Tryon Palace Competitors

Located in Asheville, North Carolina, Biltmore Estate was the vision of George W. Vanderbilt. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt and completed in 1895, the 250-room French Renaissance chateau is America’s Largest Home®. On exhibit is the Vanderbilt family’s original collection of furnishings, art and antiques. The estate is a National Historic Landmark and encompasses 8,000 acres of renowned gardens and grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Under leadership of Vanderbilt’s great-grandson, Biltmore has grown to include the four-star/diamond Inn on Biltmore Estate, Antler Hill Village, featuring our award-winning Winery, Antler Hill Farm, and the Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate. In addition to the historic attraction, you can also reimagine your own surroundings with our line of home furnishings, bedding and bath items, and gourmet foods. To learn more about Biltmore, visit biltmore.com To learn about employment and internship opportunities, visit biltmore.com/careers or text "BILTMORE" to 97211.

Since 1860, more than 85 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon the most popular historic home in America. A privately-owned national treasure, Mount Vernon is maintained and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. Since purchasing the estate from the Washington family and assuming stewardship in 1858, the Association has embraced a heroic mission to preserve, protect, and maintain the estate for the American people, relying exclusively on private donations, admission fees, and restaurant and retail proceeds. Through robust education and outreach programs, the Association expands awareness about the life and character of George Washington, sustaining his legacy through research, interpretation, and public education. In experiences on the estate and through its digital outreach platforms, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” With its latest initiative, The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, Mount Vernon is affirming its status as the preeminent center of learning about George Washington, his life, character of leadership, and legacy. In addition to safeguarding original books and manuscripts, the Library serves as a center for leadership, where scholars, influencers, and other luminaries come together to talk about the past as well as the future, inspired by Washington’s extraordinary life, achievements, and character. Visit Mount Vernon to explore the mansion, museum, lush gardens, a working farm, gristmill and distillery! Admission fees, restaurant and retail proceeds, along with private donations, support the operation and restoration of Mount Vernon.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation (formerly the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation) owns and operates Monticello, the mountaintop home of Thomas Jefferson and the only home in America on the elite World Heritage List of the United Nations. Incorporated in 1923, after the federal government waived its third opportunity to acquire Monticello for the nation, the Foundation purchased the house and land from the Levy family, stewards of the estate for 89 years. As a private, nonprofit organization, the Foundation receives no regular federal or state budget support for its twofold mission of preservation and education. Since 1923, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation has steadily expanded its role as a museum and educational institution. Its facilities now include the house and gardens on nearly 2,000 of Jefferson's original 5,000 acres; the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies next door at Kenwood, a headquarters for Jeffersonian research and teaching and home to the Jefferson Library; and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, which propagates heirloom varieties and makes them available to institutions and individuals. The David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center and Smith Education Center hosts state-of-the art exhibits for visitors of all ages. It serves as the gateway to Jefferson’s timeless Monticello, preparing guests for their trips to the historic mountaintop through dynamic content presenting fresh perspectives on Monticello and the enduring significance of Jefferson’s life and ideas. About a half a million people visit Monticello each year.