One of the reasons I wanted to travel to Memphis for a couple of days was to visit Graceland, the home and museum of Elvis Presley. The website promised a four-hour journey, so I booked the self-guided Elvis Experience Tour for 9:15 AM. Having to be in Nashville by 6 PM, for a date at the Grand Ole Opry, I couldn’t afford to waste much time.
The Mansion
The tour begins with a ride up to the hilltop mansion. They hand you an iPad and headphones to wear around your neck. It’s part of the audio-guided tour, but I really didn’t have much interest in that aspect.
To keep the tour moving, they do try to herd you through the mansion. I quickly left the group I was with and moved around the mansion at my own pace.
It’s quite the decor. There were areas of elegance, but it was mostly a hodgepodge of eccentricity. In the style of a ’70s hunting camp complete with shag carpeting on the walls.
It’s quite the decor. There were areas of elegance, but it was mostly a hodgepodge of eccentricity. In the style of a ’70s hunting camp complete with shag carpeting on the walls.
You exit the mansion through the back and visit a series of buildings. The business office of Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father. A game room including a full racquetball court, and the trophy room that takes you through the history of Elvis’ upbringing, life, and career.
The final place you visit at the mansion is the Meditation Garden. This is where Elvis and some of his family members are buried. There are the gravesites of Elvis, his parents Vernon and Gladys, his grandmother Minnie Mae, and his grandson Benjamin Keough. Also recently buried there is Lisa Marie.
Elvis Presley’s Memphis
After touring the mansion, you head back on the shuttle to the entertainment complex that features exhibits, attractions, restaurants, and shops including:
- Presley Motors Automobile Museum: See Elvis’ impressive collection of cars, including his pink Cadillac, his Stutz Blackhawk, and his Dino Ferrari.
- Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum: Learn about Elvis’ incredible career and see his gold and platinum records, movie memorabilia, guitars, and more.
- Making of ELVIS Movie Exhibition: Discover how director Baz Luhrmann researched and recreated Elvis’ life for his upcoming biopic ELVIS.
- Elvis Discovery Exhibits: Explore various aspects of Elvis’ life and legacy, such as his army service, his influences, his philanthropy, and his spirituality.
Photo Gallery
Elvis’ Custom Jets
At the end, and you pay for it, you can walk inside two of his private planes: the Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog II. The Lisa Marie was a former Delta Airlines jet that Elvis bought in 1975 and named after his daughter. He had it customized with a living room, a conference room, a bedroom, and a bathroom with gold fixtures. The Hound Dog II was a smaller jet that he used while the Lisa Marie was being renovated. Both jets feature lavish interiors and personal items that belonged to Elvis.
