Seven wonders Graceland, Memphis There’s plenty to sift through among the 18,581 square metres of the Graceland complex in Memphis. Here’s how to make the most of a visit to the Elvis Presley’s former home. The VIP ticket costs extra, but it helps to beat the queues for the exhibits.
1 Jump the queues In life, Elvis Presley was the King of Rock’N’Roll. In death, he’s the overlord of killing time. If the thought of waiting at least an hour for the shuttle to the Graceland mansion (and then more faffing when you arrive) gets you all shook up, it’s worth splashing out for VIP entry.
The $US139 ($206) Elvis Entourage VIP ticket isn’t cheap, given the current exchange rate, but it allows you to skip the queues and includes front-of-the-line access at the king’s former digs. 2 Spot the wildlife The Peacock Room at Graceland. Elvis loved animals and kept pet horses, a squirrel monkey and a chimpanzee, which would be enough to get him cancelled these days.
“There are animals in every room: poodles, giraffe, fish, monkeys, owls, lions, doves, snails, rabbits, peacocks, seagulls, dragons, bears, leopards, horses and dogs,” says one of the ground staff as we arrive. Every room in Graceland except the bathroom is decorated with some sort of animal figurine or statue. See if you can spot them all.
3 Admire the retro tech The media room is very cushy. The colonial-style mansion was sold to Elvis in 1957 when he was just 22. Among its 23 rooms, eight bedrooms and bathr.
