6 things to know about new window into world of Elvis
Fun facts about Graceland's new visitor experience: 1. Elvis Presley’s Memphis more than doubles amount of memorabilia available for public viewing, to some 375,000 items including 20 vehicles and 88 jump suits. That leaves more than 1.1 million items in storage, mostly documents.
2. Elvis Presley’s Memphis, coupled with 450-room resort hotel The Guest House at Graceland, brings Graceland’s employment to 520 people, not counting seasonal workers during peak tourist season.
3. It’s not all about Elvis. Exhibits include Mystery Train: The Sam Phillips Story, covering the life and times of Sun Studio’s rock pioneer; The Country Road to Rock – the Marty Stuart Collection; and Icons: The Influence of Elvis Presley, about Elvis’s influences on artists and celebrities.
4. Before Elvis Presley’s Memphis was the name of Graceland’s new entertainment and museum complex, it was a relatively short-lived Beale Street restaurant operated by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Since last August’s groundbreaking, Graceland has deep-sixed a more ponderous title for the new complex: “Elvis: Past, Present and Future.”
5. Thursday’s crowd was modest, but there were some heavy hitters including Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who scheduled an afternoon visit. Photo opp of the day: Bobbie Sue Clark, an Elvis superfan who moved from Oklahoma and bought a house behind Graceland, with Letetia Henley Kirk, Elvis’ former private duty nurse, and “Official Elvis Artist” Betty Harper.
6. The cost has gone up to see everything Graceland has to offer. An adult ticket for a mansion tour and access to Elvis Presley’s Memphis and Elvis airplanes is now $62.50, compared with $47.50 a year ago. A mansion-only ticket remains unchanged at $38.75.