So much of Elvis Presley’s life was exploited, and the place where Elvis could go to escape was his now-legendary home in Memphis. It was the opening of Graceland to the public by Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ ex-wife, that ultimately has made the Elvis Presley Estate and Enterprises the success it is today. It was a risky and controversial decision, but ended up being an outstanding business move on her part, that has paid off tenfold.
When I went to Memphis in 2003, the one thing that was extremely evident was how the memory and spirit of Elvis has never truly left. His name and even Lisa Marie Presley’s name were talked about in a good way in random shared memories of people who lived in Memphis, including on the shuttle buses outside of Graceland.
The tour itself of Graceland is outstanding. Fans are loaded onto a shuttle bus that takes a group through the gates of the estate, and are given self-guided headsets that explain various parts of the house and property through the voices of the Presley family. There are people in each room that you can ask if you need even more information than what’s given through the headset device, and each room is incredibly beautiful. Everything is kept in the style that Elvis had decorated the rooms and most of the items in the rooms were kept intact after Elvis died, only being replaced when absolutely necessary. When you first walk in, you see the dining room and the living room—the latter is beautiful with the gold, white and blue color schemes. I also loved the peacock double-stained-glass touch that really gives the room extra character. Connected to the living room is the music room, where you can see the piano from a distance, and some aptly-placed mirrors make the room look larger than it actually is. One of the most surprising things about Graceland is that once you’re in the house, it’s much smaller and more intimate when one might think.
The TV room is one of the most famous rooms at Graceland known for the row of three television sets (as well as the pull-down movie screen above), the yellow wall with Elvis’ lightning bolt—part of his TCB logo (“Taking Care of Business: In a Flash”)—the bar and the white monkey statue. The TCB logo can be found throughout the house, in Elvis’ jewelry collection, as well as gifts to others, and on his airplanes, including the Lisa Marie. The airplanes are also on the grounds and part of the tours on a separate part of the Graceland properties.
The pool room was another regular hangout for Elvis and his friends to relax and unwind, and the walls were redecorated with colorful fabric. The famous Jungle Room is one of the coolest and unique rooms I’ve ever seen, with the decor from the 1960s that Elvis picked himself. The large chair in the room was too large to get in by traditional means so it went through the window—it was one of Lisa’s favorite spots in Graceland, and her childhood Panda bear stays in the chair today. The green shag on the walls and ceiling were apart of the time period fads but they also gave the room good sound so it’s fitting that many jam sessions and recordings took place in the Jungle Room, including parts of Moody Blue. My personal favorite accessory were the jungle tables.
There are other parts of the tour that I’m not going to get into as in in-depth, like the airplane tour, but you can also see the really cool automobile museum tours of all the vehicles Elvis owned. The grounds of Graceland were also used by the family for random recreational activities like chasing each other around on golf carts and go-carts throughout the property, one of Lisa Marie’s favorite activities growing up.
The Elvis trophy room is incredible, filled with fan art and gifts Elvis received throughout his career, as well as many of his various awards throughout his lifetime and beyond. To walk through the Hall of Records and see all the hits records lined along the walls, is a mind-blowing experience as well. Additionally, in an extension of the racquetball court area there are even more wall-to-wall achievement plaques that span so high that they’re close to touching the ceiling of the room. It all really puts into perspective everything Elvis has accomplished and continues to accomplish. Another aspect to this area of Graceland is recognition of Elvis’ generosity to charities, with awards he was given, though most of his charity work he requested to be kept private.
Another incredible element to Elvis’ collections displayed throughout Graceland are the many jumpsuits that Elvis wore in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The decoration and detail that went into each costume was really creative and set the standard for performing excellence that Elvis embodied and commanded.
Finally, the meditation garden, where Elvis is buried along with his mother, father and grandmother, is where fans can pay their last respects to this incredible human being. Elvis was not perfect, but after completing the tour, and especially after being a lifelong fan, spending time at Graceland adds even more depth and an unexplainable emotional connection to appreciating someone who came from very little to being one of the most famous human beings in our lifetime. Even a casual fan would be touched and educated to the legacy Elvis Presley has left to the world as a entertainer, humanitarian, lover, father, son and friend.
