Since we were within walking distance of Graceland, all parts of it, we decided to take that in first.
As you go through the turnstiles to get to the bus you had to stop to get your picture taken in front of this.
Yes, you read that right, we had to pay for our tour tickets on one side of Elvis Presley Boulevard and get on a shuttle bus and be driven across the street to the actual home.
Everyone was given headphones and a little black doohickey thing to hang around our necks and at appropriate time we pushed a series of numbers to hear a pre-recorded explanation of what we were seeing.
This is the formal living room with grand piano music room beyond.
Stairway up to the private quarters.
Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in a two room house. His twin brother, Jesse Garon, was stillborn and the Presley’s didn’t know they were having twins.
The Presley’s moved to Memphis when Elvis was a young boy. When he turned twelve years old he was taken to the local general store and told by his mother to pick something out for his birthday. His first choice was too expensive so he settled for a guitar. He went to the local radio station and asked the musicians there to teach him how to play it.
When his career first started taking off he bought a $40,000 home in Memphis and at first the neighbors thought it was kind of fun having a celebrity in their midst. However, that novelty soon wore off and they got tired of the news people and constant fans hanging about waiting for a glimpse of Elvis.
He gave his parents $100.000 and asked them to find a farm type house with a bit of land and they found Graceland. It was a 13.8 acre parcel. In 1940 the mansion was built by the owner at that time. Now the home is a good size, it is after all, 23 rooms, with 8 bedrooms and baths. That said,I expected a much grander home, something palatial, and quite frankly, it isn’t. Perhaps it seems small, if you will, because we didn’t get to see all the rooms but only a half dozen or so and then only from the doorway.
A guest room on the first floor.
The kitchen. Take note of the 70’s Harvest Gold refrigerator.
The famous Jungle Room. That green carpet is everywhere, including the ceiling.
A chair fit for a king.
Did you know that Elvis wasn’t one to drink? He didn’t like the taste of alcohol and was a Pepsi drinker!
The TV Room. He always had three TV’s on at the same time.
This room has a mirrored ceiling.
There are 400 yards of pleated fabric on the walls and ceiling of this room.
This is what we were allowed to view in the home itself. I hope you enjoyed the tour.
No comments:
Post a Comment