In December, Priscilla Presley gave a personal tour of the infamous Graceland Mansion. And it’s every Elvis fan’s dream tour of the King’s iconic home.
The mansion has over 600,000 visitors every year. All of them have one thing in common: an undying love for “The King.”
“The Today Show” got a first look at some new additions to Elvis’ home as well as new perspectives from one of the people that knew Elvis the best.
New Guest House
In December, a new guest house opened up near the Graceland Mansion. The goal was to replicate some of the iconic features of Presley’s home. This includes the grand staircase and an epic chandelier, which are two of the first things that are seen upon entering.
Also, there are hundreds of rooms for guests to stay in. However, there are 20 that are specifically Elvis-themed.
The guest house is really a modern rendition of the Graceland and Priscilla Presley helped make design choices. She said that a part of the goal was to match the “flair” and stylishness that Presley was so known for both in his home and his personal wardrobe.
In fact, one of the ceilings in the new addition has a crystal-like design that is meant to mimic one of Elvis’ famous jumpsuits.
Priscilla Presley said that when people from Elvis’ inner circle saw the building, they were blown away. Many of them said that “Elvis was here” in nearly all of the design choices, from the couches to the ceiling to art.
Probably the most interesting part of the new rendition is the master suite. This room is decorated to mimic Elvis’ private room. No one except for very close friends of his inner circle has ever seen the room before. Therefore, the replica is the closest way fans can see the inner workings of his most personal space.
It included black, red, and gold coloring as well as a signature piano in the middle of the room. The room had several TVs throughout as well. People close to Elvis would gather to listen to him play or to be in a round of cards.
The Graceland Mansion
Graceland is actually considered a national monument and continues to be preserved as a location for fans of “The King” to remember his iconic life.
In fact, last year was the 40th anniversary of his death. More people than ever had shown up for his vigil to celebrate his life.
Priscilla Presley talked about the everlasting impact that he had on people. She also pointed out that his music is resonating with people as strongly as it did when he was still alive. She noted that “If I Can Dream” had gone triple-platinum and “The Wonder of You” went gold recently.
His records are still selling. Elvis has sold billions of records, has 179 certified gold or platinum records, and was nominated for 14 Grammys. He has also sold more than any other artist ever and is always adding to his collection from past archives. As Priscilla put it, “he broke the mold.”
“People loved his voice when he sang it was like he was singing to you. He wasn’t bad to look at either,” Priscilla Presley said.
The Graceland Mansion is home to a huge collection of memories from Elvis’ life. This includes photographs and displays. One of the most popular is his jumpsuits. Elvis had a wide array of different jumpsuits that showed off his flair and the unique style he had become so famous for. In fact, people can buy really close replicas of his old jumpsuits online.
While many come near the anniversary of his death, Priscilla believes that there are so many positives to celebrate.
“We have so much here to remind us of all the good that he’s done.”
