Visitors to Graceland have been able to tour the downstairs rooms and grounds of the estate since 1982, but upstairs remains private. Lisa Marie has kept everything exactly as it was on the tragic morning in 1977 when her father died.
Elvis Presley's Memphis mansion may be open to the public, but his private area in Graceland's upstairs is off-limits. The King's daughter Lisa Marie Presley has her own personal key for the secret area, while she requires the space be perfectly preserved just as her father left it.
The upstairs area is not open to the public during regular tours of Graceland. Elvis' bedroom, known as the “Jungle Room” due to its tropical-themed décor, is located upstairs. It features shag carpeting, wood-paneled walls, and various exotic furnishings.
There was a long shag carpet, red walls and nightstands and lamps covered in gold leaf. The King had a massive TV at the end of his bed and even had one put into the ceiling so that he could lie down and watch without having to sit up.
The Upstairs Remains Off Limits
It was there, in his bathroom, that Presley's body was found on Aug. 16, 1977. After the home was opened to the public in 1982, the second floor was sealed shut out of respect to the family — and also to avoid any macabre attention at the scene of his death.
“[I] get goosebumps,” he told Fallon about seeing Elvis' bedroom for the first time. “That was after we screened the film and the bedroom, you know, his bedroom is a place that most people never get to see. And she said, 'I want to show you something. ' And she took me up there we just sat in his bedroom.
Speaking previously in an Instagram Q&A from inside Graceland, the archivist admitted the upstairs is preserved as The King had it in 1977, saying: “It looks as if he just got up and left. It is part of my job to maintain it. So we do go up there to maintain the space.”
Elvis Presley's famous Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, is staying in the family following the death of his daughter.
Did Ginger Alden Attend Elvis' Funeral? Yes. As his fiancée at the time, it is believed that Ginger Alden was present for Elvis' funeral. Following the funeral, however, she was reportedly banned from Graceland by Presley's family and had to receive permission to visit his grave.
Presley. “Elvis lived in many places, but Graceland was always his home, and Lisa felt the same way,” he said. “At times of difficulty, she slept in his bedroom. Twenty-five million people have visited Graceland, but it was always only home to one person, and that was Lisa.”
Among the nearly one million Elvis artifacts in Graceland's collection are 6,000 items of clothing.
Cameras. Guests may take photographs with a regular still or digital cameras in all areas of the Graceland campus, inside and out, including the mansion property. However, flashes of any kind are not allowed inside the mansion or inside any museums or attractions.
A tour of the mansion takes about one to one and a half hours. The Elvis Experience tour, which includes the mansion, car museum and several other exhibits, takes anywhere from two and a half to three and a half hours.
Jungle Room
In 1974, Elvis redecorated with the current furnishings he stumbled upon at a Memphis furniture store. This room became a family favorite and Elvis liked it in part because it was reminiscent of Hawaii, where he enjoyed vacationing, film-making and performing.
My husband and I visited and toured the estate in 1983. It was a thrill of a lifetime. It was explained to our group that the reason the upstairs was off limits is that Elvis had an Aunt whom still lived on the upstairs floor.
The iconic Memphis home of Elvis Presley, which had been willed to his daughter Lisa Marie Presley — who died Jan. 12 at the age of 54 — will now go to Presley's three surviving children: elder daughter Riley Keough, 33, and twins Harper and Finley Lockwood, 14. Lisa Marie Presley's son, Benjamin Keough, died in 2020.
Graceland continued to be occupied by members of the family until the death of Presley's aunt Delta in 1993, who had moved in at Elvis's invitation after her husband's death. Elvis's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited the estate in 1993 when she turned 25, until her death 30 years later.
During his 20 years living at Graceland, the upstairs was off-limits except for an invite from Elvis Presley himself. Even to this day, tours of the mansion – which have been on-going for 40 years – do not include The King's bedroom and the bathroom where he died.
Following Lisa Marie's death on Jan. 12, 2023, her daughter Riley Keough's rep confirmed to PEOPLE that the daughter of Elvis will be laid to rest at Graceland. "Lisa Marie's final resting place will be at Graceland, next to her beloved son Ben," a statement to PEOPLE read.
Family members continued to live at Graceland after Elvis' death, including Vernon Presley, who died in 1979, and Minnie Mae Presley, who died in 1980.
Makeup helps sell the illusion, but so does Butler's voice. “There was a change in vocal energy as the character aged,” says Byrne. “That has to do a little bit with the pitch that he's speaking at, which got lower and gruffer as it went on, which is probably pretty true to what Elvis experienced in real life.”
"She was just the most incredible woman I'd ever met, and just so incredibly honest and loving. Just to finally be able to give her a hug and then to spend all those moments with her, it's really, really sad right now," he says.
'Elvis' star Austin Butler recalls the first time he met Priscilla Presley: 'She's so angelic' Butler, 30, met Presley during a visit to Graceland while preparing for the film. Just like Elvis Presley before him, Austin Butler couldn't help being enchanted by Priscilla Presley when he met her for the first time.