When I was younger, there were only two things I wanted to be when I grew up - a professional baseball player or the second coming of Elvis Presley! I guess I'm not the first kid to dream big and, unfortunately, wind up a public school teacher....but I was definitely a fan favorite at my high school talent shows!
Our first trip to Memphis in 2004 was short and sweet. We combined a few days in Memphis with a few more in Las Vegas....the ultimate Elvis Presley vacation! It was just enough time to tour Graceland, visit some Memphis attractions, and get shuttled to Marlowe's BBQ in a pink limousine! I was like a kid-in-a-candy-store during that trip.
Fast forward twenty years....and I was hoping to feel the same way on this trip!
On this trip we tried to save a few bucks by booking an Airbnb for our first two nights in downtown Memphis near Beale Street....and then splurge on a room at the new Graceland Guesthouse & Resort on our final night. The new Graceland Resort is located approximately 10 miles outside of downtown Memphis....and right beside the mansion. We even planned a day to take a road trip to Tupelo, MS to see the Birthplace of Elvis Presley.
My favorite part of the entire Graceland tour is taking that first step inside the front entrance to the mansion. It absolutely gives me goosebumps!
The mirrored grand stairwell greets you as you enter the house and tempts (no doubt!) most diehard Elvis fans from racing up those forbidden stairs to the sealed off second floor.....which has been off-limits to the public since the mansion opened for tours in 1982. Besides the fact that Elvis died upstairs at Graceland in 1977, those rooms have been kept private and accessed only by the family.
Most people would be surprised at how small the inside of Graceland actually is. And, because the second floor is off-limits to the public....our tour through the main house lasted 10 minutes (at most!). Built in 1939, it was home to the King of Rock 'n Roll from 1957-1977. Throughout his twenty years at Graceland, Elvis did extensive redecorating and remodeling, expanding the house by 7,000 square feet. Don’t be deceived, though. Sheer numbers aside, the inside does not give way to the spaciousness of a mansion. In fact, it’s rather a tight-squeeze at times. Downright claustrophobic.
The tour includes: the living room, Vernon and Gladys’ (Elvis’ parents) bedroom, the dining room, the kitchen, the Jungle Room, and the downstairs TV room and pool room. The tour continues outside into Vernon’s office, the Trophy Building, the Racquetball Building, the pool, and Meditation Garden. The only changes I noticed on the tour were the new displays in the Trophy Building and the restoration of the outdoor Racquetball building (back to its original look in 1975). With the recent opening of the Elvis Presley museum complex, a lot of the artifacts from these buildings have been moved since we were last here....including the jumpsuit displays and gold records.
I am a huge jumpsuit junkie! The glitzy, bell-bottomed, high-collared jumpsuits gave Elvis the ultimate look of royalty on stage in the 1970's. Quite a few jumpsuits were always on display (and rotated) in the Racquetball Building prior to the new museum complex opening. Now, any jumpsuit junkie will truly be in heaven when they see more than 100 on display at the new museum complex. My eyeballs almost popped out of my head when I walked into this 2-story jumpsuit display room.
The new 200,000 square foot museum and entertainment complex was supposed to be the highlight of our visit to Memphis. As an Elvis fan my entire life.....there is just so much I want to see up-close. Entering the complex from the parking lot raised my level of excitement just a bit because of the sheer size of the this place - featuring museums, restaurants, gift shops and more!
I should just get used to the fact that I am constantly disappointed when I set my expectations so high. The most recent Elvis movie in 2022 received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, but I thought it was very weird and, at times, downright confusing for any non-Elvis fan. It was certainly a missed opportunity to gain a younger generation of fans and showcase a once-in-a-lifetime entertainer on the big screen almost 50 years after his death.
This new Elvis entertainment complex was another disappointment. The place is huge! The space is almost too big for what they have on display. It almost looks like there isn't enough "stuff" to fill the space. They promise to continually rotate new exhibits and artifacts out of the "archives" but what-you- see-is-what-you-get in 2024. I'm sure some people love it and find it does a great job showcasing Elvis from A to Z. These tourists obviously haven't been to other museums that will absolutely blow your mind (ex. The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, MI).
The big question is.....will I go back again in 20 years? I guess you'll have to keep checking out the blog to see what happens.
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