Elvis Presley was before my time, but his music is most certainly timeless. His legacy is so much part of popular culture and the collective consciousness, it would be hard to avoid knowing something about Elvis. Our big barbecue tour in the southern states of the USA involved travel to Tupelo and Memphis; with visits to both Elvis’s birthplace and Graceland planned. Visiting these iconic places was key to discovering Elvis and the legacy that he left.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. at Graceland, however, as always, all opinions are my own.
Elvis Presley Birthplace, Tupelo
An integral part of discovering more about Elvis is a visit to his birthplace in Tupelo. On the site is the house where he was born, as well as the family church, sculptures, and memorial areas. You can choose to tour the house and church with a guide for a cost, or explore the exterior of the house, church and complex for free.
Elvis’s house
Our visit to Tupelo was brief, but we had to see the house where Elvis was born. This little two room bungalow was built by Elvis’s father, Vernon. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in this house on January 8th 1935. He was actually one of twins, but sadly his brother Jessie Garon was stillborn. Around the outside of the house are plaques set into the ground with a timeline of Elvis’s life.
There are some wonderful sculptures in the complex. One that shows a young Elvis with his adult rockstar persona behind. The other is a portrayal of Elvis as a 13 year old. This life-size statue is of Elvis carrying his guitar, and helps to bring this part of Elvis’s childhood to life.
The family church
The Presley family attended the Assembly of God Pentecostal Church in Tupelo. The church was later moved to be onsite alongside the house in the complex. It was at this church that Elvis was first exposed to Gospel music – which no doubt had an impact on his musical career.
Elvis Presley Birthplace Visiter Guide
Where to stay in Tupelo
The closest hotel to the Elvis Presley Birthplace is the Hilton Garden Inn Tupelo. North Gloster Street is where most of the hotels are centred and there are lots of great options. We stayed at the Baymont by Wyndham, which was a really solid 3-star hotel with many restaurants nearby. The Holiday Inn & Suites North has a fabulous customer rating, but wasn’t available on our chosen dates (always a good sign, right?!). And my budget pick is the Red Roof Inn.
Getting there
We hired a car via Rentalcars.com for our entire Hendersons BBQ Tour. We drove down to Tupelo from Nashville via the Natchez Trace Parkway. If you are in the area, I really recommend this scenic route down to Tupelo. Between Tupelo and Memphis, take time out to stop in Holly Springs, Mississippi, it is an absolute gem of a town.
Graceland
Seeing Graceland was an exciting prospect. I felt like seeing the house would somehow bring back the humanity to the rockstar legend that is Elvis. I was right. Seeing that Graceland is just a house, no matter how flamboyant, it is still just a home.
Graceland Mansion
After watching a short video introducing the Graceland experience, we were funnelled onto shuttle buses and taken over the road to the Graceland mansion. My first impression was how small it was. But then I had to re-adjust my perspective – it’s small by today’s standards, but not by Elvis’s 1957 standards! And wow, how far from his two-room birthplace is this?!
We were given an iPad with an interactive guide, so could walk through the house at our own pace. Although, in saying that, it is a VERY popular attraction, so the volume of people can change the pace at which you travel. I was interested to learn that Lisa Marie Presley still visits (she still owns the mansion, land and all of Elvis’s personal possessions), and even still uses the dining room for dinner parties!
My favourite room of the entire house was the pool room. This exceptionally intricate and indulgent room is in the basement and reflects Elvis’s more decadent side. Designed in 1974, only 3 years before Elvis’s death, in collaboration with Bill Eubanks; the pool room is a colour-bomb. There are over 350 yards of fabric pleated on the walls and ceiling! This gave it a slightly asian feel for me, although you can also see the European influences.
The whimsical ‘Jungle Room’ was referred to by Elvis simply as ‘the den’. This area was once a covered porch, but was built in and transformed into the now infamous family room. The green shag-pile carpet on both the floor and ceiling is hilarious!
Elvis’s Grave
One of the most moving parts of visiting Graceland is seeing the family burial plot. While seeing Elvis’s final resting place is emotional, it was actually really special to see that the family are all buried together. With a beautiful fountain behind, and other memorial areas, it is a really lovely space to reflect. They reserve time each morning for people who wish to pay their respects at Elvis’s grave without touring the rest of the property.
Elvis Exhibition Center
Either before or after you have been over to the Graceland Mansion, take time to visit the huge Elvis Exhibition Center next to the ticketing area. This complex of exhibitions covers everything from his costumes and gold records, to videos and more history around the music of the time. I loved seeing costumes from Elvis’s ’68 Special – what style!
Elvis Presley Planes
Another aspect of visiting Graceland is seeing Elvis’s planes – Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog II. You can walk through them and see all the fascinating little touches that make them special – i.e. solid gold seatbelt buckles! It’s interesting seeing these icons of luxury and fame, when compared with the relative homeliness of the Graceland mansion. For me, it hinted at the difficulty of the two sides of fame that Elvis had to deal with – trying to fit a real life with a family into a life of fame and fortune.
Don’t miss the Elvis Automobile Museum in the Graceland complex – he certainly liked his vehicles!
How to visit Graceland
Hotels near Graceland
For a really special Elvis-inspired hotel experience, with wonderful proximity to the mansion, try the Guest House at Graceland. A great mid-budget option is the Days Inn by Wyndham Memphis at Graceland – it has a guitar-shaped pool. For a budget / family friendly option, try the Inland Suites, which have kitchenettes in the rooms.
Parking at Graceland
There is an expansive parking lot at Graceland, with space for both cars and RVs. It is definitely a convenient option for when you visit, and isn’t expensive compared to central Memphis parking lots! At only $10 for cars, and $15 for RVs / trucks, we thought it was a well-priced and easy option for our visit.
Sun Studios runs a wonderful shuttle service that swings by Graceland once every other hour. It also stops at the The Rock n’ Soul Museum near Beale Street too. It is free, although the drivers certainly appreciate tips!
Graceland Tour Prices
Tickets to Graceland cost between $41 (Mansion only), to $174 for the ultimate VIP experience [as of Spring 2019]. If you don’t like queuing or crowds, I recommend you purchase the VIP tickets. If you don’t mind waiting for a shuttle and contending with the crowds, the $66 ticket with entry into the mansion, exhibitions, and planes is a good option.
Discovering Elvis: visiting his birthplace & Graceland
I really enjoyed my time discovering Elvis in Tupelo and Memphis. The overriding sensation I was left with after visiting both places was sadness – for the loss of a legend, and for his turbulent life. The juxtaposition from his humble beginnings to the crazy excesses of fame felt tinged with loneliness. However, the Graceland mansion does really show the homely family man beyond the bling of his fame. If you’re an Elvis fan, these two destinations should be at the top of your list. Even if you’re not an Elvis fan, I would recommend a visit, so you can discover more about this fascinating man.
If you love music and travel, why not visit France for the Fête de la Musique?
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhoneX.
Loved the article!
Thanks so much Linda!
We visited Tupelo and Graceland on separate occasions but since we saw Graceland first, my reaction was like yours: How small. But when I saw his birthplace, then I knew that, by the standards during their time, graceland was huge!
Interesting to read about Graceland, Elvis’ mansion. I never really considered to visit. Seeing your photos and reading about it I realise it’s even bigger than I previously thought. That colourful pool room is something different! So (ahem) pompous… Maybe it’s a sign that money can’t buy taste.
when I see the entry prices at the bottom I come to realise that this seems to be for hardcore Elvis fans – not me! I would prefer to spend that sort of money on something else.
Yes, it’s not a cheap activity to do. But definitely worth it for Elvis fans!
The king of rock n’ roll is definitely ingrained in everyone’s imagination. cool guide for peeps visiting Graceland. great recommendations for places to stay and which tours to take to save time and money!
How great that you learned so much about Elvis on this trip. I am sure that listing Graceland and his birthplace was a great reminder of how big a celebrity he became. I can see why you liked the pool room. Certainly over the top! I never thought I might want to visit Graceland. But you have piqued my curiosity.
I have tried to visit Graceland twice and it has been closed both times, talk about being unlucky! I love that Lisa Marie still uses the home, what a great place to have a dinner party. Would love to see the planes, costumes and that pool room
Oh my gosh, what bad luck! The costumes were amazing – one of my favourite parts of the complex!
I haven’t been to graceland, but i was in tupelo – on my very first trip to the us. although i’m not a huge elvis-fan, i, of course, visited the house. also, last year, i visited the spot where he first set foot on german soil. actually, for not being an elvis-fan, i saw quite a few historic elvis-places, come to think of it 😉
LOL sounds like you’re becoming a fan!
i’ve never been to graceland so I really enjoyed reading about the life of Elvis from your point of view. like you, he was before my time, though his music is timeless. it is interesting to read about his humble beginnings and seeing his evolution to the graceland mansion. the jungle room is unlike anything I’ve ever seen…wow!! good to know Lisa marie presley is still involved. while I’m not an elvis fan, I enjoy this great read.
My mother was a diehard Elvis Presley Fan, so some of that rubbed off on me, I guess. I did not know that Elvis was a twin, however! I wonder how much that affected him throughout his life that his twin wasn’t around? I also did not know that Lisa Marie still owns Graceland. And cool that she still visits and holds dinner parties there. Loved reading your post and learning a little more about Elvis and his homes.
I am not a big fan but my mom is! she would probably love being here and doing this tour. i’m glad that they preserved all of his work and actually documented his life’s journey. such a legend in his field.
I spent a couple of weeks in Red Bay, Alabama getting our RV fixed. There was no wifi so we drove to tupelo several times a week to go to starbucks, eat fried chicken and check out some of the tupelo dights. I got to see some of the elvis sites too which was pretty cool!
The Guest House at Graceland is more than a full-service hotel. It has 450 spacious rooms and a range of contemporary facilities, including two restaurants, spaces for meetings and special events and a 464-seat theater for live performances and movies. It s the gateway to your visit to Graceland and the perfect place to stay while discovering everything that Memphis has to offer. It s classic elegance and modern luxury – friendly, refined and uniquely Elvis.