Our visit to Graceland in Memphis included a full tour of the Elvis Presley Memphis Entertainment Complex and Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion. I didn't realize until visiting Graceland that it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Today I'm sharing photos we took on our tour of the Graceland Mansion.
1. The Guest House at Graceland Bus
We stayed overnight at The Guest House at Graceland. The hotel is really nice and every night between 10 and 11 they have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich station in the lobby. The signature sandwiches were yummy!
We boarded the bus at the Elvis Entertainment Complex and picked up audio equipment for the self-guided tour. It is a short ride across the street to the Graceland Mansion. One of the most memorable parts of the tour for me was going through the Graceland gates and Elvis singing Welcome To My World on the audio presentation.
2. Elvis Presley's Home, Graceland
Elvis purchased Graceland and the adjacent grounds in March 1957 for $102,500. When he made the purchase, he was working on his second movie, Loving You.
3. Graceland Porch Entrance
Inside the Graceland Mansion, we took the self-guided audio tour. The tour guide kept the groups moving and answered questions. The audio tour included commentary and stories by Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie.
4. Living Room at Graceland
The first stop inside Graceland is the foyer and you can look into Elvis' living room, dining room, and his mother's bedroom. Elvis received his special guests in the living room.
5. 15 Foot Sofa in Graceland's Living Room
The sofa was originally metallic blue and cost $1,375 .00 in 1957. Elvis later had it reupholstered in white.
6. Graceland Living Room Fireplace
The fireplace in the living room has a glass and marble surround.
7. Elvis Portrait in the Foyer of Graceland
Most visitors think Elvis is holding a chair in the photo that hangs at the bottom of the stairs in the foyer but it is actually a bike rim given to him by a DJ. The DJ interviewed Elvis at Ft. Hood and rode the bike to the interview in Texas.
8. Graceland Dining Room
The dining room is where Elvis and family ate their meals.
9. Photo of Priscilla and Lisa Marie
This photo of Lisa Marie and her mother Priscilla hangs in the living room.
10. Graceland Kitchen
Elvis updated the kitchen in 1974 with the latest gadgets including two televisions.
11. Graceland Jungle Room - Mid-Century Modern Lamp and Decor
Elvis referred to this room as his Den. Visitors began calling it the Jungle Room after Graceland opened to the public.
12. Jungle Room at Graceland
This was his favorite room in the home.
13. The Pool Room at Graceland
The walls and ceiling of the pool room are covered with pleated fabric, a total of 350 yards. It took several men 10 days to cover the room in fabric.
14. Graceland Pool Room with Fabric Covered Walls
The pool room had the only wood-burning fireplace in the mansion. Eventually Elvis and his family stopped using the fireplace for fear all the fabric would go up in flames.
15. Graceland TV Room
The décor in the TV room is very unique, with a black-and-yellow color scheme and an art deco look, and then, the quirky monkey statue.
16. Watch 3 Televisions at Once Graceland
The three side-by-side tv sets were inspired by the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. There is also a stereo system and a pull-down movie screen.
17. Gladys Presley Bedroom at Graceland
Elvis's Mom, Gladys, passed away in 1958 and the room was redesigned for persons who occupied the room later. The room has been returned to a similar look as when Gladys lived there.
18. Back View of Graceland
The back lawn at Graceland is quite large.
19. Horses and Pasture at Graceland
Elvis loved horses and riding and there are still horses at Graceland.
20. Graceland Swimming Pool
21. Meditation Garden
The Meditation Garden is beautifully landscaped and Elvis, his parents, and his grandmother are buried here along with Lisa Marie and her son.
22. Elvis Grave at Graceland
23. Drayton Hall Plantation
Drayton Hall Plantation
I hope you have enjoyed my photo tour of Graceland. I visited a historic plantation near Charleston and you can see photos and read about it here.. What Natural Patina Looks Like | Drayton Hall Thanks for being here, Kathy
Author: Kathy Owen (Petticoat Junktion)
Kathy is the founder of PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, old hardware, rusty stuff, and thrifty finds into unique home décor. Kathy’s projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Read more about Kathy here.
Dlorah I Friesen
Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed the photos.
Marietta.Walker
Hi Kathy,
Talk about a time warp! Thank you for showing the pictures. I would have loved to have seen even more! Eerie to see the graves. Fame and fortune brought that family so much, including a lot of grief.
Thank you for sharing. I don't comment a lot but I read all your posts!
Regards
Marietta
Pam Hall
Thank you so much for sharing your photos with us and giving us some background information about your tour.