“When I was a little girl, I was invited to a birthday party given at Biltmore House for Cornelia Vanderbilt. It was held in the Banquet Hall, where many flags were displayed. Games were played and the prizes were unbelievable, things like a bird cage with a live bird inside… At that time, birthday cakes often had metal charms, wrapped in wax paper, baked inside of them. If you got a little sewing machine it meant you were going to be a seamstress and things like that. There was always a dime baked into the cake and the person getting the dime was supposed to be rich when they grew up.”

The oral history continues with a sweet account of how, when the dime wasn’t found, Edith Vanderbilt began cutting through the remainder of the cake, afraid that someone may have swallowed it.

“She, of course, was afraid that someone had swallowed it, but when I reached home I asked my mother if Mrs. Vanderbilt was rich. I told her how Mrs. Vanderbilt had worried about the dime and, it seemed funny to me, if she was so rich, why she worried so much about not finding the dime.”

Biltmore House was first and foremost a family home—and Cornelia’s grandson and great-grandchildren care for it today. The people of Biltmore have always made it a place of wonderful stories—children, families, laughter, and tears, even dogs! Our stories continue each day, with each person who experiences Biltmore. We hope you’ll come be a part of our ongoing heritage.