Graceland
It seems hard to believe, but Graceland, the former home of rock-'n'-roll-legend Elvis Presley and annually the destination of tens of thousands of love-struck pilgrims searching for the ghost of Elvis, is the second most visited home in America. Only the White House receives more visitors each year. A look around at the crowds waiting in various lines at this sprawling complex makes it clear that Elvis, through his many recordings, numerous movie roles, and countless concerts, still appeals to a wide spectrum of people. Today, decades after Elvis's death, Graceland draws visitors of all ages from all over the world. So many that Elvis Presley Enterprises recently completed a $137-million expansion of the property to make it a true full-service destination. Complete with 200,000 square feet of new exhibits, museums, and performance space and a 450-room resort hotel, The Guest House at Graceland, it is an increasingly impressive entertainment extravaganza.
Purchased in the late 1950s for $100,000—which would be about $1.2 million today—Graceland includes, among a bazillion other things, two personal jets, an auto museum, personal belongings, retail shops, a few serviceable restaurants, and, of course, Elvis’ home. If you can only do one thing here, it should be the Mansion, despite the fact that the tour's price tag grows more exorbitant by the year. The compound also offers exhibits on pop culture history (like one on legendary producer Sam Phillips) and a museum that chronicles Elvis’s career in detail throughout the years. Presley Motors will be a draw for auto buffs and includes not only his famous 1955 pink Cadillac, but also motorcycles and other vehicles. A re-creation of an airport terminal serves as the entrance to the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II private jets. The former was once a regular Delta Air Lines passenger jet that was customized (at a cost of $800,000) after Elvis purchased it in 1975 for $250,000. The Hound Dog II is much smaller and was purchased after the Lisa Marie was acquired.
While all the high-powered toys are cool, they’re not going to do much (other than provide a fun photo background) for people who aren’t true gearheads or aerophiles. Without question, the most compelling piece of Graceland is Elvis’s personal stuff, which rotates from the extensive archives and has been given much more room to breathe in the new exhibition space. You can see his record collection, gifts sent to him by fans, and his books, which are fascinating. Elvis was an avid reader, and one small collection included a guide to yoga, a book on endocrinology (the study of hormones), and “Gone with the Wind.” Did you know Elvis had a collection of police badges he used to make citizen’s arrests? I did not, but I found that completely hilarious and intriguing. I also mightily enjoyed seeing one of the TVs Elvis shot out because he didn’t like what was on, and apparently he also did the same to books. The mansion itself is essentially a time capsule, and is a must for anyone into interior design. The details are fascinating: custom stained-glass peacock windows, the pool room (pictured above), which is outfitted in a splashy 1960s fabric all over the walls and ceiling, and, of course, the Jungle Room. I have no idea why no one in Memphis has yet made a bar out of this concept somewhere—the place practically begs you to pour yourself a stiff martini, sit down, and bullshit with the boys about your week—but they should.
It seems hard to believe, but Graceland, the former home of rock-'n'-roll-legend Elvis Presley and annually the destination of tens of thousands of love-struck pilgrims searching for the ghost of Elvis, is the second most visited home in America. Only the White House receives more visitors each year. A look around at the crowds waiting in various lines at this sprawling complex makes it clear that Elvis, through his many recordings, numerous movie roles, and countless concerts, still appeals to a wide spectrum of people. Today, decades after Elvis's death, Graceland draws visitors of all ages from all over the world. So many that Elvis Presley Enterprises recently completed a $137-million expansion of the property to make it a true full-service destination. Complete with 200,000 square feet of new exhibits, museums, and performance space and a 450-room resort hotel, The Guest House at Graceland, it is an increasingly impressive entertainment extravaganza.
Purchased in the late 1950s for $100,000—which would be about $1.2 million today—Graceland includes, among a bazillion other things, two personal jets, an auto museum, personal belongings, retail shops, a few serviceable restaurants, and, of course, Elvis’ home. If you can only do one thing here, it should be the Mansion, despite the fact that the tour's price tag grows more exorbitant by the year. The compound also offers exhibits on pop culture history (like one on legendary producer Sam Phillips) and a museum that chronicles Elvis’s career in detail throughout the years. Presley Motors will be a draw for auto buffs and includes not only his famous 1955 pink Cadillac, but also motorcycles and other vehicles. A re-creation of an airport terminal serves as the entrance to the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II private jets. The former was once a regular Delta Air Lines passenger jet that was customized (at a cost of $800,000) after Elvis purchased it in 1975 for $250,000. The Hound Dog II is much smaller and was purchased after the Lisa Marie was acquired.
While all the high-powered toys are cool, they’re not going to do much (other than provide a fun photo background) for people who aren’t true gearheads or aerophiles. Without question, the most compelling piece of Graceland is Elvis’s personal stuff, which rotates from the extensive archives and has been given much more room to breathe in the new exhibition space. You can see his record collection, gifts sent to him by fans, and his books, which are fascinating. Elvis was an avid reader, and one small collection included a guide to yoga, a book on endocrinology (the study of hormones), and “Gone with the Wind.” Did you know Elvis had a collection of police badges he used to make citizen’s arrests? I did not, but I found that completely hilarious and intriguing. I also mightily enjoyed seeing one of the TVs Elvis shot out because he didn’t like what was on, and apparently he also did the same to books. The mansion itself is essentially a time capsule, and is a must for anyone into interior design. The details are fascinating: custom stained-glass peacock windows, the pool room (pictured above), which is outfitted in a splashy 1960s fabric all over the walls and ceiling, and, of course, the Jungle Room. I have no idea why no one in Memphis has yet made a bar out of this concept somewhere—the place practically begs you to pour yourself a stiff martini, sit down, and bullshit with the boys about your week—but they should.
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