Graceland – The Magic of Elvis
Graceland averages 500,000 visitors per year with July being the most popular month, which averages 4000 visitors per day. Since 1982, over 20 million people from every state in the Union and most foreign counties have visited. Graceland visitors add $150 million annually to the Memphis economy.
The house is about 9 miles south of central Memphis, on Elvis Presley Boulevard. The house was already named Graceland when Elvis purchased it. As part of our trip to Memphis, Maureen, Gloria – Maureen’s sister and our daughter Stephanie toured Graceland.
There are many options for touring Graceland. We chose the Ultimate VIP Tour, costing $196/person. I was a little skeptical about spending $200 for a tour, however when it was all said and done, it was more than worth the price. (this tour is now $235/person) Tour information – Graceland Tours
The Graceland website provides a list of what the Ultimate VIP Tour provides, I am not going to repeat these. For us, the most important benefits were a private tour guide who actually worked at Graceland, she was responsible for maintaining a section of the many outfits Elvis wore on tour including the black leather jacket and pants Elvis wore on his famous TV special, Elvis 1968 TV Special
Our small group of about 10 people had continuous interaction with our guide, free flow of questions and answers. Most tours listen to recorded messages at various spots around the grounds. We were treated to in depth stories from our tour guide regarding Elvis, Graceland history, the items on display and the daily workings of the estate, plus access to areas and items not available on the other tours.
Graceland as a building, is not as big as it appears in photos. At the time Elvis purchased the house, I am sure it was considered a “big house”. The house has a very simple but functional layout. The furnishings have not changed since Elvis lived in the house. There seemed to be a story about most of the items in each room we toured, one of the advantages of the VIP tour. The public has access to the first floor, basement, various out buildings, the pool, and garden where Elvis, his mother and family members are interred.
Walking into Graceland you can view the living and dining rooms. The dining room hosted many a Presley family dinner especially during the holidays.
The kitchen is smaller than I imagined, and I wondered how the staff managed to feed all the crew and friends of Elvis that were constantly hanging around Graceland. This kitchen has seen many a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Recipe – Elvis’s Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
The second floor is off limits to the public as the late Lisa Marie and Priscilla resided on the second floor when they returned to Graceland for visits. We were told Elvis’s bedroom remains exactly as it was the day he died. Even President Bill Clinton was denied access to Elvis’s bedroom when he toured Graceland.
The famous jungle room alone is worth the tour. Originally a screened in porch, Elvis had it turned into what he called the “den” in the 1960’s. The Jungle Room name caught later with guests and when the house opened for tours. In 1976 Elvis turned the Jungle room into a recording studio. You can now purchase recordings of those iconic sessions in a 2-disc collection, entitled “Way down in the Jungle Room.” These are Elvis’s final recordings.
There is some much memorabilia and pictures in parts of the house and other buildings you have to pay attention, or you can easily miss some good stuff. A couple of interesting places, one of the side buildings has bullet holes, as Elvis and his crew used to stand on the balcony of Graceland and use the building for target practice.
This building also housed Elvis’s rather large and extended model car race track. He had many hobbies. Once he got into something, Elvis was all in. You will see televisions in most rooms, Elvis liked having televisions on constantly so that he could keep up with current events.
There is also a workout building. Many people remember Elvis in his later years when he was overweight. He was a black belt in Karate and and in his his earlier years, kept himself in fairly good shape. The racquetball court now houses all of Elvis’s Gold records. It is amazing, the walls are covered from floor to ceiling with gold records and that is not all of them. Elvis had 141 albums, singles and extended plays that receive Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum designation.
The burial grounds at Graceland are part of the tour. Lisa Marie Presley has recently been interred at Graceland. In addition to Lisa Marie, Elvis, Benjamin Keough (Lisa Marie’s son), Gladys and Vernon Presley (Elvis’s parents) and Minnie May Presley – Elvis’s paternal grandmother are buried there. A quiet place within Graceland.
The swimming pool is close to the burial grounds. More than one visitor has been known to jump in the pool to tell their friends I swam at Graceland. The staff is less than thrilled when this happens. A quick way to end your tour and be escorted off the grounds.
On your way from the pool to the house, pay attention to the trees. Look for the tree with the carved heart containing Lisa Marie’s and Michael Jackson’s initials.
Horses are still stabled at Graceland. We did not venture toward the stables but only admired from afar. Our tour guide told us even Elvis’s horses receive fan mail.
There is such a large volume of Elvis memorabilia that the staff at Graceland provides artifacts to Elvis exhibits that tour the world. Our VIP tour was granted access to one of the archive buildings. There was saw Elvis’s briefcase, his American Express card that was made of gold and a few gold pistols.
We were given white gloves and each of us got a photo opportunity holding one of Elvis’s guitars on display in the building.
We spent the rest of our time looking at Elvis’s cars, his many jumpsuits and his two jets. Elvis purchased more than 200 cars during his lifetime, many he gave away to everyday people, friends and family. The Graceland Car Museum contains 20 of Elvis’s most famous and unique cars, including his pink Cadillac.
The Graceland complex is rather large and most people, including us, use the buses provided to cross the boulevard. The mansion, stables, out buildings and memorial garden are located together. The gift shops, jets, cars, jumpsuits, and other displays are located around the visitor center and restaurants.
As part of the VIP package, we received a voucher to eat at one of the onsite restaurants. We chose Vernon’s (Elvis’s dad) barbecue. The voucher covered a main entre, sides, dessert, and a drink. More than enough food for everyone, tasted good after touring for about 6 hours.
I understand why Graceland is one of the visited locations in the United States. The place is pretty amazing and at times overwhelming. There is so much to see and appreciate. I was a fan of Elvis growing up before moving onto the various genres of rock that evolved through the years.
After touring Graceland and watching the 1968 TV Special, I find myself watching some of Elvis’s early videos on YouTube. There are also some great youtube videos highlighting the behind the scenes battles that took place during the making of the 1968 TV Special – good stuff.
Whichever tour you chose, give yourself enough time to see the grounds and enjoy the experience. There are also many themed based souvenir shops to browse and pick out a souvenir or two. If you visit Memphis, take the time to visit Graceland, you won’t regret it.
Check out the Graceland website for tour information, helpful tips, current events and online shopping. Graceland Website
Graceland is outside of downtown Memphis. We used Uber to and from Graceland.
