Graceland says fans will no longer pay to visit grave during vigil
It turns out you can’t put a price tag on paying respects to the King.
Graceland has announced that beginning with next year’s annual August Elvis Week celebration, the charge to walk past the gravesite during the candlelight vigil will go away.
“Enjoy the change,” Priscilla Presley said in a tweet Wednesday evening. “You will no longer have to pay to attend the Vigil from the front gate to the Meditation Garden to pay your respects to Elvis and his family. This is your time.”
The tweet followed the official announcement by Graceland on its website earlier in the day. Graceland announced the new policy as part of several “exciting changes” planned for next year’s Elvis Week Aug. 9-17.
Graceland instituted the pay policy two years ago, which was the 40th anniversary of Presley’s death. Because of large crowds, operators began requiring fans to purchase a wristband, costing just under $30, for admission to the property before they could visit Meditation Garden, where Presley is buried along with his parents and grandmother.
The policy caused grumbling among fans, who prior to 2017 were able to walk from the gate to the garden without paying admission.
The complete list of changes announced by Graceland includes:
❚ Dropping the need for passes to access the property during the Candlelight Vigil. “We invite everyone to come to Graceland and join the procession up to Meditation Garden on this special evening (8/15/19) to honor Elvis,” the release reads.
❚ During Elvis Week, 10,000 square feet of the new 80,000-square-foot Exhibition Space at Graceland building will become a Music Pavilion. The space is described as “the new and improved location for what was formerly known as the ‘Entertainment Tent.’” Continuous live entertainment will be offered inside the air-conditioned space.
❚ A new TCB Pass will offer unlimited access to Elvis Presley’s Memphis, including all exhibits, shops and restaurants. The pass also includes free parking in Graceland’s visitor parking lot after 5 p.m. The cost of the TCB Pass will be $28.75.
❚ An Early Bird Special at The Guest House at Graceland has been extended, offering rooms at $299 per night during Elvis Week. Every registered guest staying two or more nights during Elvis Week gets a TCB Pass.