on the location and type of shoot.

“A certificate of insurance with limits of liability no less than USD3 million for each person, USD5 million each occurrence for bodily injury and USD2.5 million each occurrence for property damage is required when the location contract is signed. The production company is also expected to carry adequate insurance for its crew and cast.”

Travis and her team also provide helpful filming guidelines to assist productions who would like to shoot at Biltmore and make them aware of various production advantages that include parking, catering and nearby accommodation.

Completed in 1895, George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateau is as impressive today as it was more than a century ago. Biltmore House is truly an architectural and historical wonder. It covers four acres, totalling 175,000 square feet.

Biltmore’s magnificent features include 16th Century tapestries, a library with 10,000 volumes and a Banquet Hall with a 70-foot ceiling. Almost all of the priceless objects that you see throughout the house are from George and Edith Vanderbilt's original collection.

The 8,000-acre estate has a vast selection of exterior locations. Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture in America, designed the gardens. From the formal beauty of the Italian Garden to the breathtaking presence of ancient trees in America's first managed forests, Biltmore's lush landscape is a living tribute to Olmsted's genius. Horticultural experts continually work to preserve the original vision for the gardens and grounds, including the All America Rose Garden featuring more than 250 varieties.

Nestled in the gardens of his Asheville estate is Vanderbilt’s conservatory. This striking glass structure, designed by Biltmore House architect Richard Morris Hunt, stands as a symbol of the turn of the century's passion for horticulture, much as the home is reminiscent of the opulent end of the 19th Century. The Conservatory is filled with thousands of tropical plants.