The King of Rock ’n’ Roll lives on at Elvis Presley’s Graceland

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It’s hard to believe that Elvis Presley would have been 86 years old on Jan. 8, or that the King of Rock ’n’ Roll has now been dead for 43 years – longer than he was alive.

But while Elvis may have died at age 42 on Aug. 16, 1977, his memory lives on at Graceland, his beloved Memphis home that has become a popular tourist attraction – so popular, in fact, that Graceland is the now second most-visited home in America after the White House. What’s more, Elvis’s legend and popularity has remained so strong that a state-of-the-art visitor complex with new interactive exhibits has been added to celebrate the life and legacy of this musical pioneer.

Over the Christmas holidays, my husband and I made a musical pilgrimage to Memphis, and while some attractions were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, we were pleased to find that the “Elvis Experience” offered plenty of exhibits and information to make the journey a must for any music lover.

The Guest House at Graceland

For the full Elvis experience, begin your visit by checking into The Guest House at Graceland. Situated right next door to Graceland itself, this state-of-the-art resort offers a tasteful tribute to the King. From the Lobby Lounge and on-site restaurants to the theatre (which shows an Elvis film nightly) and guest rooms, the hotel décor evokes a 1960s Vegas feel – the type of hotel where the King himself would have been right at home. Kick back in a standard room or one of the King’s Suites, all of which show Elvis specials on the TV and feature Elvis-themed décor. Or indulge in luxury in Vernon & Gladys’s Suites, which were reportedly designed with input from Priscilla Presley.

While the hotel’s EP’s Bar & Grill and Delta’s Kitchen were temporarily closed during our visit, the Lobby Lounge offered a satisfying menu of food and drinks. The hotel’s Shake Rattle ’n’ Go meanwhile, featured a tasty selection of breakfast sandwiches, treats and to-go meals for visitors eager to be on their way to celebrate the King.

Elvis Presley’s Memphis

The Guest House at Graceland offers a free shuttle ride across the street to Elvis Presley’s Memphis – a 200,000 square-foot visitor complex featuring thousands of authentic Elvis artifacts and exhibits. It is from here that tours of the Graceland mansion begin – but it’s easy to spend several hours just viewing all of the Elvis memorabilia on display here. Want to see Elvis’s famous gold lame suit or his guitars? How about his famous jumpsuits or the black leather outfit from his legendary 1968 comeback special? From dozens of the King’s iconic outfits and his gold records to his collection of classic cars and private jets, Elvis Presley’s Memphis is a veritable treasure trove of artifacts that will be instantly recognizable to even a casual Elvis fan.

In addition to several on-site restaurants, including Vernon’s Smokehouse, Glady’s Diner and Minnie Mae’s Sweets – named for Elvis’s father, mother and grandmother – other visitor complex offerings include exhibits devoted to Elvis’s time in the Army, his love of football and the experiences of his daughter, Lisa Marie. A special highlight of the “Elvis the Entertainer” exhibit, though, is a new series of exhibits that allows guests to interact virtually with Elvis: Through the wonders of green-screen technology, guests can dance with Elvis on screen, be serenaded by the King, try on one of his iconic outfits or test their knowledge of
Elvis trivia on an interactive dance floor. Best of all, the photos and videos from these experiences can be downloaded as keepsakes or for sharing on social media.

A home fit for a king

But the highlight of any visit is the tour of Graceland itself. A swift shuttle ride across the street brings guests to the home Elvis purchased for about $100,000 in 1957 and where he lived until his untimely death in 1977. During our visit, the home was decorated for the holidays as it was during Elvis’s lifetime, with Christmas trees in both the living and dining rooms and poinsettias lining the stairway. Interactive iPads provide detailed commentary by actor and Elvis fan John Stamos on each room of the tour – from the dining room table set with Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding china to Gladys Presley’s dresses still hanging in her bedroom closet.

In addition to Elvis’s downstairs media room – which featured three television sets because he heard that President Lyndon Johnson had three sets showing all three broadcast networks simultaneously – the Graceland tour includes the famous Jungle Room as well as Elvis’s racquetball complex, where visitors can see the piano the King played the day he died. (The songs? “Unchained Melody” and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”) From there, guests pass through Graceland’s back yard, past the pasture where he rode horses with Priscilla, to Elvis’s Trophy Building, which now houses fascinating tidbits from Elvis’s life. See Elvis’s high school diploma, the signed deed to Graceland and records for the various improvements he made to the home, including the famous front gates featuring musical notes. Also on display are Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding attire and the piano played at Sun Records when Elvis popped by and joined Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis for an impromptu jam session that became known as the “Million Dollar Quartet.”

The tour fittingly concludes in Graceland’s Meditation Garden, where Elvis is interred alongside his parents, grandmother and grandson.

Sun Studio

For more Elvis history, a visit to Sun Studio on Union Avenue is a must. It was here that a young truck driver named Elvis Presley showed up one day with $4 he had saved to cut a record, launching what would be an unprecedented career. See the preserved disc jockey booth where Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips played Elvis’s first big hit, “That’s All Right, Mama” for the first time. Stand in the studio where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and other Sun stars recorded their records. And learn about all the legendary musicians who have visited and recorded music there – from Mick Jagger to U2 – to pay homage to these musical pioneers. If you can, get a tour with guide/musician Graham Winchester, whose musical knowledge made our tour both fun and informative.

As the home of the Blues and the famous Beale Street, Memphis has even more to offer music fans. It’s clear, however, that the King of Rock ’n’ Roll holds a special place in this city’s heart.