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Graceland tours: the best options & what to expect.

Advice for making the most of your time at Elvis' famous home.

The Best Graceland Tours

Andrea Zucker | Courtesy of Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau

A visit to Graceland is a popular activity for both Elvis fans and Memphis tourists.

Note: Some tour providers on this list may be running more limited operations due to COVID-19 or may impose testing or vaccine requirements. Check with your tour operator about availability before you book.

When Elvis Presley was just 22 years old, he purchased Graceland – a 10,266-square-foot mansion that occupied a nearly 14-acre property in Memphis, Tennessee . After the singer's death in 1977, the executors of his estate found that the mansion's exorbitant operating costs proved difficult to maintain, so they decided to open Graceland for tours in 1982. Since then, more than 20 million people from around the world have visited the mansion – which now spans 17,552 square feet – and its surrounding Elvis-themed museums and shops. Read on to plan your Graceland visit.

What is Graceland?

• Where is Graceland located?

Is Graceland open for tours?

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Graceland is a 120-acre institution dedicated to the life and music of Elvis Presley. The main draw is the mansion, but there's more to see than Elvis' former abode. Visitors can stop by Elvis Presley's Memphis, a 200,000-square-foot museum and entertainment complex. This building houses the Presley Motors Automobile Museum and a series of exhibits, such as "Elvis' Tupelo," which explores Elvis' early life in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. The Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum, which displays the entertainer's gold and platinum records, his famous jumpsuits and movie memorabilia, can also be found here. Tourists will also have access to 10 interactive exhibits and games. Located throughout the complex, the interactive features include quizzes, a simulated golf cart ride and photo booths that put travelers on Elvis' movie posters and album covers. Finally, the complex houses two restaurants, a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor and a soundstage where tourists can watch Elvis' movies and attend live music performances.

After you learn all about the King, check out the Graceland Exhibition Center. This 80,000-square-foot venue features a variety of rotating museum exhibits, covering a variety of subjects, including motorcycles, Muhammad Ali and Van Gogh. The complex also boasts a food court, a bar and a separate, rentable event space.

Where is Graceland located?  

Graceland   is located in the Whitehaven community of Memphis, nearly 3 miles west of Memphis International Airport and 10 miles south of downtown.

Yes, Graceland is open for tours.

The cost per person varies depending on which tour experience you choose. Expect to pay about $30 to $200 for children 10 and younger. Adults can expect to pay around $50 to $200 per person. Keep in mind: Higher ticket fees mean a premium experience complete with VIP access, keepsakes, meal vouchers and more.

There are multiple tour options for visiting Graceland.

• Elvis Presley's Memphis + Planes Tour : This is the basic tour option. It grants visitors access to Elvis Presley's Memphis Entertainment Complex and the Elvis' Custom Jets exhibit, but does not include access to the mansion. Tickets for this tour start at $48 for adults, with discounts for children.
• Elvis Experience Tour : Tickets for this tour, which start at $77 per adult, include everything in the above tour, plus access to the mansion complete with an audio tour.
• Elvis Entourage VIP : The Elvis Entourage VIP tour includes everything in both the other tour options, plus skip-the-line access to the mansion, a VIP shuttle to the mansion, access to a special exhibit, and a keepsake pass. Tickets start at $128 per person.
• Ultimate VIP Tour : The Ultimate VIP Tour includes everything in the Elvis Entourage VIP, plus a guided tour of the mansion with an experienced guide, access to a VIP lounge, a meal voucher to an on-site restaurant, an archives show and tell, the chance to buy exclusive souvenirs and a photo-op. Tickets for this experience start at $196 per person; children 2 and younger tour for free.

The mansion tour will take about 90 minutes to complete. Those who decide to tour the rest of Graceland's offerings should budget at least 3 1/2 hours to explore.

Tourgoers can purchase tickets online or at the box office on-site. Tickets purchased online can be printed at home or downloaded on a smartphone (which saves time). You can also choose to pick up your tickets at will call; you must have a photo ID to pick them up. Patrons may also purchase a multiday ticket to access Elvis Presley's Memphis for an additional one, two or three days. Multiday tickets start at $17 per adult and can be purchased on-site only.

Tickets for exhibits at the Graceland Exhibition Center are not included in any Graceland tickets and require additional entrance fees. Tickets for those exhibits can be purchased on Graceland's website.

Which Graceland experience you choose largely depends on your fascination with the King. Graceland visitors mention that even non-Elvis fans will enjoy the tour and the up-close look at the entertainer's famous lifestyle. Visitors also appreciate the audio tour narrated by John Stamos. They recommend upgrading your tour to one of the VIP options, saying it is well worth the additional cost.

Graceland is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. (depending on the day of the week and time of year). It closes or has abbreviated hours on holidays. The last mansion tour begins at 4 or 5 p.m., depending on the day and time of year.

The best time to visit Graceland depends on what kind of experience you want. Travelers should check out Graceland's events calendar as the complex and its hotel, the Guest House at Graceland, host numerous weekend events, concerts and daytrips to Elvis' hometown throughout the year. Visitors in the mood for a festive atmosphere will want to book a trip in late November, December or early January to see the estate's holiday lights display and decorations.

Andrea Zucker | Courtesy of Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Visit the mansion after 2 p.m. to enjoy fewer crowds and shorter wait times, as this is the slowest time of day. (Multiple travelers note long wait times when arriving before this time). Check Graceland's website for exact opening times; there are certain days and holidays where hours vary.
• You're welcome to bring cameras, but flash photography is not permitted.
• Video cameras cannot be brought into the mansion, attractions or gift shops.
• Note that two rooms in the basement of the mansion and the airplanes are not wheelchair accessible.
• Bring a permanent marker to sign the famous Graceland wall before you leave.

Patrons can reach Graceland by car. On-site parking costs $10. The lot is located next to Elvis Presley's Memphis and the ticket booth. The only way to get to the mansion itself is by shuttle, which is included in your ticket price. The shuttle pickup is across from the ticketing pavilion.

There are also a few public transportation options. The Memphis Hop, a hop-on, hop-off bus tour, makes stops every hour at several attractions in the city, including Graceland. This bus generally runs Wednesday through Saturday (it may not operate on Fridays during select months), and tickets cost approximately $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 4 to 12. Memphis Area Transit Authority No. 42 bus route stops close to Graceland.

Nashville sits about 215 miles northeast of Graceland (an approximately 3 1/2-hour drive).

Yes. You'll find options for tours from Nashville (and more) below:

• Gray Line Tennessee:  Nashville to Memphis with Skip-The-Line Graceland VIP Tour & Sun Studio. View & Book Tickets: Viator | GetYourGuide  
• Graceland:  Elvis Presley's Childhood Home with Lunch & Transportation from Memphis. View & Book Tickets: Viator | GetYourGuide  
• Memphis Best Tours:  Memphis City Tour with Admission to One Memphis Attraction.  View & Book Tickets »
• Blues City Tours: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour. View & Book Tickets »

You may also be interested in:

• The Best Memphis Tours
• The Best Nashville Tours
• The Best Whitewater Rafting in Tennessee
• The Top Things to Do in Tennessee
• The Best Places to Visit in Tennessee

Tags: Elvis Presley , Tennessee , Tours , Vacations , Travel , Tennessee Vacations , US Vacations , Southeast Vacations

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Take a look inside Graceland — the Memphis mansion that Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n' Roll, called home

• Graceland is the 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee, that Elvis Presley once called home.
• The King of Rock 'n' Roll lived in the house from 1957 until his death in 1977.
• Since 1982, Graceland has operated as a museum.

It's been 46 years since Elvis Presley died, but legions of fans still flock to Memphis, Tennessee, to see the sprawling Graceland estate the star once called home.

Per the official Graceland website , Presley lived in the mansion from 1957 until his death in 1977. Located off a highway that was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard in 1971, the two-story residence sits on 13.8 acres of land.

Since 1982, Graceland has operated as a museum dedicated to the star. Ticket packages offer access to the mansion, with prices for adults starting at $77. According to the website , it has hosted over 20 million visitors from across the globe.

The Graceland estate did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Also known as the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Presley was a cultural icon of the 20th century.

Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Mississippi. Heavily influenced by the country, gospel, and blues music that he listened to as a child, Presley started his singing career in 1954.

With hits such as "Hound Dog" and "Can't Help Falling in Love with You," he would go on to become one of the most successful performers of all time, with 14 Grammy nominations and millions of records sold, per the Recording Academy .

On August 16, 1977, Presley collapsed in his Graceland home and was found unconscious by his girlfriend, Ginger Alden. She documented the moment she found him on the master bathroom floor in her 2014 memoir, The Mirror reported.

According to The New York Times , coroners pronounced him dead on the same day, with the official cause of death attributed to heart failure. He was 42 years old.

Presley purchased the Graceland estate in 1957 for $102,500.

The Colonial Revival-style mansion, which was built in 1939, has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms, The Guardian reported after a tour of the house. About half of the 23 rooms in the house are off-limits to visitors, including the entire second floor — where the star's master suite is located.

According to the Graceland website , visitors are only allowed access to common spaces, including the living room, the kitchen, and the TV room. Spanning 17,552 square feet, the sprawling residence has five sets of staircases, three fireplaces, and a kidney-shaped swimming pool.

Presley frequently had friends and family over at the mansion, including an entourage of confidants and associates the media dubbed the " Memphis Mafia ." Some members of the group were childhood friends of Presley's, including his bodyguards Red and Sonny West.

In 2006, Graceland was designated a National Historic Landmark, per the National Park Service .

One of the most iconic features of Graceland is the entrance gate. Designed to resemble a musical score, there are figures on the gate depicting the star with his guitar.

According to the museum's website , Presley had the the gate — which cost $1,339 — installed shortly after he purchased the residence. Throngs of fans would wait by the gate in hopes of catching a glimpse of their idol. Occasionally, he would also sign autographs for them through the gate.

"Back in the day, if you were ever at the gates of Graceland and you saw the cars around the front of the mansion, that meant Elvis was home," Angie Marchese — the Graceland archivist — told The Daily Express .

The brick wall that surrounds the estate is also popular with fans, the website states. Over the years, it has been covered in personal messages that fans have left in memory of their idol.

The interiors of Graceland are lavishly decorated. The living area has a custom-built 15-foot sofa and a 10-foot coffee table.

The sofa was originally a metallic blue, but Presley later had it reupholstered in white — which is what it still looks like today, per the Graceland website . He added the stained-glass windows in 1974 and chose to use a peacock design, which symbolizes eternal life and resurrection in ancient Christianity.

The dining room, which has black marble flooring in the center, was a place for Presley and his friends to gather.

"Elvis sat at the head of the table because it did give him one of the best views of the TV that's over to the corner on the right," Marchese said during a 2020 Instagram Live on the estate's official account .

There's also a button under the table where they could ring the kitchen if they needed more food, she added.

One of the most famous rooms in Graceland is the Jungle Room.

The room's name only came about after the mansion opened to the public. Presley personally picked out the Polynesian-inspired furniture because it reminded him of Hawaii, which was his favorite holiday spot, per the museum's website . He installed a waterfall and covered the room in plants to complete the look.

A shag carpet covers both the floor and the ceiling, per the website. This soundproofed the room and allowed Presley to turn the space into a makeshift recording studio. Presley recorded some of the songs on his album "From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee," here.

The pool room features fabric-lined walls and ceiling, which took 10 days to install.

Presley worked with a designer, Bill Eubanks, to come up with the room's concept, the Graceland website states. A crew of three people was needed to cut and attach around 350 to 400 yards of cotton fabric strips onto the walls and ceiling.

Presley died upstairs in his master suite, and it has been preserved exactly as he left it.

"It looks as if he just got up and left," Marchese said during the 2020 Instagram Live. "The record on the record player is the last record he listened to. There's a styrofoam cup that sits on a bookshelf."

Towards the end of his life, Presley spent much of his time holed up in his bedroom upstairs, especially if he was "in pyjamas or unshaven," Alden told The Daily Express .

The TV room, which is designed in a navy, white, and yellow color scheme, has three television sets.

Inspired by US President Lyndon Johnson, who liked to watch three news broadcasts simultaneously, Presley also wanted three television sets in his TV room, per the official Graceland website .

Although the upper floor remains off-limits, Presley's office desk has been brought down and turned into an exhibit for fans to see.

Presley's record label, RCA, gave him the desk as a gift for selling one million copies of the "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack, Marchese told The Daily Express .

Presley's gold records are on display in the Hall of Gold in the Trophy Building.

Presley constructed a new wing in the mansion in the mid-1960s to store a slot car track, as stated in Graceland's National Historic Landmark Nomination application . Connected to the main house via a sheltered walkway, the estate subsequently renamed the new wing the "Trophy Building" and remodeled it to house his awards.

The estate updated the building in 2017 to feature an exhibit that focuses on Presley's personal life and his family, per the Graceland website . Some items on display include his wedding outfit, family photos, and his daughter's childhood toys.

Presley enjoyed playing racquetball. After he died, the racquetball building was transformed into an additional trophy hall for a few years.

The entire room was filled with posthumous awards and included a display of his famous jumpsuits, per the museum's website . In 2017, the racquetball court was restored to its original condition and all the trophies were moved into a new exhibit.

Presley has been laid to rest alongside his parents on the grounds of the Graceland estate, in the Meditation Garden.

Elvis Week, which commemorates the anniversary of Presley's death, takes place between August 9 and August 17, per the museum's website .

Every year, fans from around the world flock to Graceland to leave flowers at his grave. The estate hosts around 500,000 visitors every year.

Presley's only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, will also be buried in Graceland, next to her late son Benjamin Keough and close to her father.

Lisa Marie Presley died on January 12, 2023, at 54. The announcement of her death came hours after her mother Priscilla Presley confirmed she had been rushed to the hospital.

In an August 2022 essay she penned for People Magazine , Lisa Marie spoke about grief and how she was "destroyed" by her son Benjamin Keough's death. She also blamed herself "every single day."

Keough died by suicide in July 2020 , at 27, and was buried at Graceland.

A representative for Riley Keough, Lisa Marie's eldest daughter, confirmed in a statement to Insider that her mother will be buried next to her son.

Elvis Presley saw a resurgence in popularity last year when the Baz Luhrmann movie, "Elvis," starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks came out in theaters.

Members of the cast showed up at Graceland for the Memphis premiere of the film on June 12, 2022, per the daily Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal .

A press junket to promote the film was also in the screening, including a GMA interview with Tom Hanks and Austin Butler recorded in the Jungle room.

January 17, 2023: This story has been updated to reflect details of Lisa Marie Presley's death and burial arrangement.

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How to visit Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley

Elvis’s beloved, outré mansion is the second-most visited private home in the US, beaten only by the White House. Here are some tips on making the most of a visit to the former residence of the King.

Pay your respects for free

Time it well and you can visit Graceland ’s grounds without spending a dime. Every morning (aside from Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, when the site is closed), from 7.30am to 8.30am, fans can pass through the gates free of charge for an hour of quiet contemplation at Elvis’s graveside.

Plan around peak season

The party kicks off from 5-8 January for Elvis’s birthday celebrations, where crowds flock for a cake-cutting ceremony sometimes hosted by his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley. There are events all across Memphis, too, but plan ahead as hotels book up lightning fast. The bustle returns for the week surrounding 16 August, the anniversary of Elvis’s death, when celebrations go all out, with tribute artists in bejewelled jumpsuits and a moving candlelight vigil.

Hop on the shuttle

Combine Graceland with a visit to Sun Studio and stand in the precise spot where Elvis first belted out That’s All Right. A free shuttle whisks guests between the two landmarks every hour.

Bring the kids

Graceland is family friendly. A new entertainment complex includes interactive attractions such as an LED dancefloor quiz and a photo booth. Inside the mansion, children gravitate towards the hyper-themed rooms, including the Jungle Room, with its green carpet and neon-lit indoor waterfall.

Arrive fashionably late

Dodge the queues by visiting after 2pm, when things start to wind down, but there are still a couple of hours to take it all in before the site closes at 4pm.  

Don't miss

Sample a peanut butter and banana sandwich grilled in bacon grease — one of Elvis’s favourite eats — at the on-site Gladys’ Diner.

Published in the March 2023 issue of  National Geographic Traveller (UK)  

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This Graceland Virtual Tour Takes You Inside Elvis’ Home

The magnificent mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, known as Graceland was the pride of singer and actor Elvis Presley. He spent his first night there on June 26, 1957, opening the gates to an amazing era of music history that remarkably lives on to this day. Over the 20 years he spent there, the property was “Elvis-ized,” with myriad changes to suit the eclectic taste of “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

Today, it’s part museum and shrine, a bucket-list destination for millions of fans, as well as Elvis’ gravesite. With more than 600,000 annual visitors, it’s the third-most visited house in the U.S., behind the Biltmore Estate and the White House. 

Ready to take a peek inside? Slip on something comfortable (we recommend “Blue Suede Shoes”), and join us for this Graceland virtual tour!

Entering the Estate

The property is located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard.

It’s encircled by a wall constructed of pink Alabama fieldstone, built at a cost of $65,000 and installed shortly before the Presleys moved here. 

Signing the Wall

Today, the wall is covered with graffiti and professions of affection for Elvis.

Don’t worry, there’s still room for your personal contribution, which we recommend you add before entering the gates.

The Front Gates

The gates at the bottom of the curving driveway were installed at a cost $1,339 in 1957. They were designed by Abe Saucer and built by John Dillard, Jr. of Memphis Doors.

Adorned with musical notes and artistic outlines of Elvis playing guitar, they resemble sheet music. 

The Perfect Photo-Op

There are a number of photographs like this one of a beaming Elvis posing with the gates. He would even sometimes stand here and sign autographs for fans.

Just behind the gates to the right is the guardhouse, which was added in 1970.

Entryway to Graceland

At the top of the hill is the Entryway to Graceland. Here, you’re greeted by a pair of white lions, two white iron benches and four imposing Corinthian columns flanking the front door. 

The home’s exterior is covered with a special limestone, sourced from a quarry in Mississippi. It has a tan color that contrasts pleasantly with the green shutters on either side of the eight paned windows. Surprisingly, it exudes an air of subtlety.

The Doorway

A beautiful panel of ornate stained glass sits above the doorway — four flowers around a “P” in a golden circle. The flower pattern flanks the front door as well in thin, vertical panes. 

Extravagant stained-glass artwork is found in many locations throughout Graceland.

A Little Graceland History

Before we step inside the estate, here’s a little bit of history first. The estate received its identity from the original owner, who named it Graceland Farms after his daughter Grace. 

The nearly 14-acre property remained in the prominent Memphis family for several generations, leading to the construction of the 10,266-square-foot Colonial Revival style mansion in 1939.

The King Takes Over

Under the guidance of his parents, Elvis purchased it on March 19, 1957, for the then-princely sum of $102,500. He was just 22, less than a year from his groundbreaking “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance, a breakout star looking for a little privacy and something to grow into.

He’d spent only a year at his previous “Music City” residence (the nearby 1034 Audubon Drive), ultimately realizing the constant crush of fans gathered at the driveway was too much for the neighbors. 

A National Treasure

Graceland, which has 23 rooms, was extensively remodeled by Presley (his mother reportedly vetoed purple walls and white corduroy drapes) and authentically reflects his taste, as well as style influences of the 1960s and early ’70s. 

It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

First-Floor Map

Elvis’ parents, Vernon and Gladys, and his grandmother, Minnie Mae, actually lived with him in the 17,552-square-foot dwelling, which served as Elvis’ headquarters for two decades until his fatal heart attack there on Aug. 16, 1977.

The first floor features a luxurious living room and the adjacent, slightly understated music room. On the other side of the first floor is a formal dining room, with the kitchen tucked just behind it. A ground-level bedroom, accessed from the back of the foyer, was occupied primarily by Elvis’ parents. 

Shall we take a look?

Upon entry into the foyer, you face the staircase to the second floor, which is roped off and closed to the public. To the left, behind a white urn on a mirrored pedestal, is a framed baby portrait of Lisa Marie. Elliptical arch openings on either side lead to the Living and Dining rooms.

To the right of the stairs is a short hallway which ends at a first-floor bedroom. A small table, with a mirror hung above it, is the only decoration on it. As was the case when Elvis was alive, there’s always a vase full of flowers.

The white-carpeted 15-step staircase has a white-and-gold accented railing on the right side, with mirrors covering the left wall. 

Along with the mirrors, there’s a portrait of Elvis as a young man. He’s wearing a white shirt and a placid expression. His hair is noticeably lighter, which suggests he’d recently been discharged from the Army. Elvis wasn’t able to dye his hair black when he was a soldier.

The Chandelier

The chandelier that hangs above the stairs was the third installed by Elvis. It was placed there in 1974.

Atop the stairs, at the first landing, there are blue drapes covering the wall, with gold trimming. To reach Elvis’ bedroom, you turn right to a landing that’s just outside the bedroom door.

Living Room

Immediately to the right of the foyer is the living room. It features white furniture and white carpet, with an open doorway to the music room at the far end. 

A pair of elegant rainbow-hued stained-glass peacocks captures your attention immediately. The artful cacophony of color was the creation of Laukuff Stained Glass. The birds were installed in 1974 at a cost of $9,345, a price that included several other stained-glass pieces. Elvis commissioned them as an ancient Christian symbol of eternal life and resurrection.

Custom-Made Decor

The living room boasts mirrored walls, a white-marble fireplace and a 10-foot, glass-topped, custom-made coffee table. Just inside, to the left, is a portrait of Elvis hung on a mirrored wall above a cabinet with a framed photo of his parents. 

The sofa, while not wide enough to hold Elvis’ famed “Memphis Mafia” collection of friends and advisors, was a spacious 15 feet from armrest to armrest. It was purchased for $1,375 in 1957.

Just beyond the living room, as you pass between the preening peacocks, is the music room. Originally used as a solarium by the previous owners, Elvis transformed the 17-by-14-foot space into a cozy location to entertain dinner guests on the piano. 

Several pianos occupied the room through the years, but the King’s favorite was a 1912 Knabe grand that he purchased in 1957 and had painted white.

The room also contains the ubiquitous television. Elvis had them installed in countless locations throughout the house. 

As an RCA recording artist, he received them for free from the company, which was a leading TV manufacturer. 

Dining Room

The formal dining room is located on the other side of the foyer. It has curio cabinets in both corners, black marble flooring in the center and a carpeted perimeter.

The dining table featured a hidden button, installed on the underside, used by Elvis to buzz the kitchen, which is just through an open door to the right. 

Dining Room Windows

The windows in the dining room, which face the front yard, are nearly floor to ceiling, framed by lush blue drapes with gold tassels. 

A mirror sits between the two windows, partially obstructed by a massive oak cabinet displaying a collection of silverware.

The King of Blue Drapes

Elvis loved blue drapes so much that they didn't just adorn the dining room.

The same drapes are found in the living room and atop the foyer staircase. 

The kitchen has an upscale 1970s look, right down to the appliances. It’s cozy and functional, not grand. There’s a TV (of course) on a small counter and a breakfast bar with stool seats. 

In addition to the TV, two black-and-white monitors provide the live video feed from Elvis’ security cameras. A pair of stained-glass lights hang from chains; their artwork depicts fruits and vegetables.

Top-of-the-Line Kitchen Gadgets

The refrigerator, which held all of the fixin’s for Elvis’ favorite meals, is a double-door model that was uncommon in most kitchens. The oven, a Tappan Fabulous 400, is similarly state of the art for its time. Elvis loved to own the latest gadgets, evidence of which is an early model microwave oven.

Notably, patterned carpet covers the floor. One can only imagine the mess if a griddle-fried, peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich or perhaps BBQ spaghetti (among Elvis’ favorites) fell onto the floor. 

First-Floor Bedroom

Tucked behind the living room is a small bedroom, originally used by Elvis’ parents and later by his grandmother and aunt. 

There’s a bathroom, allowing complete privacy for the inhabitant, despite its proximity to the main quarters. The bathroom’s wallpaper is decorated with poodles in various forms of fun and frolic.

Remodeled in 1974 with a yellow-and-black theme, Elvis had a lightning bolt and cloud painted on the back wall in tribute to the logo he adopted in the 1970s.

A wall in the TV room is embedded with three TVs (inspired by the knowledge that then-President Lyndon Johnson had a trio of sets to simultaneously watch the network news) with a deep-pillowed couch to relax in.

A Closer Look

If you look closer at the TV room, the ceiling and one wall are mirrored, and the carpet is yellow shag. A fireplace adds a feeling of warmth to the room, even if it appears that it was never lit.

Elvis’ collection of vinyl LPs and 45 RPM records sits on a shelf.

In-Home Theater Experience — Complete With a Wet Bar

A pull-down projector screen descended from the ceiling for movie viewing. For sound, there’s high-powered audio equipment located in custom-cut shelves in the TV wall.

A U-shaped wet bar, with yellow Formica countertop and padded elbow-rests, along with shelves of cocktail-related curios, completed the entertainment hideaway. 

Jungle Room

Added by Elvis as one of the first true “man caves,” the jungle room looked out to the backyard. It was designed by Bernard Grenadier, who also created the estate’s meditation garden. 

On the room’s north end was a built-in waterfall wall of cut fieldstone.

The Ultimate Man Cave

The rest of the jungle room features, among other extravagances, faux fur-covered Polynesian-themed furniture, hard-carved chests and cabinets, and lime-colored, shag carpet.

Note that the ceiling is also covered in the same carpet. 

A Temporary Studio Space

There are hanging ferns, mirrors, an array of jungle-themed lamps and a Tiki bar at the far end of the jungle room. Animal figures are everywhere. Elvis had a thing for primates, in particular. His favorite was a chimpanzee named “Scatter” whose previous owner was a Memphis TV personality.

In early 1976, a mobile recording unit was set up at Graceland, and Elvis transformed the jungle room into a temporary studio, from which he recorded “From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee.”

Billiards Room

Adjacent to the jungle room is the billiards room, where Elvis shot pool and relaxed with his crew. Originally a library, Elvis channeled the vision for his personal pool hall from a painting of an 18th-century billiards room. 

The room is covered in fabric — more than 300 yards of it! — including the ceiling. It reportedly took a team of workers 10 days to hang it. The project required the installation of hundreds of special rods so the fabric could extend from the walls in cascading ribbons. 

Other Billiards Room Accents

The stained-glass chandelier above the table’s green felt is surprisingly understated for a man of Elvis’ flamboyant tastes. The colors are blue and green, with a touch of red. 

A rip in the table’s green felt top remains, reportedly from a colleague’s failed attempt at a trick shot.

Second-Floor Map

The second floor of Graceland remains closed to the public out of respect for the family’s privacy. It features a master bedroom and accompanying master bathroom, a small office and a dressing room that was converted into a bedroom for Elvis’ bodyguard. 

In the rear corner, diagonally opposite the master bedroom, is the bedroom that was occupied by Lisa Marie, Elvis’ baby daughter.

Master Bedroom

Unfortunately, we can't show you the luxurious master suite because the only people allowed to enter are Elvis’ former wife Priscilla, daughter Lisa Marie and the Graceland curator. It faces the front yard and was accessed by climbing the foyer staircase and turning right. 

A door at the top of the stairs leads to a short hallway with a black-upholstered leather door that opens to Elvis’ private area. What we do know is his black bed was 9 feet by 9 feet, and beside the bed, which at one time was draped in a red canopy with large gold tassels, sat a red telephone. The bathroom where Elvis died is to the right of the bed as you enter the suite.

Elvis' Upstairs Office

While you can't see Elvis' upstairs office in person, a mock version of it was part of a VIP exhibit at Graceland.

The exhibit titled, "Elvis Through His Daughter's Eyes,"  ran from 2012 to 2014.

Lisa Marie’s Bedroom

The room occupied by Elvis’ daughter looked out on the sundeck above the jungle room with a view of the backyard. 

It contained a circular, faux-fur, canopy bed and a private bathroom.

Racquetball Building

Set aside from the house, the racquetball building was added to the grounds in 1975, coming in at $200,000, nearly twice the price of the original Graceland purchase. 

It was Elvis’ personal sports complex, with a weight-training area on the ground floor, full-size racquetball court, Jacuzzi and dressing room upstairs. His shower was equipped with five gold-plated showerheads.

Racquetball Building Lounge Area

The building also had a lounge area with leather furniture, a bar, pinball machines and a piano for relaxing after a workout. 

The court is exactly as it was the day of his death, save for Elvis’ racquet under glass, just beyond a velvet rope that keeps visitors off the hardwood floor.

Trophy Building

Known today as the trophy building, the wing was built in 1966. Elvis first used it for elaborate slot car racing tracks. 

Later, it housed his growing collection of awards. 

The Hall of Gold

The Hall of Gold is, perhaps, the most striking aspect of the trophy building.

It displays all of Elvis’ Gold and Platinum albums and singles, along with three Grammy Awards.

Elvis Memorabilia to the Max

The trophy building also displays a stunning array of stage costumes, musical instruments and movie memorabilia.

You can gaze at his birth certificate, his junior high report card and Priscilla’s spectacular wedding dress. 

Swimming Pool

Added in 1957, the simple kidney-shaped pool and cut-stone patio was a playground for Elvis and his pals. Measuring 18 feet wide and 36 feet in length, it’s virtually unchanged in the decades since he passed. 

It’s surprisingly basic: white plaster, pale-blue tiles, old-style concrete coping and a diving board without railings or stairs.

Pool Maintenance

Nobody is allowed to swim in the pool, but it has been maintained by Roy Reed for years. Reed has his share of stories, one of which features an opportunistic employee who sold tiny vials of Elvis’ pool water for $1 each. There’s also the tale of Elvis using the freshly dug pool as a temporary donkey pen.  

It’s filled with saltwater and was built at a cost of $8,481.

Meditation Garden

Just south of the pool, the meditation garden was created in 1965 as a contemplative space. Now, it’s Elvis’ final resting place, alongside his parents and grandmother. There’s also a small monument in honor of Elvis’ stillborn twin brother, Jessie.

The garden was converted to its current configuration, as a burial memorial ground, after an attempt to steal Elvis’ coffin from nearby Forest Hill Cemetery. Reportedly, the plan was to hold it for ransom. 

Elvis' Grave

Elvis’ body and that of his mother were brought to Graceland on Oct. 2, 1977.

His father was interred there two years later, followed by his grandmother in 1980. 

The Eternal Flame

Within the meditation garden, there’s a circular pool with five fountain jets, a pergola with Ionic columns and a brick wall with four works of stained glass set in arched openings.

An eternal flame burns above a plaque that includes the words “may this flame reflect our never ending respect and love for you.” 

The Barn and Stables

Built in 1939, the barn is one of the oldest structures on the property. It’s located near the rear property line and serves as a stable for the horses at Graceland.

Horses still graze in the surrounding pastures, reportedly one each for Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie. The barn proudly remains a historic link to the estate’s original identity.

Elvis’ Source of Peace

The presence of the steeds and the stillness of the barn were considered therapeutic and a source of peace for Elvis. His favorite was a golden Palomino quarter horse named “Rising Sun” who was purchased in 1966. Fittingly, he named the barn “House of the Rising Sun.” 

Elvis also owned a black Tennessee Walking Horse known as “Bear.” His daughter, Lisa Marie, rode a Shetland pony named “Moriah” that Elvis led on a halter.

Vernon’s Office

The business of running Graceland was largely the responsibility of Elvis’ father, Vernon Presley.

He worked out of a little building that had the pictured hand-drawn message on a sign affixed to the door. We can't help but love the use of the word "loafing" here.

A Place of Normalcy

Vernon's office is oddly normal — like a traditional office, albeit with a number of Elvis portraits (much of them sent by fans) set here and there. It had wood-paneled walls, a collection of desks, file cabinets, a copy machine and electric typewriters. 

In a departure from the rest of Graceland, the carpeting isn’t shag, or eye-catching. It’s a tight, simple weave in a neutral color.

The Smokehouse Turned Shooting Range

A one-story, two-room brick structure was a part of Graceland Farms before Elvis’ ownership. It was used as a smokehouse by Vernon Presley to cure and smoke pork. At one time, he even raised hogs on the property. 

Later, the humble smokehouse structure was converted into a Shooting Range for Elvis and his gun-loving cronies. At the rear of the building were four thick wooden posts, with a target hung in front of them. 

One of those paper targets, loaded with bullet holes from Elvis’ many firearms, fetched $27,000 at auction.

The ‘Lisa Marie’ Aircraft

Elvis owned five planes. Two are on permanent display at Graceland. The largest is a Convair 880 purchased in 1975 for $250,000. He named it “Lisa Marie” after his daughter. Elvis spent $350,000 refurbishing it, adding two half-baths, a lounge area, conference room, sitting room and a master bedroom with a queen-size bed. 

The custom touches include gold-plated seatbelt buckles, 24-karat gold-flecked sinks, leather-topped tables, state-of-the-art 8-track stereo connected to 52 speakers and a phone system.

‘Hound Dog II’

There’s also a 10-seat Lockheed Jetstar on the grounds. Elvis dubbed it “x.” He purchased it for roughly $900,000 while waiting for the “Lisa Marie” to be refurbished. 

The interior has a funky green-and-yellow theme, and while not as customized as its counterpart, it was still luxurious. He didn’t fly on the jets for very long. Elvis died two years after their purchase, at age 42.

His Legacy Continues

Elvis fans continue to celebrate the life of the beloved rock star. Each year, there are candlelight vigils held at Graceland on the anniversary of his death.

This photo shows fans at his home on Aug. 15, 2017, to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

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The famous Graceland Mansion was home to many members of the Presley family from Elvis and Priscilla to his aunt Delta.

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Elvis Presley , known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, is estimated to have sold over one billion records worldwide, according to Guinness World Records. His fame extended well beyond his records, and throughout his life he also acted in 31 feature films and two theatrically released concert documentary films. His prolific career saw no less 149 songs of his appear on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Chart in the United States.

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With his fame and fortune, Presley purchased his home Graceland in 1957 for $102,500 in Memphis, Tennessee. The price was the equivalent of over $1.1 million today.

The property was originally a 500-acre farm owned by the S.E. Toof family. The land was in the Toof family for generations and was named after one of the family’s relatives, Grace. In 1939, Grace’s niece, Ruth Brown Moore, and her husband Dr. Thomas Moore, built the mansion, which became well known to Memphis locals.

Some of Elvis’ modifications to Graceland included a pink Alabama fieldstone wall surrounding the grounds, that now has years of graffiti. Presley also had Abe Sauer, a local artisan, design and build a wrought-iron gate designed in the shape of sheet music with silhouettes of him playing guitar.

The mansion also includes a kidney-shaped swimming pool and a racquetball court .

The exterior of the mansion is a Colonial Revival style, with a side-facing gabled roof covered in asphalt shingles. Two one-story wings are featured on the north and south sides of the property. The mansion has two chimneys, one on the north and south side. The central block’s front and side faces are veneered with tan Tishomingo limestome from Elvis’ birth state, Mississippi.

Graceland also features a shooting range and a full horse stable. Presley also had a meditation garden designed and built by Bernard Grenadier that he used as his thinking space.

The mansion boasts 17,552 square feet of space and 23 rooms, including eight bedrooms and four bathrooms. There is a first floor, second floor and basement. Elvis also had rooms for his trophies, which are now on display in the first-floor museum portion of the property. Known for his love of cars, the property also features an extensive garage.

Upon Elvis’ death in 1977, his father Vernon Presley served as the executor of his estate. Lisa Marie became the sole heir of the estate; her inheritance was held in a trust until her 25th birthday, on Feb. 1, 1993.

After Elvis’ death, Graceland cost around $480,000 a year to keep up, according to LA Times . Faced with estate’s expensive costs, Priscilla came up with a plan to turn it into a business opportunity.

She hired a chief executive officer to turn Graceland into a museum, making it a tourist destination. Graceland opened to the public in 1982, attracting around 300,000 visitors throughout the year.

Visitors are not allowed on the second floor, which is where Elvis’ body was discovered when he was pronounced dead in 1977.

In 1968, Priscilla gave birth to their daughter Lisa Marie Presley, who spent her early years at Graceland until her parents’ divorce in 1972, when she moved to California with her mother. She would frequently visit throughout her childhood.

The last member of the Presley family to occupy Graceland mansion was Elvis’ aunt Delta, who died in 1993.

Lisa Marie Presley’s estate has full ownership of Graceland mansion and her father’s personal belongings ranging from costumes to cars. Before her death, she made the mansion permanently available for tours.

Lisa Marie Presley passed away on Jan. 12 at 54, hours after being hospitalized following an apparent cardiac arrest. She was the only daughter of the late music legend Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley.

The mansion itself was passed onto Lisa Marie’s oldest daughter, Riley Keough, following her death. Presley’s son, Benjamin Keough, passed away at 27. In August, a Los Angeles judge approved Riley Keough as the sole heir of her late mother’s estate, also making her the owner of Graceland.

The mansion remains not only a tourist attraction, but a staple in pop culture. In June 2022, actors Austin Butler and Tom Hanks visited the mansion and were interviewed virtually for “Good Morning America” to talk about their biographical film “Elvis.” The film featured a recreation of the iconic estate. Sofia Coppola’s film “Priscilla” documenting the life of Priscilla Presley, will also feature scenes at a recreation of Graceland, showcasing her life at the mansion with Elvis. “Priscilla” was released in theaters on Oct. 27.

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Elvis’ hideaway and other tours not to be missed at Modernism Week in Palm Springs

Palm Springs’ Modernism Week returns to the California desert, highlighted by rare home tours, day trips to Joshua Tree, poolside parties and more.

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Not even epic rain and gray skies can diminish the sun-kissed Midcentury Modern architecture on display at Modernism Week in Palm Springs, the annual celebration of 20th century design highlighted by poolside parties, celebrity home tours — including the House of Tomorrow, a futuristic Midcentury Modern home where Elvis and Priscilla Presley famously honeymooned — and Rat Pack tributes.

This year’s event, which takes place Feb. 16-23, includes more than 300 events and branches out to include nearby Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Cathedral City and the popular tourist destination Joshua Tree .

Here, we offer 10 highlights that, as of our deadline, are still available. For a list of all events and to purchase tickets, go to modernismweek.com .

1. The House of Tomorrow (a.k.a. Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway) home tour

If you’ve already toured the futuristic House of Tomorrow (or posed for a selfie outside the Vista Las Palmas abode), you’ll appreciate the newly renovated Alexander Estate, where the Presleys famously honeymooned in 1967. The house, which has been updated, sold a few months ago for $5.65 million. Originally designed by Modernist architect William Krisel as a custom family home for Robert and Helene Alexander of the famed Alexander Construction Co., the futuristic house was built in 1960 and features four circular “pod” wings, a sunken living room with a beaker-shaped fireplace hood and floating hearth, stone walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. Note: The house is not ADA accessible. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 16-21. $55.

2. The Shag House home tour

Josh Agle, the artist popularly known as Shag , has collaborated with homeowner Brandon McBurney and designer John-Patrick Flynn to transform a Midcentury Modern pool home — originally designed by Desert Modern architects Palmer and Krisel for the Alexander Construction Co. — into a fully realized Shag painting. While the layout of the 1958 four-bedroom home remains the same, the rest has been updated for modern living, including a breezeway that has been converted into a swank party lounge. Feb. 18-19 (sold out). 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 20, 24-26. $35.

3. Modernism Week-featured home tour: Hi-Sun

Tour the personal residence of designers Kevin Kemper and Howard Hawkes of H3K Home+Design (we featured another one of their Midcentury Modern makeovers in 2018) in the historic Vista Las Palmas neighborhood. The 1963 home was designed by Charles Du Bois and built by the Alexander Construction Co. as a model home for the Las Palmas neighborhood’s Summit Estates development. Located within walking distance of Palm Springs’ main drag, the home features many original Midcentury Modern features, such as a stunning stone fireplace. The designers plan to be at the home tour and will answer questions about the home’s history and offer tips on how to bottle the Midcentury Modern vibes in a 21st century home. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 17-20; Feb. 24-26. $35.

4. Ocotillo Lodge tour

Tour all eight units in the historic Ocotillo Lodge, a former hotel-turned condo, designed by Palmer and Krisel in 1957. Once owned by singer-actor-cowboy Gene Autry and Lakers owner Jerry Buss, the complex features uniquely designed 525- and 590-square-foot units that include private or semi-private outdoor spaces and shared grounds originally designed by noted landscape architect Garrett Eckbo . 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 18. $95.

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5. Exclusive tour of the Kellogg Doolittle House in Joshua Tree

This one’s a splurge. In a rare opportunity, the 1988 Kellogg Doolittle House, which is prized for its organic architecture nestled into the rocky edge of Joshua Tree National Park , will be open to the public. Tickets are $1,000 and include motor coach transportation to and from Palm Springs, a gourmet boxed lunch and a guided tour of the property with the homeowner, craftsman John Vugrin and Lisa Vossler Smith, chief executive of Modernism Week. No interior photography permitted. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 20.

6. Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale

Antique malls can be all over the place design-wise, which is what makes the Midcentury Modern-focused Modernism Show & Sale at the Palm Springs Convention Center so much fun. The 22nd annual event will feature more than 120 exhibitors from around the country who will offer vintage furnishings, accessories, jewelry and more. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 18; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 19; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 20. Tickets are $30, good for return entry all weekend, and include a show catalog.

7. Cavanagh adobe house tour

At its core, Modernism Week is about historic preservation. And that is why you’ll find the 1922 Cavanagh Spanish Adobe — one of the oldest surviving homes in the Coachella Valley — listed on the tour itinerary for this year’s Modernism Week. The home in Indian Wells was built by brothers Albert and Hubert “Bert” Cavanagh, the latter of whom was a successful date rancher and onetime mayor of the town, from thousands of handmade adobe bricks that were produced on what was then a 20-acre site planted with date palms. The home features hand-hewn natural timbers and handmade roof tiles; Tunisian tile similar to those you’ll find at the Santa Barbara Courthouse; and Monterey Revival antiques and Early California collectibles. 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 24. $60.

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8. Sustainable home tour in the High Desert

Tour six homes that are powered exclusively by the sun, and in some cases are completely off-grid, in this self-driven home tour in the High Desert. Note that some of the homes are located on dirt roads and are not ADA-compliant. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 25. $70.

9. Vintage trailer show

In one of Modernism Week’s signature events, visitors get a chance to peek inside one-of-a-kind renovated vintage trailers, campers, buses and motor homes and meet the owners and craftspeople, who will be on hand to discuss the restoration process. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 25 and 26. $25.

10. Double-decker architectural bus tour

View the exteriors of some of Palm Springs’ most famous Midcentury Modern homes from the top of a double-decker bus. Tour highlights include William Krisel’s House of Tomorrow , Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann Desert House and E. Stewart Williams’ legendary “Twin Palms” estate , the former residence of Frank Sinatra. Other architecturally significant buildings on the tour include Palm Springs City Hall, St. Theresa Parish and the Palm Springs Visitors Center. Note: Seating is on the upper deck only. $120. Various dates.

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The Elvis Entourage VIP Tour: A Guide to Graceland, the Home of Elvis Presley

Updated: Mar 29

**Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Regardless of this, please be advised that all opinions expressed in this blog post are genuine and authentically my own.**

Author: Barry Pickard

When we set out to book a trip to Houston to attend a family member’s graduation, the plans quickly developed into a full blown road trip. Why spend just a week in Houston, when you can spend two weeks touring the American South by car?

My parents and mother-in-law would be joining Pamela and myself, so what a great opportunity to visit two highly significant places for them. My Mum has been an Elvis Presley fan since he swung his hips into action way back in 1956, so we made plans to visit Memphis. My Dad, on the other hand, has been interested in the John F Kennedy assassination since that shot rang out on a November afternoon in 1963, so we incorporated time in Dallas as well.

Back home, our itinerary planning skills went into overdrive, plotting out a packed four days in Memphis, that sprawling Tennessee city by the wide Mississippi River. Unsurprisingly, there is much to see and do in Memphis if you are fan of Elvis, and too much for just one blog post. So in this edition, I am just focusing on our trip to Graceland , and future blogs will cover the other attractions to be had.

We soon realised that we had struck lucky, as Graceland had received a significant expansion and the new ‘ Elvis Presley’s Memphis’ entertainment complex was open ready for our visit in May. Great timing!

We had decided to book the Elvis Entourage VIP Tour (which cost $98.75 per person) online. The main bonus of this package is that you get front-of-the-line Mansion access. This cut waiting times down significantly. The Graceland Mansion is separate from the entertainment complex, and can only be accessed by bus from the complex, and our package allowed us to get taken to the mansion and back again without delay. The package also gives you a Keepsake Backstage Pass and access to the Exclusive VIP Exhibit. We found that this exhibit, however, was unimpressive, certainly compared to the rest of the exhibits.

The tour of the Graceland Mansion was fascinating, and you were led around by an interactive iPad that you were issued with. The tour included only the ground and basement floors of the house, which still gave you access to the living room, Elvis’ parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, the TV room (which was a crazy entertainment room with three TVs side by side), the fun pool room, and of course, the famous Jungle Room.

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Obviously the Jungle Room was everyone’s favourite! Who wouldn’t want green carpet on the floors, walls and ceiling??

Outside, we visited the Trophy Building, which gave a fascinating insight into the life and times of Elvis through his personal mementos. My favourite displays were the homemade films that Elvis shot, showing fun times that he'd had at his sanctuary. We also had a chance to view Priscilla's wedding dress and Lisa Marie's cot.

There was also the chance to visit Vernon’s (Elvis’ father) Office and the Racquetball Building.

The tour of the mansion finishes off at the Meditation Garden. As the name suggests, this was a peaceful and touching resting place for Elvis and his family. Even though I wasn’t Elvis’ biggest fan, I couldn’t help but shed a little tear while standing at his grave. The whole Graceland experience was so well done and I really felt a connection with the man himself after immersing myself in all of the displays. After walking around Graceland, it would be hard not to feel some sort of emotion while paying respects at his shrine.

The tour round the Graceland Mansion was certainly the highlight of the visit, but it is by no means the only thing to see. Of particular interest to me was the Presley Motors Automobile Museum. I love my classic cars, and this was a great chance to see the famous Pink Cadillac (which he eventually gifted to his mother Gladys), as well as the 1960 MG used by Elvis in Blue Hawaii, and perhaps his favourite car, the 1973 Stutz Blackhawk. As well as the cars, I was really impressed with the museum itself, as it was spacious and well laid out, giving all of his many cars the space to really shine.

There was also the Presley Cycles exhibit; the Private Presley: Elvis in the Army Exhibit; Icons: The Influence of Elvis Presley Exhibit; and the Mystery Train: The Sam Phillips Exhibit, which describes the story of the record producer that discovered Elvis.

Special mention should also be made to the Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum. I must have spent almost an hour studying this amazing collection of jumpsuits and memorabilia!

The visit was rounded off with a short walk across the carpark to the Elvis’ Jets Exhibit. On show was his 1958 Convair 880, named Lisa Marie, and his smaller Lockheed Jet Star. Full access is given to the Convair, which you walk through, checking out his living room, conference room and even his bed, complete with oversized seat belt!

Where to Stay

If you are looking to stay near Graceland, there are a couple of excellent choices, such as The Guest House at Graceland , and the Holiday Inn Express . There are also budget options, such as the Super 7 Inn , and the Comfort Inn Airport .

If you are looking to stay nearer the centre of Memphis, there are a number of luxury options, such as the MOXY Memphis Downtown , and the ARRIVE Memphis . As for a more budget option, you won't go far wrong with the Best Western Plus Gen X Inn , or the La Quinta by Wyndham Memphis Downtown .

As I am sure you will have gathered by now – there is a lot to do and see at Graceland! We spent five hours there, and anyone thinking of going, should set aside at least 4 hours. As well as the exhibits, the complex has good facilities and restaurant options, and lots of opportunities to buy Elvis merchandise.

Related Blog Posts

If you are interested in finding out more about Elvis, please view the Tailor-Made Itineraries posts below:

Where was Elvis born? Fail if you said Memphis!

7 Memphis Locations That Should Not Be Missed By Elvis Presley Fans

Elvis Presley - The Memphis Recording Sessions

Food Fit for A King - Elvis Presley's Favourite Feasts

Join us next time when we visit two of Elvis' favourite restaurants, and eat his favourite dishes.

Comment below and let me know what was your favourite part of the VIP experience.

Don’t forget that Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if visiting Graceland appeals to you, reach out to me by email . I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating Graceland and other Elvis associated sites, or indeed, a general tour of Memphis.

Tailor-Made Itineraries posts every two weeks, and you can subscribe to the latest blog and newsletter here . Until then, happy reading and safe travels.

Contact Me: [email protected]

Tailor-Made Itineraries creates one-of-a-kind bespoke self-guided travel itineraries for adventurous and curious travellers.

These self-guided tours deliver a personalised and exciting holiday experience that takes the effort out of trip planning..

#ElvisPresley #Memphis #Tennessee #Mississippi #Graceland #ElvisEntourageVIPTour #JungleRoom #PriscillaPresley #LisaMariePresley #PinkCadillac #BlueHawaii #StutzBlackhawk #SamPhillips #Jumpsuit

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Top 20 Global Concert Tours from Pollstar

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The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers. Week of April 8, 2024 :

TOP 20 GLOBAL CONCERT TOURS

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• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

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Taylor Swift Is Officially a Billionaire Thanks to Eras Tour, Song Catalog and Real Estate Portfolio: Report

Swift's ongoing Eras Tour reportedly surpassed $1 billion in revenue last year

Karma is Taylor Swift becoming a billionaire.

According to a Forbes report published Tuesday, the 34-year-old pop superstar has officially reached billionaire status — thanks to her ongoing Eras Tour, extensive song catalog and real estate portfolio.

The publication reported that Swift is the only musician to earn the feat solely based on music and live performances, as the Eras Tour has surpassed $1 billion in revenue since its launch in March 2023.

Related: Taylor Swift Is Getting a Whole SiriusXM Channel Dedicated to Her — and It's Channel 13, Obviously

She's also earned quite a bit through the Eras Tour concert film , which became the highest-grossing concert film of all time with over $261 million earned at the box office since its Oct. 11 premiere.

Her earnings will likely only continue to rise with the upcoming release of her eleventh original studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , on April 19.

On Monday, Swift earned artist of the year at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards and teased "so many exciting things ahead of us" during her pre-recorded acceptance speech.

Related: Taylor Swift Teases 'Many Exciting Things Ahead' as She Wins Artist of the Year at 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards

"Hey! I wanted to say thank you so much to anyone who voted for this award," the Grammy winner said in the clip. "iHeart, you've also just been so incredibly supportive over the course of my entire career, but especially this year has been pretty spectacular. I am so grateful for that."

"You know, to the fans, it is completely up to you to choose how you spend your time, what concerts you want to go to, what music you want to make the soundtrack of your life. And to anyone who has included me in those choices, I am so, so, so thankful for that," Swift shared.

The "Lavender Haze" musician added, "We have so many exciting things ahead of us. I'm continuing on with the tour and, most importantly, I have a brand new album called  The Tortured Poets Department , which comes out on April 19. I cannot wait to share it with you."

Related: Sabrina Carpenter Says Being on the Eras Tour 'Feels Like a Broadway Show': 'I Feel So Lucky That I Get to Watch Taylor'

"So, thank you for voting for me for this incredible honor — artist of the year," Swift's thoughtful speech concluded. "I am so blown away and so thankful and I just can't wait to keep having fun with you guys because we have a lot of exciting things coming up. Thank you so much."

Following the release of The Tortured Poets Department , she'll resume the Eras Tour on May 9 with four shows in Nanterre, France, before continuing its European leg through August. Then, she's set to return to the United States for concerts from October through December.

Last year, research company QuestionPro predicted the Eras Tour could potentially  generate $4.6 billion for local economies  throughout the U.S. based on how much ticket holders are spending to attend each show — which was estimated to be over $1,300 for tickets, travel and elaborate outfits at the time.

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9 detained in Tajikistan in connection with Moscow concert hall attack, Russian state media report

Russia’s top investigative body claims to have evidence that the gunmen who attacked a suburban Moscow concert hall were financed by Ukraine.

People lay flowers and light candles standing next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Russia’s top state investigative agency says the death toll in the Moscow concert hall attack has risen to over 133. The attack Friday on Crocus City Hall, a sprawling mall and concert venue on Moscow’s western edge, also left many wounded and left the building a smoldering ruin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken from video released by Basmanny District Court press service on Friday, March 29, 2024, Lutfulloi Nazrimad, a suspect in the Crocus City Hall shooting, stands in a glass cage in the Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia. (Basmanny District Court press service via AP)

MOSCOW (AP) — Nine people have been detained by Tajikistan’s state security service over suspected contact with the perpetrators of last week’s attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said Friday.

The reported arrests came exactly a week after the massacre in the Crocus City Hall, in which gunmen shot people waiting for a show by a popular rock band and then set the building on fire. The four suspected attackers were arrested and identified as Tajik nationals.

An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest on Russian soil in years. The Kremlin, however, has insisted that Ukraine and the West had a role, something Kyiv has vehemently denied.

RIA Novosti said Friday, citing an unnamed source in Tajikistan’s security services, that those detained in the Central Asian country were residents of the Vakhdat district that lies east of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. The report said those detained are suspected of having connections with IS. Russian security forces were also involved in the operation to detain them, according to the agency.

In Russia, a total of nine suspects have faced court so far and were remanded in pre-trial detention. The latest hearing took place Friday, with a judge in the Basmanny District Court ruling that suspect Lutfulloi Nazrimad should be held in custody until at least May 22. Russian independent news site Mediazona cited Nazrimad as saying in court that he was born in Tajikistan.

Russian officials previously said that 11 suspects had been arrested, including four who allegedly carried out the attack. Those four, identified as Tajik nationals, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.

Russia’s Investigative Committee additionally said Thursday it had detained another suspect in relation to the raid on Crocus City Hall, on suspicion of being involved in financing the attack. It did not give further details of the suspect’s identity or alleged actions.

Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have persistently claimed, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine and the West had a role in the attack.

The Investigative Committee said Thursday that it has “confirmed data that the perpetrators of the terrorist attack received significant amounts of money and cryptocurrency from Ukraine, which were used in preparing the crime.” On Friday, the agency also claimed that the suspects said they were instructed to head to Kyiv after the attack to collect their payment.

Ukraine denies involvement and its officials claim that Moscow is pushing the allegation as a pretext to intensify its fighting in Ukraine .

The death toll from the raid continues to rise, with the number of deaths increasing to 144 on Friday when a severely injured victim died in a hospital, according to Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.

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At Tampa concert, Madonna reminds us why she’s the queen

• Maggie Duffy Times staff

TAMPA — She kept us waiting for hours in Amalie Arena.

But once Madonna took the stage a full two hours past the scheduled start of the 8:30 p.m. show, that didn’t matter. For the next two hours, the Queen of Pop showed us why she owns the title, and the multi-generational crowd gave back just as much energy.

DJ Mary Mac 5 Star set the vibe with a lively set. Then Bob the Drag Queen, dressed up like Marie Antoinette, got the crowd even more hyped as he introduced Madonna.

The singer’s Celebration Tour includes hits from the past four decades — the entirety of Madonna’s career — and features a troupe of dancers surrounding Madonna and working the stage, which had a long runway and elements suspended from the ceiling. Screens flashed video montages of photographs, artwork, scenes of New York City.

The tour was postponed last summer after Madonna suffered a severe bacterial infection that led to her being in a medically-induced coma for 48 hours . It’s pretty impressive that she’s bounced back relatively quickly.

After performing “Nothing Else Matters” — a song about how having children changed her life — alone on the stage, she was joined by dancers dressed as early 1980s punks for “Everybody” and “Into the Groove.”

Next, Madge grabbed an electric guitar and took us back to the iconic New York City punk club CBGB, where she first performed “Burning Up.”

Then she addressed the audience, saying that the show was the story of her life and she wanted us to “feel all the feels.”

“And really, Tampa, I’m only here every 40 years, so you should appreciate it,” she said, referring to the fact that she’s only performed here once before, in 1985.

She was accompanied by a person wearing a blank face mask throughout the show, who represented a younger version of herself that has stuck with her through the years. She gave herself a hug and reminded us to not forget where we came from.

“This isn’t a pop show, it’s more of a retrospective,” she said. “It’s performance art.”

Indeed. During “Open Your Heart,” there were nods to the memorable music video featuring a peepshow, and “Holiday” took us to a New York City nightclub, where the party reached a dizzying height, then took a heartbreaking turn as dancers started to fall to the ground. The refrain “Holiday” repeated as a haunting echo.

This led to a segment honoring those who were lost to AIDS, accompanied by a montage of their photographs while she performed “Live to Tell.” It began with a photo of former Tampa Bay resident Martin Burgoyne .

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The segment culminated with an emotional “Like a Prayer,” with dancers’ bodies morphing into poses of Jesus Christ during crucifixion and other feats of physicality. There was a nod to Prince — who had played guitar on the original track — with a guitarist wearing a purple-patterned suit and a sample of the spoken intro of “Let’s Go Crazy.”

Madonna has always been a strong and vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and this concert was a big kiss to it. Ballroom culture was celebrated in a joyful segment during “Vogue,” which featured her daughter Estere as the DJ. Dancers walked the runway

to be judged by Madonna and guest Monét X Change.

It wouldn’t be Madonna if there wasn’t a steamy sexual element, and that came with sensual choreography on “Erotica,” “Justify My Love” and “Hung Up,” then turned almost remorseful with “Bad Girl,” on which her daughter Mercy played the piano.

Things took a tender turn with “Mother and Father,” which she dedicated to her mother, who died when she was very young. A photo of her was on a screen, as was the photo of her adopted son David’s mother, who died in childbirth. David also accompanied on guitar.

Among her many costume changes, Madonna went Western chic and played “Express Yourself” on her guitar, which she slung over her back for “La Isla Bonita.” She donned a silver bodysuit and long pink wig as she flew over the stage in a square for “Ray of Light.”

A dedication to Michael Jackson came with a “Billie Jean” / “Like a Virgin” mashup, with dancers dressed like the duo silhouetted on a screen.

Madonna has dealt with the pressures of celebrity’s obsession with youth, which is alluded to with sound bites of her saying “To age is a sin” and “The most controversial thing I’ve ever done is to stick around.” People may expect her, at age 65, to act or dress a certain way. But instead, she reminds us what a trailblazer she is during “B---- I’m Madonna,” with dancers dressed in her most iconic looks through the years.

Whatever you do, don’t expect Madonna to stop.

Setlist for Madonna’s Tampa show

It’s a Celebration (Bob the Drag Queen intro)

Nothing Really Matters

Into the Groove

Open Your Heart

Live to Tell

Like a Prayer

Living for Love

Justify My Love

Human Nature

Crazy for You

The Beast Within

Die Another Day

Don’t Tell Me

Mother and Father

Express Yourself

La Isla Bonita

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

Bedtime Story

Ray of Light

Billie Jean / Like a Virgin

B---- I’m Madonna

Celebration (outro)

Maggie Duffy is an art and dining reporter, covering Tampa Bay’s arts scene and the next new place to eat. Reach her at [email protected].

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Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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