Graceland

Is this a tourist trap? Obviously. But is this still worth a visit? Of course.
Coming into this place, I wasn’t really a big fan of Elvis. The music really isn’t my cup. But after coming here and seeing what this guy was about, I can at least appreciate the guy.
Bring your wallet, because this place can get pretty pricy, really fast. Between the food options and the parking, you’ll walk away with a much lighter wallet than you thought you would.
Cool exhibits and some cool history to be found here.

When I’m travelling and I tell people that I’m from Memphis, it’s either they sing me a song or ask me if I’ve been here. And I’ve never been until this week. I felt like I just had to go. I have to see it, to see what the fuss is all about.
Honestly, I’m not a fan of Elvis. When I was born, he was already dead. Even though my dad had a collection of his albums and has gone to some of his concerts.
Anyway, so this place is a good experience. It feels like you are walking in a place entirely dedicated to Elvis, because it is the home of Elvis so some of his stuff are still there. It’s good to be transported back to history for at least a few minutes or an hour. It’s a museum nonetheless. And the good thing is the tours are organized. The tour guides were really friendly and accommodating.
I love the decorations of the house itself. I can’t describe it. All I can say is, to each his own. The friend who was with me didn’t really like it, but I did.
After the tour, I at least appreciated Elvis more, and I might keep and treasure some of Dad’s Elvis memorabilia.
The food was a bit pricey for me, but my friend said that it’s a normal thing for places like this where things are unique to them. So this is Elvis’ home, you only see these here, so we’ll charge you more. But it was worth it, worth a once-​in-​a-​lifetime visit.
For history buffs, music enthusiasts, and most especially for Elvis’s fans. And also, for the kids of this generation that we can also appreciate the music of the past and the people who made music the way it is.

If you love Elvis or are in Memphis for some vacationing, its a must see. We did the VIP tour which got us the access to the additional areas of the property. I’d say it was definitely worth it. The tour gave a pretty insightful view to his and his family’s life. There was tons of memorabilia, we were able to see all his cars, and see his private jets. I was pretty impressed with how well kept the mansion was. Its definitely a life-​size time capsule from the 70s.
One negative thing i’ll mention is that the place is definitely like a theme park as far as prices go, so be aware of that when you go. We came prepared so it wasn’t too much of a sticker shock when stocking up on souvenirs.

This experience was everything I have heard it is and more. Considering you are walking around inside someone else’s personal home, the tours of the mansion are very well organized and put together… it is really an amazing welcoming, unexplainable feeling when you first open the front door and step inside the house. Also, being a creative person myself, I was really able to appreciate so many of the décor details.
I’m so glad that because of all the «guests» that go visit every year, the Presley family have been able to keep this beautiful gem of land and keep Elvis’ legacy alive for all the new generations.
All other tours are worth seeing too and very informative.
Wonderful friendly staff everywhere.

I feel like part of American culture… everyone should visit Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. After spending a couple days in Chattanooga, coming over to western Tennessee to see Elvis was a great transition.
The lines were not as bad as I thought they’d be. Also, what I really enjoyed was… they give you headphones and you take a self guided tour at your own leisure! I loved this! After taking a short bus trip to the actual house, you visit almost every room including the backyard where Elvis is buried as well as his horse stable. All of Elvis’ records, awards and honors are all hanging in parts of Graceland. It’s truly an up close and hands on experience. The tour lasted 1 –2 hours… but take your time… being at Graceland is a surreal experience as Elvis is known as the greatest entertainer/​musician of all time.
I really enjoyed being at Graceland and I recommend everyone visit at some point in time. Also, the city of Memphis is great as well including Beale Street, The Peabody Hotel, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studio, The Pyramid, Mud Island and FedEx Forum.

If you love Elvis then you’ll love Graceland but this place definitely isn’t for everybody.
Nothing new in this review when compared to others so I’ll bullet point it.
Pros:
— Well organized
— Great for Elvis buffs
— Good for rock music fans
— AAA, military and student discounts available
— Property well maintained
— Staff friendly
— Tickets can be bought online
Cons:
— EXPENSIVE
— Long lines for tickets and shuttles
— Can’t see upstairs of mansion
— Costs extra to see cars, planes, etc.
— $ 10 to park across the street
— Crowded inside mansion

I’d always wanted to go to Graceland — my family are massive Elvis fans, and when I’m at a karaōke bar, it’s Elvis all the way.
I really liked the way the tours were run — each person was given an iPad with preloaded audio content (narrated, bizarrely, by John Stamos), meaning you could take it at your own pace.
The property itself was so much fun to explore. It’s totally garish and gaudy, but great — it’s always fun to have a nosy in someone else’s home, and the touches that would’ve been cutting edge in their day were hilarious. Three TVs next to each other, on at the same time? Sure.
I also had a look at the inside of his private jet, his collection of cars, and his iconic headstone, too. A must-​see if you’re in the area!

I stopped by here this past Friday morning with my wife. We were going to be in Memphis for the weekend and so this was one of our top places to visit. I will be the first person to admit that I don’t know too much about Elvis. Even so by the time that I was finished this ended up being a really pleasurable experience. Of course it started out with me griping about pricing though. You see it costs $ 10 a car to park before they charge you $ 36/​person to see the mansion. If you do the platinum package like we did then it’s $ 40 a person although our AAA card did get 10% off.
Once we purchased our tickets we headed out through the door and boarded the shuttle to cross the street into Graceland. We were also given IPads that were preloaded with a tour from John Stamos. I was a little leery of the IPads at first but they ended up being pretty awesome and gave us a nice tour of the mansion and surrounding buildings. Heading into the tour I thought it was going to be somewhat cheesy but it ended up being really well done although it did paint quite the rosy picture of Elvis. With our platinum passes we were also able to enter a few more places like the car Musuem (guy owned a lot of expensive cars), sincerely Elvis (artifacts accompanied by pictures of him wearing them) and finally the archives which were literally every day artifacts from Elvis.
The bottom line for me is I would recommend Graceland to any visitor to Memphis. I thought that even though it was a bit pricey it was very well done and did a good job on giving Elvis’ history.

This is the quintessential Memphis tourist activity. If you are only going to do one touristy thing in Memphis this should be it. I’m not even an Elvis fan but I think it’s worth seeing. Keep in mind you are going to wait in plenty of lines, spend more than its worth, be there a while, and get dumped into lots of gift shops. My two favorite parts were the mansion and the room of cars. The whole thing is a time warp to the 1970s. It is often an era that is overlooked because of it’s cheesiness (good word, right?) but they pretty much nailed it here. Elvis Lives (especially here.)

So I didn’t really know much about Elvis before coming here but I have to say that I am now an Elvis convert!
Shell out the extra few dollars for the airplane and auto show experience, it’s totally worth it. You are ushered onto a bus with a self guiding audio tour. The bus will take you straight up to the door of Graceland. The audio tour does a great job of describing each room’s use and how Elvis lived in it when he was there.
What really got to me was the amount of awards he won. They are all lined up in the trophy room — a huge hall of gold and platinum records. The amount of charity work he did was also news to me, and I hope that Graceland contributes some of it’s income to continue his work.
It was pretty amazing to see his grave and pay tribute to such a legend. The auto section was amazing! He had such a distinct and eclectic taste in cars. A real treat to see them all. The airplanes were also super cool. 24karat gold plated seat belts! Whew… this guy had taste.
Had a super good time here and got to learn a lot more about Elvis. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

Honestly, I’m not an Elvis fan but everyone says ‘you can’t visit Memphis and not go to Graceland.’ Trust me, yes you can.
It is ridiculously expensive. I really wanted to see his airplane, but for that, you’re spending about $ 70. So we opted for the cheapest ticket (almost $ 40 WITH a student /​AAA discount) which just includes the Graceland Mansion /​property. You can’t go upstairs in the house.
It’s cool to see the rooms, and I suppose that if you’re really into Elvis, it’s more interesting to learn about him. But I’m not a fan of his music and I honestly don’t find him that interesting of a person.
You have been warned.

No cheesy Elvis jokes. No crazed fandom in this review either. I tell you what though; I was skeptical at first but Graceland was a lot of fun actually.
I was also skeptical about the iPads and yet they ended up working great. Sure, you walk around looking like an octogenarian getting used to technology gadgets but they were full of insightful tid-​bits. Cool.
My favorite room was the trophy room because it was full of media and fun displays. The house itself was really cool to see too. Man, I would have tumbled down that mirrored stairwell, Elvis. The automobile museum was the next best thing. Hang out here and watch the micro short film while you wait for your tour. After having visited Elvis’ home in Tupelo, I surely appreciated Graceland more than I anticipated.
Get here after 2pm so you don’t have to wait in gas-​shortage-​pandamonium-​long lines. If you buy your ticket elsewhere (visitor centers, etc.) you still need to stand in the ticket line to exchange it for your tour pass. So it saves you money, not time. Alrighty. I didn’t bother visiting the airplanes or tasting the restaurant food.

This is a difficult place to visit. At some point I felt it was wrong to be trampling through Elvis’s home. He had very little privacy, nothing sacred left when he was alive, except for Graceland. And now thousands upon thousands (including me) come to be nosey. I didn’t enjoy the experience too much. It’s chaos at the check-​in/​shopping center across the street. It’s also ridiculous how you have to be shuttled from one spot to the next while at Graceland, even though it’s walking distance from one point to the next.
They provide you with huge tablets that are video & narrated by John Stamos. Most people are trying to deal with the tablet and looking at the tablet rather than paying attention while in the house. They need to get rid of that and just allow people to be «present» in the home. I left feeling very sad.
Elvis’s spirit is everything and everywhere. There isn’t anyone that can compare. I hope the Elvis Presley Estate tones it down a bit and goes for longevity and sacredness of a beautiful human being, rather than just raking in the money over a deceased loved one.

Really enjoyed this placed. It was fascinating to see how Elvis Presley lived. At the time, he bought this place at the age of 22 for $ 100k! Are you kidding me!?! This guy was living large. The tour consistented of his house, backyard, office room, gun range, record room, racquet ball room (now filled with even more records), archive room, vehicle room, his burial sight, and more. What you get to explore depends on the package you purchase.
During the tour, they gave you iPads w/​headphones that acted as your own private tour guide, so you can walk the premises at your own place. Tip: If you a bit of a germaphobe, I recommend bringing your own headphones.
At the end of the tour, you have the luxury of visiting some of the souvenir shops and restaurant on the premises.
Definitely a place you should visit in your lifetime if given the opportunity.
Enjoy!!!

How could you come to Memphis and not go to Graceland at least ONCE??? The most iconic house in America? I mean, come on. Elvis was and still is one of the most famous and influential musicians of all time.
You really get a sense for how big a deal he was as you walk through his house and see all the records and awards lining the walls. What really impressed me was how generous of a person he was, always donating money and helping people out when they needed assistance. What a guy!
Tickets can be expensive so look out for discount deals that are offered every once in a while! The other aspects of the tour aren’t as cool as the house, but the ones worth going to are the car museum and the airplanes.

«I’m going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee. I’m going to Graceland…(cue the bass strings)” – Paul Simon
Sorry I had to do it, and you better bet your blue suede shoes that Graceland is a place that should be on everyone’s bucket list to visit at least once in their lives. So, in honor of the 38^th anniversary of the death of the King of Rock and Roll here’s to the King, who god willing, will never die!
And why should he? His house alone exemplifies exuberance and overindulgence on so many levels. Somewhat Gothic, grandiose but intimate, and unapologetically tacky with a seventies motif that is captured in time, Graceland represents what was and what still could have been. How many other personal mansions of deceased rock stars are open to the public for tours? Didn’t think so. Much credit of what Graceland has become must go to his former wife Priscilla Beaulieu Presley and daughter Lisa Marie who cultivated and monetized what could have been a sad place and turned into an amazing bit of American ingenuity! So bravo to them for even considering it.
Graceland is really a huge campus where the actual mansion and other supplementary buildings, with it’s guided tours through audio headsets, is on one side of Elvis Presley Boulevard and the actual Visitor’s Center, Restaurant, Auto Museum among others are on the other side of Elvis Presley Boulevard. In fact, it is at the Visitor’s Center, otherwise known as Graceland Plaza, where you start your journey from the parking lot and get your tickets and walk through the huge gift shop and then you get in line to be handed your listening devices and board the shuttle buses that take you to the front door of the actual Graceland mansion.
After a short five minute shuttle ride to Graceland, everyone can get off and take pictures in front of the house as they please. From there, everyone enters and takes a tour of the grandiose mansion. Graceland is kept in the exact same state as it was in 1977 when Presley passed away. Speaking of which, upstairs is entirely cordoned off so no one can see where Presley actually passed away. But you can see everything on the first floor, from the kitchen to the dining room to the living room to the music room (i.e. the «Jungle Room» and it really is a jungle in there!) and the basement. It was all fascinating to see the areas in which Elvis and his loved ones once roamed around. Throughout all of this area, you are guided to walk through pressing a number on a box that’s attached to your headsets.
From there you walk to the indoor racquetball courts, which was ingeniously converted into my favorite part: the «Graceland Archives Experience» which featured his gold records, awards and memorabilia like his various stage outfits. Your headset tour leads you through every portion of each artifact. It was so interesting. From there you can walk around the grounds seeing the pool and the meditation garden that holds Elvis and his family members’ final resting places. From there you wait back in line to get back on the shuttle back to get back across the street. Everything is so well organized, I have to give them that.
On the Graceland Plaza side of the street, besides shopping and restaurants, there are more exhibits including the auto museum where you can see Presley’s impressive auto collection and the two planes he once owned including the «Lisa Marie.» We had a fun time in the roughly four hours we hung out on the properties enjoying all of the kitsch and nostalgia. It was very hot and humid the day we visited and they also had an ice cream shop called the «Shake, Split and Dip» where we were able to enjoy a nice treat. Thankfully we passed on getting the banana and peanut butter sandwiches that Elvis loved so much at the other onsite restaurant.
Like I said, everything in Graceland seems trapped in time. Is it gaudy or tacky inside the house? Sure but that’s why I think it’s so vintage! Do you need to be an Elvis fan to really enjoy it? It would help for sure, but if you’re a history buff like me and love museums in general, coming to Graceland was just as interesting. One year, I have decided that I am going back to experience an annual memorial service on August 16^th, the day of his death. That sounds like an odd almost quixotic experience to be with all of those superfans!
Trust me, there is no way Elvis is leaving this building anytime soon.

Whoah! Be prepared to spend some serious cash. I am not a huge Elvis fan but still a fan. Husband and I bought the house tour with the audio iPad guide. It was an exceptionally informative tour. Seeking the house and memorabilia was really neat. I thought the shag carpet was just the craziest thing ever! So 70’s!
Overall the trip was neat and I am glad to say I have seen where the famous peanut butter banana sandwiches were prepared!

The Mississipi Delta shining like a National guitar…
We’re goin’ to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennesee
I’m goin’ to Graceland
As Paul Simon sang, so my son and I went to Graceland. I had made the pilgrimage twice in my lifetime, and it’s just something you do at least once in your life. Having been there as recently as 2011, it was easy to see some recent changes.
We got there as early as we possibly could, 10am opening bell– and still things moved very slowly in getting to Graceland, and moving our tour of old people and invalids into and through the building (yes, a visit to Graceland seems to be a last dying wish for many with walkers and on life support).
We were all given iPads to strap around our necks and put on headphones. In the words of my 13 year old son «the iPads were distracting, and it would have been better to have a real tour guide.» Couldn’t have agreed with him more. I did get a nice photo of Elvis playing bass that was only on the iPad, but between Graceland staff having to constantly train the old people on our tour how to use the iPad, and the fact that the iPad recording keeps the content you’re hearing very basic and «squeaky clean», the iPad tour ain’t all that. At least beef it up with some more content to drill down into.
Once you’re done with Graceland you’ll have to wait, wait, wait for a shuttle back to the Visitor’s Center, and the rest of the tour. So many people lined up complained about this. (I’m just the messenger!). I did learn a few more things about Elvis, Memphis, but I think I’m good for awhile. Perhaps I’ll be back with my walker in a few decades.

Going in, I knew Elvis was the King of Rock N Roll, but wasn’t a huge fan. It just seemed like something you had to experience if you were in Memphis. Overall, I am glad we took the time to take the tour. We only toured the house and grounds, and did not do anything else, as we had a couple of 8 yr olds with us and they were getting hungry and a little bored.
You can order online and pick up your tickets at will call, which save a lot of time waiting in line when you arrive. Basically online, you choose a time, and you can show up anytime on or after that time to do the tour. Once you have your tickets, you head outside and get in line for the shuttle across the street to Graceland. In line you are provided headphones and an iPad which you use as a self guided tour through the property. It is narrated by John Stamos, and was actually pretty cool, and added to the experience. They even have the option of a ‘youth’ version for kids and it definitely helped keep the interest of the kids during the tour.
The tour basically takes you in the front door, and through the living room, dining room, kitchen, ‘jungle room’, basement media and game rooms, and then outside. The inside of the house is definitely a time capsule full of all kinds of 70’s kitsch, and is a good snapshot of his life at home. Once outside, you get see the ‘office’ where family and employees worked, the Racquet Ball court he built (which now houses some of his sweet jumpsuits and awards), and then a building containing movie memorabilia and all of his gold records. While not overly exciting, this area certainly captures just how big of a star Elvis was. It was pretty eye opening. The end of the tour takes you out past the pool and to the meditation area where Elvis, his parents and grandmother are buried.
While I am not an Elvis freak, and this wasn’t my nirvana place, but this was a cool stop and I am glad I experienced it. If you are coming to Memphis it is worth taking the tour.

Graceland ist einer der wichtigsten Pilgerorte der USA. Alte Großmütter, die früher schwer gerockt oder mit Hula Hoop Reifen die halbstarke männliche Jugend bezirzt haben, kommen mit ihren Enkeln um noch einmal Elvis zu gedenken und manche fahren auf dem Rollstuhl mit der Sauerstoffflasche ein.
Das Manson ist ein schönes Haus mit typischem Südstaaten Säulen-​Portikus und liegt am Rande von Memphis. Es hat vielleicht 20 Zimmer von denen ein Teil besichtigt werden kann.
Es ist selten, dass man die einstige Lebensumgebung eines Pop-​Stars noch in einiger Echtheit besichtigen kann. Bis auf die beeindruckende Grundstücksgröße lebt heute die obere Mittelklasse so: mit schicker Einbauküche mit Fernseher, mit Pool im Garten und mit Dschungel-​, Billiard– und Spielzimmer, überall genügend Fernseher und geschmacklose Möbel und mehrere Autos in der Garage. Aber damals in den 50ern war das was! Was die obere Mittelklasse heute in der Regel noch nicht hat, sind allerdings Elvis’ Flugzeuge, die man jenseits der Strasse ebenfalls besichtigen kann: Lisa Maria und Hound Dog II, mit denen er früher nach Las Vegas oder nach Hawaii gedüst ist.
Elvis, seine Mutter Gladys, sein Vater Vernon und seine Oma Minnie Mae Hood Presley sind neben dem Swimming-​Pool beerdigt. Also unbedingt besichtigen. Graceland gehört zu Tennesses Hauptattraktionen, deren es nicht wenige gibt. Man sollte nicht immer nur nach New York oder nach Florida.

Before Elvis there was nothing Der Eintritt ist zwar ganz schön happig aber dafür bekommt man auch etwas geboten. Am besten noch etwas mehr Geld investieren und das Vip-​Ticket nehmen. Damit kann man sich in Graceland solange wie man will aufhalten. Positiv überrascht hat mich vor allem, dass man nicht touristenmäßig in großen Gruppen durch die Räume geschleust wurde. Man hat Zeit alles auf sich wirken zu lassen bei unserem zweiten Rundgang waren wir sogar ganz alleine.

Super weird.

Un lugar impresionante. Muy bien organizado y que te deja con la boca abierta!
A mi me encantó. Un recorrido por la vida de Elvis Presley con un montón de curiosidades y detalles. La mansión no tiene desperdicio, es impresionante. Y todos los objetos que se conservan de Elvis son una pasada.
Eso sí, lleva el bolsillo bien lleno, porque caro es un rato.

Die Ausführlichkeit meiner Vorredner zu übertreffen fiele mir schwer, deshalb versuche ich es gar nicht erst. Wer sich nur ansatzweise mit Musik der 50’er und 60’er auseinander setzt, muss hier her (und danach in die SUN Studios). Der Eintritt ist auch für USA Verhältnisse extrem teuer. Hey, aber was soll das. Man war im Heim von Elvis. Man hat seine 5 ersten SUN Singles gesehen, sein Grab und auch sein Haus (in dieser Reihenfolge habe ich auch die Bilder hochgeladen). Alles immer mit seiner Musik und/​oder seiner Stimme unterlegt. Don’t miss the Jungle-​Room.
Elvis lebt.

Wir waren im Juni, 2010 dort. Ein absolutes Muss für Elvis Fans aber auch für die Kinder der Fans (wie ich) um endlich die verrückten Eltern zu verstehen :-). TIPP von meiner Seite: Für die volle Elvis «Dröhung» unbedingt im Heartbreak Hotel (neben Graceland am EP Blvd) absteigen. Graceland ist direkt gegenüber und auf einem extra angelegten Fußweg zu erreichen. Elvis Filme und Graceland Radio gibt es auf dem Hoteleigenen Fernsehkanal. Man sollte jedoch reservieren.
Graceland ist sehr schön erhalten und man hat wirklich den Eindruck, Elvis Presley hätte erst gestern noch dort gewohnt. Der erste Stock ist den Besuchern nicht zugänglich (ich vermute, er wohnt dort oben immer noch). Man kann aber das Erdgeschoss und den Keller, sowie einige Nebengebäude und natürlich die Grabstätte besichtigen. Wenn man ein Paket bucht sind noch zusätzliche Ausstellungen und Memorabilien zu sehen (z.B. seine Flugzeugen und Autos). Jede dieser Touren endet natürlich in einem Souvenirshop, was der ganzen Sache leider einen etwas kommerziellen Charakter gibt, aber man wird ja nicht gezwungen etwas zu kaufen.
Mein Fazit, wer auf Musik steht, sollte sich Graceland auf jeden Fall gönnen !!!

Bien sûr c’est kitch. Mais n’oubliez pas qu’Elvis fût le premier de son genre et qu’il n’avait pas prévu d’être la première star du rock. Vous sereztouchés par ce lieu chargé d’histoire. Vous né visiterez pas le premier étage et encore moins les toilettes du premier étage. Mais de toutes façons le fan, tôme d’Elvis né les hante pas puisqu’il n’est pas mort.
La visite est quand même trés chère mais comme c’est un des rares trucs à voir à Memphis.

Während unseres Aufenthaltes in Memphis haben wir natürlich auch Graceland besucht. Wer mit dem Namen Elvis Presley etwas anfangen kann, der weiß sicherlich auch, dass Graceland das Anwesen von Elvis in Memphis war.
Elvis bewohnte dieses Haus von 1957 bis zu seinem Tod im Jahr 1977, sein Anwesen wurde danach der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht und ist heute eine der Attraktionen von Memphis.
Anfahrt und Preise
Graceland liegt direkt am Elvis Presley Boulevard, 38 186 Memphis und ist gut ausgeschildert. Eine genaue Anfahrtsbeschreibung findet sich auf der Homepage.
Große Parkplätze sind direkt in der Nähe des Eingangs zu finden, kosten aber 5,00 US Dollar pro Tag.
Die Eintrittpreise sind unterschiedlich, je nachdem was man sehen möchte.
So kann man die komplette Runde mit Wohnhaus und allen anderen Museen im Komplex buchen, das wäre dann die Platinum Tour und die kostet für Erwachsene 28,00 US Dollar, Kinder von 7 – 12 Jahren zahlen 13,00 Dollar.
Will man sich nur das Wohnhaus und die angrenzenden Gebäude ansehen, zahlen Erwachsene 22,00 US Dollar und Kinder von 7 – 12 Jahren 7,00 US Dollar.
Dann kann man noch Spezialpakete buchen.
Genaue Angaben zu den aktuellen Preisen und eine Buchungsmöglichkeit finden sich auch auf der Homepage.
Die Länge der großen Tour beträgt etwa 2,5−3 Stunden.
Im Eintrittspreise enthalten die die Fahrt mit dem Shuttlebus zum Wohnhaus und wieder zurück, wobei die Fahrt im Prinzip nur einmal über die Straße führt. Beim Kauf der Tickets bekommt man eine Nr. zugewiesen und kann dann zur vorgegebenen Zeit den Bus nehmen. Da es an unserem Besuchstag nicht zu voll war, brauchten wir nur 10 Minuten warten und konnten dann zum Bus gehen.
Die Tour
Vor dem Einstieg in den Shuttlebus erfolgt das obligatorische Foto vor einer Fotowand mit einem Bild des ursprünglichen Haupttors von Graceland.
Dieses Foto braucht man aber nicht zu kaufen so dass man am besten erst gar nicht diskutiert ob man abgelichtet werden möchte oder nicht. Das beschleunigt das Einsteigen in den Bus auf jeden Fall erheblich, also kurz vor die Wand gestellt, gelächelt und dann bekommt man auch schon eine Art Kassettenrekorder umgehangen.
Dieses Audiosystem erhielten wir auch in deutscher Sprache und konnten so während der ganzen Tour alles gut verfolgen.
An jeder Station im Laufe der Tour fanden wir eine Nummer und konnten dann den dazugehörigen Text durch Eingabe der Nummer aufrufen. Das System war kinderleicht und auch jüngere Kinder kommen damit gut klar.
Durch die deutschen Kommentare zu den einzelnen Stationen wurde die Tour auch für unsere Kinder nicht so langweilig wie gedacht.
Nachdem wir dann unsere kurze Busfahrt hinter uns gebracht hatten, erhielten wir vor dem Eingang zum Wohnhaus noch eine kurze recht monotone Ansprache, in der noch mal nachdrücklich darauf hingewiesen wurde, dass wir nur ohne Blitzlicht fotografieren dürften und das man sich nicht zu lange aufhalten sollte.
Da hatten wir erst einmal einen negativen Eindruck und befürchteten schon wie die Hammelherde durchgetrieben; Aber dies bewahrheitete sich zum Glück nicht und wir konnten in Ruhe durch die Räume gehen und unser eigenes Tempo wählen.
Nun zu unseren Eindrücken.
Das Wohnhaus selber präsentierte sich hell und hübsch anzusehen im Sonnenschein.
Das Innere war hell und lichtdurchflutet und die diversen Tiffanyfenster kamen gut zur Geltung.
Die Räume selber sind im plüschigen teilweise grellen Stil der 70er Jahre eingerichtet. Mit vielen Glasdekors und ausladenden Lüstern.
Das Wohnzimmer wirkte durch seine hellen Farben sehr freundlich und man könnte glauben der Eigentümer käme gleich wieder. Die einzelnen Räume dürfen nicht betreten werden sondern man bewegt sich durch die Flure und kann dann Blicke in die einzelnen Räume werfen, da die Türen jedoch sehr groß sind hat man einen guten Überblick.
Die Besucherzahlen hielten sich an diesem Tag in Grenzen, und wir konnten in relativer Ruhe durch die Räume wandern und uns die dazugehörigen Kommentare anhören.
Sehen kann man das Wohnzimmer, das Esszimmer, die Küche, das Musikzimmer, das Dschungelzimmer, das Fernsehzimmer, das Schlafzimmer von Elvis Eltern und das Billardzimmer.
Alle Räume sollen immer noch so eingerichtet sein wie zum Todeszeitpunkt von Elvis Presley.
Im Wohnzimmer beherrschen helle Polstermöbel das Bild und dominieren im Raum, Blickfang sind Tiffanyfenster mit großen Pfauen.
Ein Couchtisch ist überladen mit Kerzenleuchtern und Glasdeko.
Im Musikraum steht ein Klavier und nimmt einen großen Teil des Raumes ein.
Der Tisch im Esszimmer ist gedeckt, als ob es später ein opulentes Mahl gäbe, hier hängt ein riesiger Kronleuchter über dem Tisch der den Raum dominiert.
Die Küche hat riesige Ausmasse und ist mit dem modernsten versehen was es in den70er Jahren gab. Für meine Begriffe ist sie aber ziemlich dunkel, aber das war halt der Stil der damaligen Zeit.
Im Keller befindet aich das Fernsehzimmer mit mehreren Fernsehern

I am not a huge Elvis fan or anything. But we were in Memphis and so went to Graceland. But very glad we went there. I learned so much more about Elvis and his influence as a cultural icon and more importantly, about his philanthropy and charitable efforts. I really enjoyed the tour. Extremely well organized, it humanizes the man behind the myth and the pelvic gyrations. He was truly an interesting personality and a decent man. It was also quite sad and heartbreaking to learn of his rags to riches story and the untimely demise which could have been prevented through proper medical intervention. We also toured the auto museum because we love cars. It was really a fabulous collection.