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Graceland Mansion
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84 reviews for Graceland Mansion
Elvis liked guns and motorcycles. MY kind of guy!
The tour of Graceland explored the entire first floor of his house; the upstairs had been roped off at the stairs at the main entrance. The living room was decorated with white carpeting, walls, and furniture, aside from the colorful stained glass window. The jungle room was carpeted green with a wooden wall paneling, animal prints decorated the furniture and water filled a tiny waterfall pond in the corner of the room. One of the television rooms was furnished with a large couch; everything in that room was decorated yellow and blue. Several televisions lined one of the walls.
We entered a final room containing displays of various clothing items and everyday items from his life. His wedding tuxedo dressed a mannequin standing next to another one with his wife's wedding dress in one corner behind the ropes. A circular bed covered with white fur stood in another corner of the room. The voice coming through the headphones attached to the tiny box for the audio-guided tour explained each and every item when you punched a number into the keypad. I had no idea what the voice was saying, though - I'm not even sure why I grabbed one of the recorders to begin with (I'm hard-of-hearing). At the end of the room stood a four foot long glass case containing an assortment of handguns belonging to Elvis, including his Colt Python and Beretta - which he used to shoot the television when he didn't like what was on. Most of them were ornamented revolvers but the one I noticed the most had a bright blue handle. Silver and gold vines and flowers decorated the blue. I photographed it. I had never seen a decorated handgun before.
When we left the room, we followed the tour outside to the open, grassy backyard of Graceland down a path into another building in the back. Seemingly made of thick, strong brick and stones, this building contained some of his targets for shooting practice. Aging papers hung from the ceiling with body shapes drawn on them--the bullet holes still punctured in the targets, scattered over the torso area with a few near the head from the last time he practiced.
Later on the tour, we reached building housing all of Elvis' vehicles. The giant showroom was filled with Cadillacs of every color: white, purple, pink, blue. There was even a surrey with the fringe on top! I was thrilled to see his motorcycles on display. Several different kinds, different models and different colors. All his. What I wanted to have some day. Seeing this motorcycles and remembering the guns from his house only made me become more fascinated with Elvis; I didn't have a large interest in him prior to visiting Graceland aside from liking a few songs. I felt I grew to know more about the person, and not just the legend, during this visit.
I have to admit, I was moderately giddy at the prospect of being able to visit this cultural mecca while on a business trip to Memphis, as it's always been one of those do-before-I-die things that I'd probably wind up making a trip specifically to accomplish otherwise. Some friends had gone earlier in the year and they gushed over their visit, saying it was about as close to a religious experience as they were likely to have. My visit was somewhat less mystical.
When the taxi dropped me off at the welcome center complex, I assumed the mansion was somewhere beyond the stand of trees behind the maze of souvenir shops, art galleries, museums, restaurants, and parking lots. After buying my ticket, waiting in the shuttle queue for 45 minutes (and it was a slow day), and being ferried across the road to the actual mansion, my immediate reaction was "This is it?"
The legend (and value) of Graceland has grown much larger than the actual mansion ever was, and standing on the front porch being instructed on the do's and dont's of visiting left me feeling a little disappointed. My spirits picked up a bit once the tour started, and I think the tasteful way the tackiness has been preserved is almost more interesting from a sociological perspective than an historical one.
With the possible exception of Michael Jackson, it's unlikely we'll create such a shrine to any public figure in this way ever again. Despite the extensive overhaul of many of the outbuildings (i.e. the racquetball court and trophy room) to accommodate the display of Elvis memorabilia, the house itself is frozen in fall of 1977 and gives us a glimpse of not only Elvis's lifestyle that post-space race, pre-cold war period of time that generated so much kitsch. Elvis just happened to be a kitsch aficionado and surrounded himself with it. However, when you take away the fame and fortune, Elvis's life had all the trappings any good southern boy's would have had at the time: cars, horses, a tight-knit family, a patriotic attitude, and a keen eye for a good time.
His career allowed him to amplify this lifestyle far beyond any reasonable (or tasteful) level, and much more so than the gold records, stage costumes, jungle room, or TV lounge, hearing the stories of how he spent his time while at Graceland was I think the best part of the tour: he was basically just a good ol' boy enjoying his life with family and friends.
By the end of the tour, I felt like I had much better appreciation of Elvis as a person in spite of the Graceland experience. It's a pilgrimage I think anyone should make given the opportunity, even if you have no strong feelings about Elvis one way or another. It is expensive, and it will be crowded, but it can be the the contemporary equivalent of what Howard Carter may have through upon discovering Tutankhamen's tomb in 1923: a perfectly preserved example of the opulence of a time long gone by.
Graceland was the ultimate tourist trap, and I loved every minute of it. You don't have to be an Elvis fan to get caught up in the kitsch of Graceland. The opulence and pure tackiness are just phenomenal. The jungle room has astroturf on the ceiling- you just have to see that in person to believe it.
I do wish they let tourists upstairs. Saying they were "Elvis' private quarters and he never received guests up there" was a little lame. Methinks his estate left it in a state of disrepair, and that's why tourists are not allowed upstairs.
Loved the gift shops. Loved the airplane. It was enormous and he had gold-plated seatbelts. Awesome. Throw in a little fat Elvis and I could have stayed forever.
Elvis and then rock and roll.
Pay your respects...well worth the visit.
Graceland is entertaining, depressing, fun, and tragic. It's kitsch and irony; it's the most sincere outpouring of emotion you may see in a very long time. It's a museum, it's a memorial. It's cynical and exploitative. It's a time capsule of what happens when money and the 70s collide, trapping themselves in the amber of commercialism.
I loved Graceland. I love Elvis. I am, however, a self-congratulatory, hipster fuckwad so I could still recognize everything I just typed and then some. I spied 50 year old great grandmothers sporting tattoos of Simpsons characters. I spotted a couple buy and subsequently down bottle after bottle of Bud Light and then drive off in an oversized camper. I saw a dozen Japanese rock-a-billy enthusiasts decked out in pompadours. I saw a grown man eyes well up over a 3 decade old grave. I watched a women charge over $1000 worth of Elvis merch (in one of their many, many conveniently located gift shops) with her Dale Jr. #3 Capital One Visa.
This woman apparently takes her dead Southern icons seriously.
I read about the King. I watched videos. I touched the shag wall in the stairwell leading to the Jungle Room. We bought the VIP package, thereby feeding the beast. We didn't care. We loved being lead to the front of the line. We loved being waved through to the special "VIP" room. We got ripped off. We didn't mind. We're definitely part of the problem.
I type all this to help you understand what to expect. Yes, the house is small. Yes, you just paid money to walk through an airplane. Yes, the "Private Elvis" exhibit requires you to walk to a strip mall next door. Yes, on this weekend where Michael Jackson's funeral was being planned, we've seen the future of Neverland Ranch. I've never been saddened, amused, frightened, and genuinely excited simultaneously before. For that, I can thank Elvis Aron Presley. The King is dead. Long live the King.
While I was looking forward to my visit of Graceland, I did not anticipate it would have the impact on me that it did. Driving through those music note gates, up the curved drive to the front of the house and walking through the front door into Elvis' foyer was fascinating, amazing and kinda eerie all at the same time.
As we stepped through the front door, I felt as though I had traveled back in a time machine, broke into someone's home and was sneaking about their house. It felt as though I had invaded Elvis' sanctuary.
The home is decorated as it was during Elvis' life - everything from the furniture and shag carpeting to the pictures on the wall. There were several highlights for me. The groovy carpeted kitchen housed top of the line appliances, for 1977! You could just imagine Elvis' housekeepers frying up his peanut butter and banana sandwiches on the stove. The Jungle Room was super lux and even included a fur covered lamp shade. And finally there was Elvis' two room man cave in the basement - a fabric covered billiard room and a "media" room with three TVs and a stereo. It appears the King had a thing for monkeys, which adorned several of the rooms throughout the house. Unfortunately the upstairs is closed to the public. Based on what a security guard told me, Elvis' bedroom and bathroom remain unchanged from the day he died and are only accessible to the family.
The rest of the tour includes a trophy building housing Elvis' many awards and movie memorabilia, his former racquet ball building that now displays his flashy jumpsuits, the swimming pool, and a meditation garden where Elvis is buried along with his parents and grandmother.
We also had access to check out his airplanes and collection of vehicles, which are must sees. The man liked his cars and motorcycles. This display is an historic car collector's dream and includes the famous pink Cadillac, a cool-ass purple Cadi and a couple of sweet Stutz Blackhawks. Everything is in mint condition.
Of course, a trip to Graceland would not be complete without a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich which they conveniently serve up at the restaurant on site. And gift shops abound with chotchkes galore.
I'm not a big Elvis fan, but can't deny that he made some good music over the years. In driving down Elvis Presley Blvd you almost feel like your sort of in a rough neighborhood. Then all the sudden you're upon Graceland. It feels like it's out of place. That's not how I pictured Graceland to look like. In comparison to mansions today, it seems pretty small too.
We arrived around 11am on a Saturday. You have to pay $10 to park. Then you walk to the complex that houses gift shops, a restaurant, etc. We paid around $28 to tour the mansion only. We were able to get a noon tour, so to kill time we walked around the gift shops.
A little before noon we jumped on a bus and rode across the street to the mansion. A tour group was just about to step inside the mansion as we unloaded off the bus. A couple of minutes after the first group went in; we were able to get in. We were told we could take photos as long as we didn't use a flash. Yippie!
You definitely need to have patience in trying to view each room, because there are plenty of other people that are trying to view the same room, and take photos. You can stop and start the audio tour, though, so no worries if you get behind.
We did get to tour his racquetball "house", which now houses numerous awards, and costumes. The trophy house was something else too. Elvis sure had a lot of hits.
The conclusion of the tour ends with Elvis' grave. Then you get back on the bus and head back to your car.
Overall the tour of the house was informative, and I enjoyed it immensely. Would I ever do it again? Probably not. Ya know, been there done that...but if you haven't gone, then you need to!
Ok, it's Graceland, it's all about Elvis, and its pretty cheesy... All in all, the tour is really GOOD! The audio tour is very informative, and kept my interest. I walked in skeptical and walked out a fan of Elvis.
The best parts were the mansion tour, which is like a time capsule from the late 70's, and the airplane tour. (I am a flight attendant, and I love airplanes, go figure!)
This tour is really an all day thing, so prepare to take your time. It's also a huge tourist trap, so be prepared to part with alot of your money.
Is it possible to have a crush on a dead person?
Okay, that totally came out creepy. But I finally see why girls went crazy for Elvis. Coif hair and mesmerizing eyes. His quiet yet charismatic demeanor. I felt my heart palpitate as I listened to his sultry voice and watched his interviews. Oh my, it was getting warm in there!
It was great spending an afternoon at Graceland, enlightening ourselves of the significant impact Elvis had made in music history. If you do not know much about him, this is the perfect place to go! The life he lived beyond the fame and glory. All the awards he received. Did you know he sold more than 1 billion records? And is the Best Selling Recording Artist Worldwide to date? Unbelievable!
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There are some good eats too! Try a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich (Elvis' fav). Or have a gigantic double scoop freshly made waffle cone.
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Whats the point of crafting a review of Graceland? If you are on the pilgrimage, you'll take the journey to this place regardless of what others may say. There was some irony of visiting the home of the King of Rock and Roll the weekend that the King of Pop passed away. Creepy.
As with some of you, I've never been a huge fan of The King. Still, when in Memphis.....
My impressions:
The house is much smaller in scale then I previously thought.
Bless his heart, the man loved color and texture.
Elvis made a lot of movies.
Who knew he liked racquetball?
There were no pics of the fat Elvis....what gives?
Any of you remember Wally World? The complex of kitsch emporiums and exhibits where you purchase your ticket are American pop culture consumerism at its best.
Paul Simon might have claimed it first, but you best believe that for reasons I cannot explain there's some part of me that wanted to see Graceland.
I've never been an Elvis fan, and I'm not too keen on obsessing over celebrity's private lives, but Graceland is one of those pieces of Americana that falls somewhere between history and pop culture.
To think, my best friend and I were going to forgo a trip to Elvis's home in Memphis because the price seemed quite steep. Nearly $30.00 per person didn't quite seem worth it, but my mother insisted, pressing 60 bucks in my hand as we loaded up the car in Kansas City to keep on trucking across the country. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we could get a student discount and the AAA 10% discount as well, so it turned out to be about $40 total for the tour.
The shuttle bus wait was only about 20 minutes, but I imagine on a weekend in the middle of summer it could be excruciating. The audio tour begins when you walk in the front door of the Mansion and continues through the awards hall and to the garden where the King is buried.
Everything is terribly kitschy (green shag carpet on the ceiling? Yes, please!) but that is exactly why it's fun. The tour does not allow visitors upstairs saying that Elvis himself kept that off limits to his guests, but a nasty rumor persists that because the scene of his death was upstairs, they wanted to gloss over the fat, drug-addled King of Rock persona.
Spend a little time in the gift shop afterwards to get a TCB shot glass, or maybe even the Presley family cookbook - just make sure you're not on a diet because I'm pretty sure you gain a pound just by opening it.
I did not go to Graceland expecting an extravagantly appointed mansion of epic proportions, no, I went because it was ELVIS PRESLEY'S HOME.
I've been in more elegant digs here in San Diego, and definitely in Los Angeles.
What excited me most was the thought of the King roaming his house in his bedroom slippers and caftan, ordering up one of his legendary gut-bomb sandwiches while watching his giant (for the era) t.v. sets or sitting down in his basement playing music.
The decor is outlandish, a study in 70's tastelessness and excess. Peacock stained glass in the front room, shag carpet on the ceilings and shiny, space-age silver accessories adorn his basement party place.
There are rows and rows of his gold and platinum records and a wall of checks that he would regularly write to charity.
The former racquetball room is converted into a trophy room featuring several of his 70's comeback jumpsuits.
Several times I felt close to tears while listening to the guided recording in which Lisa Marie tell her personal tales, or thinking about how lost he must have been toward the end of his life.
At the end of the tour is a meditation garden and the graves of his clan, with a small marker for his stillborn infant twin brother. Bring tissue if you're a fan, it's impossible not to get choked up at this point.
There are three levels of tour, each including different things. I was totally broke so I did the basic, which was $28 before my AAA discount.
According to friends the restaurants on-site are mediocre and overpriced, which is not surprising. The gift shops are a bargain though, and trinkets can be had for even a couple of bucks.
You know I really did not appreciate Elvis until I went here.
Yeah, he's dead. Yeah, Michael Jackson. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But this small house and the exhibit around it makes the point. This mild mannered young man rose to prominence in the entertainment industry, and ultimately the success ate him alive. But while he was around he made a lot of music and he did some good things (and, yeah, probably some stuff that he wasn't too proud of too).
The "mansion" isn't so much a mansion as a decent sized house. But it's not the house, or the plane, or the gift shops - it's the man and his life, and Graceland is all about that - the man and his life. Sure, it's a Playboy centerfold - all the blemishes have been airbrushed out, but there is a lot to appreciate here. That picture of the room with all of the gold and platinum records - there's a reason that they save that for near the end of the tour - it makes a heck of an impression, especially if you are a musician and you understand what those records signify.
If you ever heard Elvis, or saw or loved Elvis, then this is a "must-do" stop on your life if you really want to appreciate who he was and why his life is worth a museum named Graceland.
I was just a tad excited on see what i can see for free at Graceland but, still a bit reluctant.
Parking was $10, boo.
There was a nice bridge over a small creek crossing the main parking to handicap parking lots.
Tix for the mansion tour was, What! $30 for an hour tour and the VIP tour, $80! Take it or leave it, so, i left it.
Inside this mass venue directly across the street form Graceland you can buy your tickets and array of gift shops, car museum, small cafes and Elvis related shoppes all at a premium price.
Better yet, you can walk a block north and south and find fabulous values on Elvis products off of Graceland property. Yes I did say it.
Overall expensive as hell! for the average joe schmo
Green shag carpet, neon yellow bar stools, a mirrored staircase, car collection - Graceland was everything I wanted it to be. A little kitschy with a flavor of who Elvis was without being maudlin. I'm not really a huge Elvis fan, but I got pretty excited once we drove into the parking lot.
The tour moves at whatever pace you want because you are provided one of those audio guides. You can slow down or speed up, but there's enough to see that I never got bored. I actually went more slowly than my friends and really enjoyed myself.
I think the car exhibit was worth the extra cash. Didn't see the airplanes.
Its Graceland... what do you expect? Get there early and expect to wait. You really get to know the King when you go to his house. Its wayyyyy overpriced, hence the missing 1 star, but its worth doing. The neighborhood is fine, if you think this is run down, you obviously havent been to Beale Street and the other areas of Memphis. We stayed next door at the Days Inn, and you should too because if you stay there, you can walk and avoid the $10 parking fee at the front gate.
I am so glad I went. I don't need to go again.... but I am really glad I went.
Yeah we all know that this is Elvis' old house, a very over the top and kooky tourist attraction but this was one of the main attractions I wanted to see when I recently visited Memphis, TN. How can you come visit Memphis and not come see where the King himself resided?
I ended up taking a tour here so it cost me roughly 45-50 bucks including transportation. I think the cheapest tour here is $28, which probably should be sufficient for non Elvis fans who just want to check out the house. Even though i'm not much of an Elvis fan, I ended up taking the platinum tour and I was greatly surprised by all the memorabilia they collected from his life.
First off, I've heard Graceland is in the worst part of Memphis so I suggest you take a Taxi or shuttle there. With that said, let's start with the review.
The tour is self guided with an audio headphone to help guide you through the house. The decor in the house is pretty over the top and obviously has the stylings of a 70s home. The one thing that bummed me out was that we weren't able to go upstairs and to the bathroom where they found Elvis' body. What a bummer. From what I've read, no one except a certain few (Prisilla, Lisa Marie, etc.) have been able to go up there. I've heard the workers are not even able to go into the upstairs rooms.
My favorite room is the TV room where Elvis had 3 TVs all playing different channels at a time. I can't imagine something like this today with 70" home screens. Elvis did it classy with what looked like 25" screens. Other rooms you can view are the kitchen, the jungle room and Elvis' dad's office in the back. The swingset that Lisa Marie used to play on is still intact, although sort of rusty.
You can see a large room of memorbila including some of the jumpsuits Elvis wore in concert. The thing that impressed me was the hall of hit records that Elvis had. It was amazing how successful the guy was.
The last part of the tour is the meditation garden where Elvis, his mom and dad, twin brother and grandma are all buried. I think i saw a few people tearing up a little here, which is understandable since Elvis meant a lot to a lot of people. One sad thing was seeing how his dad and grandma outlived him. Many fans still leave wreaths and cards for Elvis at the grave.
Was it worth it? Id say it's a little pricey but I enjoyed it, even without being an Elvis fan. It is part of pop history and is certified a national landmark. One thing I didn't like and was pretty obvious they weren't going to mention,was that they didn't talk about the fat Elvis years and his drug habit in the end. Of course, if I had a museum about myself, I wouldn't talk about my bad habits. :)
You can view his car collection, his planes and other Elvis related stuff. I'm not sure if that's included in the regular tour or the plus tour. Overall a good time was had. -1 for no upstairs and the high prices.
No trip through Tennessee is complete without stopping at Graceland!
So Graceland Mansion is on one side of the street, whilst the gift shop, ticket counter, and airplane and car museums are on the other. A little shuttle takes you to/from when you are ready.
The tour is pretty cool. You go at your own speed with the audio receivers. When you walk in, the living room is to your right and that is where the 15 ft white couch is. The upper floor is blocked off. For the most part, all the rooms are left as they were. The billiards room is probably the most craziest in ostentatious colors. The jungle room is pretty cool with its "waterfall". A few rooms/hallways were converted to store some memorabilia such as outfits and gold records, etc. The old racquetball court hold a lot of memorabilia, especially the crazy jumpsuits he wore in his latter years in Vegas. You also get to see his shooting room where him and his boys shot off rounds.
Outside, you'll see Lisa Marie's playground and the grounds where the horses were kept and the go karts were raced.
The Meditation Garden is pretty and that is where Elvis and his parents are buried. Lots of people leave flowers and stuffed toys there as an offering.
The mansion and grounds are pretty big, though no comparison to the McMansions of today.
Its an interesting part of history to see. I'm sure if it was open, that toilet on the second floor would always be packed with people reenacting Elvis' final moments.
Dont waste your time or money they dont even let you see the whole place(the upstairs is off limits), and they make you walk thru a dozen gift shops! It is all about money not elvis.
There are still people that cry at this place... maybe im too young to get it but that seems silly to me.
Finally the neighborhood is scary! we thought we Had to be lost cuz there was no way Elvis lived in this run down place...and the gate had writing all over it!!! i can't believe people are so rude as to write on someone's stuff like that!!! Just terrible! (shame on you Johnny loves Sarah forever!)
You are better off saving the 80 bucks and watching a special about it on TV.
Hi, my name is Elvis and your watching Mtv Cribs!
Nice entrance, huh? Did you notice my sweet ass gate that swings open and shut at my beck and call?
Step inside, here we have my jungle room where I keep all of my stuffed animals and roll around on my shaggy carpet with nothing on but my sunglasses and Aquanet.
The TV room is next, LOOK I can play all three major networks at the same time! Aren't I cool???
Is this the part where we look at my pimped out ride? Yes? Has anyone ever seen a PINK Caddy before? The ladies LOVE it. Trust me. Unfortunatly I can't drive it yet, because I don't have a license, but mommy and daddy said I could by one with the money I earned in Blue Hawaii.
And out back we have the in ground pool which my daughter and the old ball and chain like to go for a swim. I go in, but I never go in "all the way" because you know, the hair and everything.
And lastly we have, er, um, this tombstone, gee I've never noticed... What does that say?... Crap. Um I gotta go! This never happened! *Flees through woods in back*
Oh hell...You don't know what swank livin' is until you've had the chance to tour through Graceland. I first went to Graceland 13 years ago and loved it. I have been back to Graceland 5 times since then. Each and every time I've been, it's like being there the first time over again.
Walk through the manion, the museum, airplane, grave site... It truly is an amazing tour to see how the King lived. Regardless if you are an Elvis fan or not, you will leave the place in absolute awe of just how amazing it is.
One downfall is you can't go upstairs. I want to go upstairs!!!! Nobody is allowed to go upstairs. Partly because that's where "the bathroom" is. They say it's because the weight of the foot traffic will put too much stress on the building.
"Thank ya...thank ya very much."
Even if you are not an Elvis fan, if you call yourself an American, you have to visit Graceland before you die. I'm only half American and I don't care all that much for Elvis, but even I had an amazing time here. I booked this tour for my bf who is a big Elvis fan, but I myself ended up loving it just as much. You can't help but be awed by the greatest icon in history. The truth of how big a star this person was really hits you as you tour Graceland and see and read about his life. There is a trophy room where the entire hallway is lined up with greatest hits that earned him 1 mil sales a record, and it's astounding how many of such hits he had. The tour ends with his grave which is sobering and sad.
I won't provide too much detail because I don't think I'll do it justice. This may not be the grandest tour in the world, but it's really special in so many ways and you get tons of information and interesting facts about Elvis. It's crazy to walk through his mansion and see where he ate, and where Lisa Marie rode her horse, and where he entertained guests, etc. We did the platinum tour which includes the Elvis' airplanes. That was a cool part of the tour. I would save the extra 30 bucks and NOT get the VIP tour. I don't even know what the VIP tour gives you except a pass to the front of the line. The platnum tour lets you into all the places that a VIP tour does, and seeing that we only waited 5 minutes in line to get to the mansion, the VIP tour seemed pretty useless and a giant ploy to sucker people into paying an extra thirty bucks.
Long live the King. :)
"The Mississippi Delta was shining like a national guitar. I am following the river down the highway through the cradle of the Civil War. I'm going to Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, I'm going to Graceland." - Paul Simon
Someone else quoted "Graceland" in their review and I am not stealing it; I just love the song!
Although it has been a few years since I've been to Graceland, my memories of Elvis's home are still very vivid. EVERY American has to visit Graceland at some point in their lives; it is like Mecca. I went to Graceland for the second time when I was a student at Ole Miss and I'm so glad that I was able to make this journey. When I was about eleven or twelve, my family and I tried to come, but alas, the home was too crowded (and it usually is crowded, so allow yourself some time) and we couldn't delay on our road trip. I was twenty-two when I finally made it inside this southern landmark.
At the visitor's center, you will pay for your tour (the home, Elvis's cars, his airplanes, or all of the above) and then you will take a bus over to the mansion. The home's facade is beautiful and refined, but remember, Elvis lived here in the seventies, so don't expect classy or elegant decor on the interior. Expect TACKY! However, it's fun and Elvis, so you won't have to be so serious. Of course, there is the tackiest room-- the Jungle room, with its shag carpet and ugly color scheme. Also, the crazy bed that spins around (a la Austin Powers) is pretty awesome, too. Don't miss the hall of gold records and the display of all of Elvis's flying suits (my fave). And don't forget to pay homage to the grave of Elvis and his twin brother (who died at birth), also on the property.
Again, I cannot emphasize enough that everyone should visit Graceland. Elvis is the quintessential American icon.
We took the Platinum tour, which I think is worth it. We saw Graceland of course, the car museum, the army service museum, the planes, and the little museum with the movies he was in. Graceland is really the best part, and there's a lot there. I didn't realize how many gold records the guy actually had. The audio tour was informative, and helps as you are herded like sheep with all the other people in attendance. As others have said, you can't go upstairs, which includes the bathroom where he died, from 20 prescription medications!!! The Morphine, Demerol, and antihistamines would be enough to kill other mortals. The coroner's report also listed some substances as "unidentified." Okay. Of course, considering that nobody can go upstairs, including staff, or anyone else, maybe that's where he is living, off all the revenue from these tours. He's just sitting up there meditating and laughing his ass off at all the people shuffling through the house. Seriously.
I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, in Memphis Tennessee. I'm going to Graceland... For reasons I can not explain there's some part of me wants to see Graceland...
Our road trip vacation this summer started with a Walker family reunion in Abilene TX, Aunt Connie, Sue and Barbara with all the cousins and kids. Then a brief stop at the Clinton Presidential Library before moving to the pivot point, Graceland. The tour van drove us through the Graceland Mansion gates up to the front door. Crystal welcomed us, explained the tour and opened the front door. It felt like I walked back 50 years, tears, the emotions of missing not only Elvis but John, Bobby and Martin. And I walked through the house listening to the voice of Lisa Marie on the audio guide, seeing the mental flashbacks of those days, hearing the songs, missing it all so very much. Towards the end I stood at the foot of the grave in silence.
Why should you go to Graceland? Well, other than the fact that Elvis freakin ROCKS, the tour of Graceland is a look inside a pop culture phenomenon and a legendary singer's life. Plus you get to see all the superfly 70s decor!
First, get your tickets. You can just go with the platinum tour for $33 because the VIP tour really doesn't give you that much more for the extra $30. Board the shuttle and get ready to visit Elvis! Basically you will get to see the living room area including the piano and some really awesome 70s furniture, the kitchen area, the pool room with the cloth decor on the walls and ceiling, the jungle room, the audiovisual room (fun to see all the old-timey TVs set up in a row so he could watch more than one), the back lawn where the horses are, etc. You go through a room with all the awards, his outfits, movie trailers, and some of the most amazing memorabilia. You also go into the racquetball court where he played right before he died...that's where all his gold albums are. You cannot believe how many awards he has, it is just mind blowing, especially since a large portion of them were awarded after he died. The audio tour does a good, if cheesy, job telling you what everything is and they mix it in with Elvis tunes in the background.
Most important in the mansion tour: you get to see the grave of Elvis Presley. Yes, he is dead. People in TN know this. Come see for yourself if you don't believe it.
When you go back across the street you must not miss the automobile museum. I love old cars and these were PIMP I tell ya. You'll read about stories when he used to cruise around Memphis and wasn't scared to talk to the regular folks when he was out. So cool! Go into the Private Presley museum and see a lot of personal items..at one point I think they had the TV that he shot in there, but I cannot vouch that it is still there. Still, very nice to see some personal items like letters, clothes, his guns, wedding pictures, etc. And you also must see the airplanes...the bed with the huge seatbelt across it cracks me up. They even have pictures of the day they brought those planes to sit on the grounds...they had to shut down the street so they could tow the planes to Graceland.
The gift shops are fun to look around in as well. You will most likely want to buy something since you are at the end of the tour and have developed a huge crush on Elvis at this point. They have cool T shirts, all the normal tourist caps/coffee mugs/magnets/etc, CDs and DVDs both single and boxed sets, some unique made-for-Elvis Paul Frank items, and a million other things. Even if you don't buy anything it is fun to check it all out.
If you are an Elvis fan, you are going to LOVE Graceland. If you are not an Elvis fan, you are going to develop, at minimum, a small crush on him by the time you get through. You cannot deny the power of Elvis Presley!!
Ok, so I would never even claim to be even the smallest of Elvis fans, but I found myself in Memphis a few months back for a concert (yes, a girl from LA "found herself" somewhere in memphis, what can I say, I'm a little crazy about my concerts soemtimes) and decided that Graceland was a must-see.
My friend and I awoke after a long night of rocking out followed by drinking on Beale street and almost tried to bail on Gracelnad but we figured "how often am I going to be in Memphis?" so off we trekked. It was a little shocking how run down the area around the mansion is but I guess that is to be expected if you think about it. My friend and I were still wavering when we arrived until we walked into that visitor center. Something about it just got us so pumped up that we found ourselves saying "platinum tour please!"
The houee itself is a monument to crazy, tacky, overindulgent musicians of yesteryears, but it was freaking fantastic because of that! The tour was informative and totally interesting. Although the room with the tons and tons of platinum and gold records was crazy, as a girl who works in an office where that stuff hangs on our bathroom walls (seriously, they do) I still had to take a moment and gawk when we got to see Elvis' Grammys! Our platinum tickets got us into the auto museum which was very very cool, as well as both of Elvis' planes which were seriously insane! It's defintiely a must-see for all Elvis fans or even just music fans who find themselves in Memphis! "Taking Care of Business..... In A Flash!!!!!!!!!" Sweet...
I don't care what anyone says. Pay the money, it's worth it. When else are you going to see the home of the king? I'm not a fan, really, but I think it was interesting and a great experience. I didn't pay for the extra stuff and to me, the rest doesn't seem like a must.
Went here with my better half this past March while visiting Memphis...
Before we went to Graceland, I had this idea that we're going to visit Elvis' house just because it's something we have to do. I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of his but after doing the tour of his home, I have a new found respect for the King of Rock. When you walk in, the decor is definitely something from that time period...carpeted walls/ceilings, velvet pillows and couches, typical 60's/70's vibe. As you take the tour, you are listening to a guide that directs you to all the rooms and gives you a little history lesson about Elvis. I didn't know he had a small firing range setup in his house nor that he had an affinity for racquetball (He had a racquetball court built/game room. In my opinion, the coolest part of his tour was when you walked into the hall of records. There is a long hallway full of gold records, you walk down and see nothing but framed, gold records. His musical resume is very awesome and impressive. Aside from the rooms in the mansion, we saw Elvis' ranch, racquetball court, shed/firing range, and meditation pool. In the meditation pool, you'll see the resting place of Elvis, his parents, and his grandmother. Originally, his body was buried at a nearby cemetery but the estate was able to get approval to move his body to the mansion. We didn't pay the extra to see his cars and private airplanes but you could see the planes from outside his mansion across the street. I thought it was cool that he named one of his planes after his daughter, Lisa Marie. A few more interesting facts to throw at you...his favorite symbol was the lightning bolt and he liked the saying "Taking Care of Business" (TCB). I learned a lot about Elvis Presley and his life. The tour was worth it. After taking the tour, I am very appreciative of what Elvis has achieved in his lifetime. If you're in Memphis, you should go to Graceland...not just to go but to learn about Elvis and how much of an impact he had made to the world.
Holy Jeebus, Elvis was a tacky-ass dude. FOUR STARS!
I should start by saying I'm not an Elvis fan. I would much rather listen to old Soul & Rock than him. Saying that, I understand that his fans would have more of an emotional experience visiting his home than I did.
We took a free shuttle to Graceland that departed from the Rock N Soul Museum. More memorable than the actual tour of Graceland was our shuttle bus driver who sand and danced along with his music the entire way there and back--even dancing "the bird" foe about 5 minutes!
We only did the mansion tour because like I said we aren't fans so seeing his cars and planes wouldn't interest me much.
I had an idea in my head what I thought the house would be. I honestly think they use the word "mansion" loosely. It's more like the "biggest house on the block." The decor was tacky but nothing over the top enough to write home about. Even though I wasn't a fan I thought that I would get an emotional reaction to being on the property but got nothing.
Honestly, the most amusing part of the tour was my husband getting the Spanish speaking audio tour.
I am a fan of kitsch. While I'm not the biggest Elvis fan, I am a fan of his kitsch.
Graceland is over the top kitsch. I think my favorite part about the mansion is the shag carpeting on the walls and ceiling.
It was great to see Graceland once. I've gone a few more times with visiting relatives, but you quickly get to a point of diminishing returns. If one wants to see other kitschy or interesting sites, check out the Crystal Shrine Grotto, the large Buddha statue in someone's front yard on Mendenhall Road, or the Statue of Liberty in Christ at the corner of Winchester Road and Kirby Parkway.
im an elvis fan.
if you are not an elvis fan, you probably won't appreciate graceland as much as an elvis fan would, but like it or not, elvis is a significant part of america's pop cultured past.
graceland mansion isnt as big as most people think because it was constructed before CRIBZ and before the need to have 56 rooms and a recording studio in one's bathroom. that said, once you enter the mansion, it drips with opulence and is a snap-shot of 1970's decor at its finest. it drips with over-indulgence and i adore it.
the audio tour is a bit of a drag because it isnt the same as having a tour guide to give the down and dirty on elvis as was once done on the tours. that said, the audio guide is really complete and informational- just not very personal. no mention of the colonel, or post-priscilla love-life, or drugs, etc. if you go, i would get behind a TRUE elvis fan so you can get the details! and yes, it is also a drag that unless you are bon jovi (cringe) or somebody of his ilk, you cannot go upstairs.
the grounds and trophy rooms are immaculate and whether you are an elvis neophyte or freak, it is worth the trek. elvis fans are tops to hang with- the bigger the hair, the bigger the fan (or the bigger the waist size, but whatever).
lisa marie and the estate obviously run a tightly controlled ship about what is said about elvis (and more importantly, what is not said). they give you little access to his personal life, but plently of access to his public accomplishments and his life in the public realm. i still loved it. YES, it is more expensive than i had thought- 33 for the middle tier, but that is much lower than the 69dollar "ALL ACCESS VIP" (which seems silly).
go to graceland, all of you. if you are a minor elvis fan entering, you will be a bigger fan leaving.
(p.s. sun studios is ultra close and the tour of that was amazing).
Notice a trend in these reviews? Most admit "not a big Elvis fan" but still recommend you visit. I concur.
I have been to Graceland 3 times and will likely visit again. There are not many places to bring visitors in Memphis, but even if there were Graceland would rank high on my list of destinations.
If you don't want to commit the time or $$$ to take the full tour, park in front of the house and get your photo at the front gate or famous graffiti covered wall. Across the street there's free parking at the "Elvis After Dark" exhibit and shops or you can pull into the main lot ($5) if you just want to take a look around. From the street you can see his jets or look up the hill at the mansion. If you want a bunch of cheap Elvis souvenirs pop over to the many shops on Beale Street.
The mansion is modest, amazing to compare the home and possessions of a superstar from that era with the palatial MTV Cribs of today. The collection is impressive, jumpsuits aplenty, 100's of industry awards. Each visitor is issued a headset with an audio tour available in multiple languages, so everyone moves through the displays in bizarre silence. You board a bus and drive through the front gate to the house. Get a photo at the front walkway; it's your only chance since you exit through another door. Photography is permitted without flash. Yes Elvis and his family are actually buried on the grounds, you view their grave at the end of the mansion tour. My favorite parts of the tour: the ultra lounge jungle room and spectacle of the racquetball court.
For an extra fee you can see Elvis' cars, planes and even a bonus set of jumpsuits. I think it's worth it; the entire experience is completely worth the price of admission!
Graceland is set in a residential neighborhood not too far from the Memphis airport. Make dinner plans in another part of town as there's not much available in the immediate area and you get that "better lock the doors" feeling driving around.
I celebrate the tackiness of Elvis and must confess I visit Graceland more to mock than admire. But looking at his mementos, family photos and films, you will feel melancholy for Elvis. No one else had reached the level of super-stardom or experienced the problems that level of fame brings. He was only 42 when he died, seemed like a nice guy.
It should be noted that people who grow up in Memphis just don't go here. You can spend your entire life in this city and never walk through the gates of Graceland.
My first visit was during the summer that Graceland opened, when I was about two or three. It was about five years after his death. I only vaguely remember this visit; my mom says I kept asking where Elvis was, and that all these fanatics kept giving her the evil eye. Like, why didn't you break The Horrible News to your daughter, you horrible mother? My second visit was on a school-mandated field trip in eighth grade. That's Memphis for ya: instead of oohing and aahing over Picassos, we're spending our educationally formative years traipsing down Beale Street and checking out the collection of Elvis's best jumpsuits.
I'm going to spare you a review of Elvis's house, because everybody else covered the basics. Instead, here are some Graceland tips.
*Graceland is located in one of the most crime-ridden parts of Memphis. Lock your car when you park here; if at all possible, try to get a hotel in another part of town. I'm serious. Also, do not attempt to walk from the Graceland area to any other part of town. You WILL get robbed.
*Don't waste a lot of time signing the wall, because it won't be there forever. Every couple of months they erase it with a high-pressure water sprayer.
*If you're one of those crazy fanatics who likes to stand in the line at the Candlelight Vigil, bring water. People died from the heat last year. Don't torment your body and go out the same way your man did, people!
*Every Christmas they light Graceland the same way that Elvis did when he was alive. It's blue and tacky. Right now it's lit the same way in celebration of the University of Memphis Tigers making it to the Final Four. It's a fun thing to drive by at night.
*Elvis's birthday is January 8th. Every year they hold a birthday party at Graceland where you get to eat cake, and one of the Presley ladies is usually there to cut and serve it. Mmm, cake.
*Graceland Too is a much more enjoyable tourist destination than Graceland, in my humble opinion. Check out my review and see if you dare to head down into Deepest Darkest Mississippi for a visit.
And that's about all I have to say about Graceland. Eh.
Once voted the tackiest tourist spot in America, Graceland still beckons to Tennessee travelers. If you go to Tennessee, it's like a rule that you have to go to Graceland. From green shag carpet on the ceiling in the jungle room to four ominous graves at the end of your tour, you'll be singing Walkin In Memphis involuntarily in no time.
I"m not a huge Elvis fan, but I truly did love the tour. The audio tour is informative and interesting. The rest of the grounds are also fun--Private Elvis (his military years), the car museum, and also the nook about his planes all have the ablility to take you back to a time when Elvis reined supreme.
Tacky? Sure. Touristy? No doubt. But still enjoyable. Plus, it's reallly fun to watch Elvis freaks arriving at their mecca.
Go during the daytime. It's in a not so good area.
I've never really been a big Elvis fan but I had quite a bit more appreciation for the legend when I came here. Damn Elvis was hot when he was young ... tight little ass ... well, I digress -- that's neither here nor there.
Needless to say, it's not disappointing. You'll see every bit of the mansion w/the exception of a couple private places the family has requested to keep private. You'll go aboard the Lisa Marie airplane ... you can even eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich and all the Elvis faves in the cafe. Oh, and you can also see his collection of cars and movies and what not.
Needless to say, by the time you leave this joint -- you'll be an Elvis expert and aficionada. Long Live the King!!!
I think the fact that we got our tickets for free impacts this review somewhat, because I'm not a HUGE Elvis fan and spending close to 50 bucks to see his house may have seemed a bit steep. After visiting Graceland, I STILL say it's too much to pay, but it's entertaining to go there and see the extravegance.
I mean, who wouldn't find the Jungle Room entertaining?? Green carpet on the ceiling, with African sculptures all over. Downstairs, there's a room that looks straight out of 1972 with the ridiculous yellow couch and different colored walls....and the kitchen!! Straight from the Brady Bunch. The room full of all of his gold records is TRULY impressive, though. And the room full of his outfits...well that's just TRULY funny.
I'd recommend it to any Elvis fan...just don't get too pissed off at the crowds. You have to understand that to many of these people, Elvis is like a religion...and some even believe he's still alive. This is their temple. Laugh at that to yourself, and use that humor to guard yourself from the anger of people cutting in front of you everywhere.
So I started off my Tour of Memphis/Memphis Bbq tour at Graceland Mansion.
So frankly, I have thought Elvis was one of the corniest guys ever for the longest. I guess the combination of horrible impersonators and dicey song remakes, and ummm the fact that his daughter married Michael Jackson and potentially had relations with him, has always made the whole "Elvis Mystique" kinda corny.
To my surprise, Graceland and Elvis proved to be some cool cats. Tickets are about $28 for the regular Graceland Tour, and the house actually sits across from the "attraction/Gift shops etc", and honestly is easy to miss if you arent looking in that direction.
Its funny, because Graceland actually sits smack dab in the hood. You go east, west, north or south for a mile and you are in a really dilapidated part of Memphis.
The tour was pretty cool. Surprisingly, as they do with most tours in the city, you are given a headset which guides you through the tour. As you listen you are given history, anecdotes, and directions to guide you through the house. While I am sure this makes it seamless for the folks that run the mansion I realized very quickly that I definitely like actual Real live ppl guiding me on tours.
The other interesting thing is that they dont let you upstairs, out of respect for the family and the estate. I cant tell you how many times I thought about just running for it, and checking the damn place out. But I didnt. And I am sure with all those folks that were there crazy about the King, that probably was my best bet.
The house is pretty stunning for something that was built in the 60's/70's....the history/anecdotes behind everything were pretty cool. I can only imagine the wild stories that ran through that house....I mean cmon, the man had a living room that was all fur....(like literally fur on the walls). Elvis could have been a pimp.
The only negative thing about the tour was I felt that they weren't as true to the "real" Elvis as they coulda been. They never once mentioned how he actually died, and really only shed a positive light on him...which, now that i think of it, would be the way I would want things too....
Fun times...definitely a must see/experience in Memphis.
Graceland is amazing! I had a wonderful time. They have a student discount for college kids and a AAA discount. The staff is not as friendly as the Disney World cast members, but it was still an enjoyable experience! There was an hour wait to see the mansion (you have to take a shuttle bus over from the ticketing place) but the other exhibits are at the ticketing area. You are able to tour both planes, an exhibit about Elvis' movies, Elvis' cars and you can shop for gifts. There is also food and a cool sundae shop. Overall this was a lot of fun!
