GRACELAND TOUR | Elvis Presley House Tour | Memphis Tennessee

Everyone knows Elvis Presley, but most people never get the chance to step inside Graceland, the beloved home of a true legend who, nearly 50 years after his death, is still topping the charts and bringing in a whole new generation of fans. Today, I'm taking you behind the gates of Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee. We'll be touring the mansion room by room, seeing the original interiors, furnishings, and decor Elvis surrounded himself with, the kind of details that make this place a true time capsule of American pop culture, and we will also be learning more about the man behind the legend, and what this house reveals about his life, his taste, and the personal world Elvis created here. Hi I'm Ali, and welcome back to Fab Little Dish, where we celebrate vintage homes, historic interiors, and the stories that keep these places alive. If you love the stories historic houses tell, then give this video a big thumbs up, it really helps to promote these historic homes and encourage visits. So come on with me and let's explore the place that's on so many people's bucket lists. Before we go behind the Graceland gates, we have to understand a little more about Elvis, because Graceland hits differently when you understand where Elvis came from. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th, 1935 to Vernon and Gladys Presley. He was born in a tiny two-room shotgun-style house about 30 by 15 feet, built by his father Vernon for $180. It was only around 300 to 400 square feet, with no indoor plumbing and no bathroom inside. And a lot of people don't realize that he was actually a twin. His identical twin brother, Jesse Guerin, died at birth, making Elvis Vernon and Gladys' only child. And because of that loss, I'm sure, his mother Gladys was very protective and really pushed for him to have a normal job and make an honest, predictable living. But we all know that didn't happen. When Elvis was 13, his family moved to Memphis in 1948. And Memphis is where his fuse gets lit. Even as a kid, Elvis knew he had an itch that needed to be scratched. At 10 years old, he sang Old Shep at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. And although he didn't win, he did play second. And he walked away with a little prize, but more so, a little proof that he had something. But he did want to honor his mother's wishes of trying to pursue a normal life. Elvis liked working with his hands, and he originally thought he was going to be a mechanic. But the first job he took was driving a truck for the Crown Electric Company. And it was in that truck when he first drove to Sun Records in Memphis to record two songs. Not for a label, not for a deal, but as a birthday gift for his mother. And that's where the shift happened. By 1954, he signed with Sun Records. And almost overnight, his sound, this blend of gospel, blues, and country, created something entirely new that the world had never heard before. Defining a new era of American music, his sound, his style, his confidence, and oh, of course, his movements. It was all electric. And people didn't know what to do with him at first. His hips, that energy, the controversy within him. But yet, everyone still couldn't look away. They wanted more. In 1955, Elvis' rise was so fast that RCA didn't just want to sign him. They bought his contract out from Sun Records. And that move is what took him from a Memphis breakout to a national name almost overnight. In January 1956, his first RCA single, Heartbreak Hotel, became an instant hit. And Elvis became the leading force of rock and roll almost overnight. It was number one for eight weeks, his first gold record. And suddenly, he was everywhere. Television wanted him. Hollywood wanted him. Crowds couldn't get enough of him. And it wasn't just the music. It was his presence. The way he moved. The way he performed. And of course, the way he shook those hips. It was very scandalous at the time, to say the least. And in 1958, Elvis was drafted into the U.S. Army. Elvis served in the U.S. Army for exactly two years of active duty. And he served as a regular soldier, rather than in special services. Spending most of his time as a tank crewman. But also gaining so much respect back home. So when he returned home in 1960, he came back even bigger than before. In 1967, he marries Priscilla. And they welcomed Lisa Marie in 1968. And through all of this. The fame. The touring. The chaos. Graceland remained the anchor. The family home. And always Elvis' home base. Elvis purchased Graceland in 1957, when he was only 22 years old. And what he wanted more than anything, was privacy. And the irony in that is pretty unreal. Because this house became one of the most famous homes in America. In one of the most searched and visited house tours, period. But Graceland wasn't always Elvis' house. It was already a piece of Memphis history when he purchased it. The house was built in 1939. And was commissioned by Dr. Thomas Moore and his wife, Ruth. And the name Graceland actually comes from Ruth's aunt, Grace Toof. Tied to the original Toof family land. The house is colonial revival style. With that symmetrical front facade. The classical portico. Warm Tishomingo limestone. Which gives it that classic traditional look. And one of my favorite exterior details is the pair of stained glass windows. That rest between the front door. The stained glass has metalwork right on top of it. Which is so southerly iconic. This home becomes the home base for Elvis. And so much of what you're about to see inside is preserved to reflect exactly how the house looked during the years when Elvis actually lived here. And over the years, Elvis made Graceland his own. I mean right away as soon as he moved in. He started making improvements. Additions. Renovations. Adding his personal touches wherever he could. Starting with one of the most iconic exterior details. The music note gates. Those were installed in April 1957. Almost immediately after he purchased the house. I wish I got a picture of the whole thing. At least I got a good view though while we were parked waiting at the light. The very first thing I noticed when I walked into Elvis's living room was the photo of Elvis's parents sitting right there. Vernon and Gladys. And it's just such a simple detail but it instantly shows you that even though the style throughout this home is loud and proud. This was very much a family home. These stained glass peacocks are impossible to miss and they're the most iconic part of the entire room. They were added in 1974. They really just give this Graceland feeling right away. They're bold, dramatic, and completely Elvis. The 15-foot white couch that's right here along with the 10-foot coffee table were both custom made for this room. And Elvis even added mirrors to help make the room feel more spacious. It really works. The light, the reflection, the softness of the white upholstery. The whole room feels bigger than it actually is. There are only three fireplaces in this entire house and this is one of them. Which is interesting because you feel like there would be more, right? And then we land in the music room which is in the back. And this is a really powerful space in the house because you can just feel the presence of Elvis in here. There's a beautiful NAB Grand Piano sitting right here as the centerpiece. And you really can just feel everyone gravitating to this area to listen to Elvis play. He loved to surround himself with people who also loved music. So he'd play, they'd sing, and his favorite kind of music to play was gospel music. And actually the only Grammys he ever won were from albums of sacred music. Elvis used to say that music eased his mind. And you can completely feel that in this space. Just everyone sitting around the legend watching him play. And this room really gives you the first indication of all of the unique styles we're about to see together. And this is the formal dining room. And wow, this room is a vibe in itself. The gorgeous and huge Italian crystal chandelier. The bold blue drapery. The black cabinetry. And the table is even set with Elvis and Priscilla's wedding china. This really is a time capsule moment right here. It's so special to see all of these pieces together that Elvis actually was always around. Elvis loved to surround himself with a lot of people at Graceland. And dinner here was served late. Usually around 9 or 10 p.m. And Elvis would host about 10 to 12 friends and family around this table. Pretty regularly too. Nothing about this house says quiet. The china that's on the table and the flatware. These were Priscilla and Elvis's wedding pieces. These are the kind of details that reveal a more personal side of Elvis. And his life that you can really only experience here at Graceland. And that Italian chandelier overhead is one of three that Elvis bought in 1974. It even matches the one by the stairway that we're about to see soon. So you almost feel this continuous sparkle as you move through the house. This is also where they put the Christmas tree up every year. Right by the window behind Elvis's chair. Elvis adored Christmas. Turning Graceland into a festive wonderland from late November until his birthday on January 8th. A tradition that Graceland still honors to this day. Elvis also had to have a TV in every room. So I love that there's one here in the dining room. Because I've never seen that before. And this photo of Priscilla and Lisa Marie almost made me just stop in my tracks. It's just a sweet reminder of some of the happy times that were experienced in this home. And you can feel that energy here. And this is the iconic staircase. The most mysterious and restricted part of the house. Upstairs was Elvis's private world. And after he died in 1977, the second floor was essentially sealed off and preserved. When Graceland opened to the public in 1982, the family chose to keep it that way. As a way to honor Elvis, his privacy, his sanctuary, and his overall wishes. At the bottom of the stairs is one of the few portraits of Elvis that you're going to see throughout the house. It's a portrait of Elvis with natural blonde hair. And I didn't know he was a natural blonde. Let me know in the comments below if that's news to anyone else. This was painted while he was in the army. When he wasn't allowed to dye his hair yet. So it's a moment where you can actually feel the real Elvis actually looking back at you. The mirrors bounce the light, expand the entry, and make everything feel more grand the second you walk in. Elvis even installed one-way mirrors near the top of the stairs to see who was coming up without being seen himself. And right in the center is this massive chandelier. Italian cut crystal, purchased in 1974, matching the one in the dining room. And it's one of the few design choices that actually remains consistent from room to room. And we were asking on the tour who actually is allowed upstairs, and the only people allowed are the cleaning crew. Nobody else is allowed to go up there. And it's almost something that people respect naturally for Elvis in his memory. And this is his mother Gladys' bedroom. And you can feel how personal this space feels right away. Elvis specifically designed this room for his parents in 1957, and it's the only room that's been kept in its original 1950s style. It's actually pretty sweet that he decorated a room specifically however his mom would like, and then kept it that way. And right here in the closet, her clothes are still hanging up. Elvis wanted this to stay as a permanent, preserved reminder of his mother. And over to the left is a very adorable, very preserved 1950s-looking bathroom with bright purple tile and the poodle wallpaper. It's just so unmistakably 50s, and I honestly love it. After Gladys died, the room was then used by Minnie Mae Presley, Elvis' grandmother, who everyone called Dodger. And here we are in the kitchen, and it truly does feel frozen in time. Elvis kept staff at hand at all times, so meals could be made pretty much at any hour whenever he wanted it. And what was coming out of this kitchen was classic Southern comfort food. He also loved banana pudding. And like so many other rooms in this house, this kitchen went through a few redesigns, but the version you're seeing now is what Elvis saw, kept in its original 1970s style, with that signature avocado green and the dark wood cabinets. There's even an eight-burner stove in here, which tells you everything about how often things were being cooked in this kitchen. And Elvis paid $1,000 for this microwave, but it was just very ahead of the curve in the 70s, making this one of the first microwaves made in this area. And this is referred to as the jungle room, but Elvis never called it this. He referred to it just as his den. All of this crazy furniture in here, he purchased all of it in 30 minutes because it reminded him of Hawaii, a place that he very much loved. He bought the furniture partly because he liked it, but he also bought it because his father made fun of it when he saw it in the store. And this space also served as a recording studio in 1976, where 16 songs for his final two albums were recorded. And that is a reason why you see the shag carpeting on the ceiling, which actually was probably very handy for acoustics. But we'll come back here in a moment and get a deeper look at things, because we're going to wrap around once we take the stairs. And just look at this mirrored staircase. When you're coming down these stairs, you just know you're about to have a good time. I'm sure there were some wild moments that happened here. You could definitely feel that energy. And I absolutely am here for it. And now we're heading downstairs to the basement TV room. And just look at this place. This handy little built-in bar, mirrored ceilings, and all of these lights and multiple TVs. I mean, doesn't this just look like a party? Elvis created this space so that he could have an informal place to watch television, listen to records, and bring people over to party. And we all know that Elvis loved watching television, but he liked to have all of these multiple TVs on so he could watch different football games all at the same time. And when I was down here, you could just feel the party presence that took place here. And right across over here is the pool room. Elvis loved playing pool. He bought this table in 1957, just shortly after purchasing Graceland. This room was designed in 1974, and there are about 350 to 400 yards of fabric covering the walls and the ceiling. And this is also where one of the three fireplaces are in the house. But this fireplace wasn't used because of the fire hazard with all this fabric covering the walls. A silly design choice if you ask me. And there's little touches of French vibes that you see in this room, which I love. It's subtle, but this little French girl can definitely spot it, like with these pictures right here that immediately caught my attention. And now we're back up on the first floor, which takes us to the den, or as they say, jungle room. And I love that we can get a better view now of everything in here, where we can see the tiki bar, the built-in waterfall, and all that clunky furniture. And another thing that I thought was hilarious is that Elvis used to sit back here, take his revolver, and shoot at his TV. And that's actually on display at another part of the museum, so we'll see that later. And next up is Vernon's office, Elvis's father. This was the central hub for managing Elvis's finances, his staff, and just the daily operations of Graceland. It's the professional side of the property, the business heart of Graceland, where Vernon handled everything from payroll to fan mail, gifts that people would send to Elvis, to the security details that kept the whole state running. This is where Elvis's dad worked and managed his son's property. And this is the smokehouse, which has a really cool model of Elvis's birthplace. And I think it's here for a reason, to really put into perspective of how high Elvis rose above where he came from. He really is the definition of the American dream. There's also this paper colt police silhouette target, which has almost 200 bullet holes in it. It was used for shooting practice by Elvis and his friends. Kind of just another thing that shows you some of the good times that they must have had here. And just look how pretty the back of this property is. It's gorgeous back here. I mean, really, how could you not love Tennessee? Even the back of the house is pretty. I love the green iron metalwork that's on all of the windows. It was primarily added here for security purposes. And Elvis spent about $3,000 on them at the time to have them installed, which is pretty insane. And this is the trophy room, which paints a more personal side of Elvis and his family. We see his original 1946 childhood bicycle, his first bedside table, and his family trees here, which actually helped pull everything together for me after touring the house, because it puts a lot of faces to names. But what I really loved in here were all of the invoices that are on the walls. Elvis was always redecorating and redesigning spaces, and he clearly never spared any expense on any of it. But why would he? He didn't have to. He's the king. I just love seeing itemized lists of things that he purchased, because, again, it gives us a personal look into Elvis's taste and style that you can only get here at Graceland. Another favorite in here is Elvis's original wallet, which is such a personal item that was so special to see in person. His credit cards are in there, and what I loved seeing the most was a picture of him and his daughter. I know my grandpa carries pictures of me in his wallet, and so seeing that really touched my heart. Another highlight in here is the RCA television that was gifted to him for selling 50 million records in just four years. At first, I was thinking, you're just getting a TV for selling 50 million records, but then I remembered how much the king loved to watch TV. So I think that gift makes sense. Over here, we see Lisa Marie's crib and childhood toys. They have it all set up to how it used to look when she was little. Not sure how I feel about this red couch, though, but I really love the side table that's right here next to it. They just don't make pieces like this anymore. I know I sound cliche saying that, but it's absolutely true. And this one was truly awesome too, seeing Elvis's blue pistol Colt handgun, which of course has his initials, which I just think is so awesome. Elvis also had a really deep fascination with law enforcement, which is why he has a massive badge collection and gun collection. Maybe in another lifetime, he was meant to be a cop, but I think we can all agree that we'd rather have the gift of his music. And now we're in the racquetball building. Elvis loved playing racquetball, but what really makes this space so significant is that it was the site where he spent his last hours before his death on August 16th, 1977. The piano in here was the last piano he ever played. Just hours before his death, Elvis was playing racquetball with his friends in here, playing the piano, specifically Unchained Melody, which very much touches my heart. This is where he shared his last moments with his buddies before he left this world. It's pretty heavy when you think about it, and actually makes me sad. And now we're back outside, and we're heading to the most moving part of the entire tour. This is the meditation garden, the heaviest part of the whole property. This is where Elvis rests alongside his family, and it really is the soul of Graceland. Being here is absolutely surreal because you're so close to Elvis, you can just feel him here. He is, he's right here. And I'm gonna be honest, this part is hard for me to narrate, so let's just take a moment to pay our respects to Elvis and to his family who rests here beside him. Pretty powerful stuff. I love this place and just the inside view that it gives you into Elvis's soul, into his personal life. And after taking one more look at the front of the house, we got on the bus and headed back to Graceland Plaza. This was also a really fun part of the tour. Elvis had a love affair with cars. The Presley Motors Automobile Museum is absolutely amazing. It's filled with Elvis's cars. I mean, he had hundreds of cars, but these were just some of his favorites. The one that gets me though is the pink Cadillac. It's a 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60, and Elvis bought it for his mother in 1956. So pretty much right after he got famous, this was one of the first things he bought, something for his mom. She actually never drove it because she never had a driver's license. So it wasn't about him getting her a car so she could cruise around Memphis. And it was more of a symbol of how much he loved his mother and how proud it made him to give her the finer things in life. And this one is a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Barrettes Convertible. The color on this car is so striking. An argyle blue metallic with a white leather interior and a white convertible top. And just look at how pretty the back of this car is. I have to agree, Elvis. Life is too short to be driving boring cars. This one is a 1976 Lincoln Centennial Mark IV. It has EP and his TCB Lightning Bolt logo on the interior seats. It features a V8 engine and a 22 karat gold plated dash plaque. This thing just screams cool to me. The Centennial Mark II debuted in October 1955 at the Paris Auto Show. And it was basically the ultimate luxury Lincoln at the time. Lincolns were the thing to have. And of course, Elvis had to have the best one. It's hand assembled and only made as a two door hardtop. The production ran from late 1955 through May 1957. So there were only about 3000 of these that were made. Elvis arrived in Miami in August 1956 in a new Lincoln that fans covered in lipstick and graffiti and bought this Centennial using the money that he made from that tour. He drove this one pretty often and he even took it to New Orleans in 1958. There are so many cars in here. It's crazy that one person could own this much stuff. But again, it's Elvis and he could do anything he wants and get anything he wants. And then here's his boats and his motorcycles, which he loved to drive up and down Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis. I mean, these are just gorgeous motorcycles. I don't know much about motorcycles, so let me know in the comments below what your favorite one is or if you can point out what they are. I know Harleys, but that's pretty much where my motorcycle knowledge extends. Then there's an area called Elvis the Entertainer and it's an exhibit where you can see more sides of Elvis's life. There's another room here that shows what another room used to look like in Graceland before it was remodeled. I really like that they have that here because it shows how often Elvis's tastes were changing. I mean, look how different this stuff looks compared to what we saw in there. It would be really cool to be able to switch out everything in your house just on a whim. There's also a pen holder here that was his. The TV with the bullet hole in it. There's a clock here that I thought was really cool. And next up is the icons, the influence of Elvis Presley exhibit. And I love this section because you see messages and tributes from other legendary artists who talk about how Elvis shaped their sound, their style, and their careers. Here's Miss Dolly, one of my very personal favorites. And Toby Keith's message here actually gave me chills. There's so many others, but it's time for the last leg of the tour. Let's go see Elvis's airplanes. And this one is the very famous Lisa Marie, named, of course, after his daughter, which is, again, very sweet. It's a Convair 880 that Elvis bought in 1975 for $250,000. And then he turned it into what people still call a flying Graceland. He spent over $800,000 remodeling this thing. And you can feel that the second you step inside. There's a full lounge, a conference room, a sitting room, a bar, and a private bedroom suite way in the back, complete with a queen-size bed. Even the belt buckles were gold in this thing. This was not built like a normal plane. It was built to be a home in the sky. Elvis actually used to be really nervous to fly at first. And having something like this made him feel more comfortable up in the air. And all the details in here are just pure Elvis. Like, I see the interior of Graceland in this airplane. Gold-plated seat belt buckles, the bathroom with the 24-karat gold flex sinks, and all just the gold details everywhere throughout this place. There's suede seating and leather-topped tables. I just bet this was so fun to fly. And I can only imagine the parties that happened on this thing. And I heard sometimes he would just gather some of his friends and a bunch of people, put them in this airplane, just to fly over Memphis and show them all what it looked like from above. Even the tech was ahead of its time in this. A video system connected to the multiple TVs because, of course, Elvis loves his television. But there's a big sound system and a sky-to-ground phone so he could stay connected even while up in the air. And when you think about this being in the 70s, that is just wild. This is the penthouse bedroom of the plane, with its custom-made queen-size bed, gold-plated sinks and faucets in the ensuite bathroom, and additional luxurious features like a built-in TV, which doesn't surprise me one bit that he has this in here. Elvis wanted a logo that represented him, and what he landed on was TCB, taking care of business, with a lightning bolt added, which stood for in a flash. So taking care of business in a flash, and I would say that that is Elvis. And he placed it on a lot of items throughout the house, and it's right here on the tailplane of Lisa Marie. And the other plane that is here on site is the Hound Dog 2, which is a much smaller and much more practical airplane than Lisa Marie. Elvis bought it in 1975 while the Lisa Marie was being remodeled, and it was used primarily for his manager and staff, versus the full flying Graceland experience. So I guess this is the plane that you'd get bumped down to if you weren't super close with Elvis. And I also took this view, where when you're coming out from where the planes are, you can see what the house looks like from a distance. So I thought that was really fun to share with you guys as well. And I was actually sad to leave this place. It left a mark on me. Just getting an idea of what his soul looked like and his personal side made me feel like I got to know him. And that's why I love Graceland. He broke musical boundaries and will always be the king of rock and roll. But more than that, he was someone who touched our lives, our consciousness, our souls. And really, that's my biggest takeaway from my trip to Graceland, is just how close you can feel him here. Walking through each room, seeing his pianos, taking in his unmistakable style, the kind of style that only Elvis could pull off, by the way, and just feeling how much this place was built around family, comfort, and the people he loved. I could feel how much he loved Graceland. And when he was in Vegas and pulled away from this place, I'm sure that just ate away at his soul. And that made me sad too while I was there. I could feel how much he really wanted to always be here. And he is still here. He's here for us all to see, pay our respects to, visit, and get to know. And that's why Graceland is so special. And I'll turn it back to you all. What was your biggest takeaway from the tour? What was your favorite thing? Did you feel closer to Elvis just by watching this? Please let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear how you felt about being at Graceland with me. And now let's go put on our favorite Elvis song and honor the man who left such an incredible mark on us all. He didn't just leave a mark on music. He changed how music hits our souls. How it brings us all together. From his early hits that lit the whole world up to the quieter moments that can break your heart if you think about it too much. Elvis was pure emotion and soul through and through. And Graceland is a huge part of that. Graceland is Elvis. So let's honor the man who broke boundaries, changed the culture, and gave so many of us a soundtrack, a song that gives us joy, that picks us up, or that just meets our mood in some way. Elvis is still speaking to us through his music, his audience is still growing, and he is still finding new ways to leave an impact on this world. Long live the king. So let's all put on our favorite Elvis song right now. Pay our respects to the man who changed the entire world of music. Until our next adventure my friends, keep enjoying the beauty of vintage home. Au revoir.