Elvis Presley’s Graceland was forced to shut its doors for two months during the first lockdown last year. And while The King’s home is open with Covid restrictions in place, Elvis Presley Enterprises have decided to put on some limited virtual tours open to fans all around the world. Express.co.uk attended the first one in late January which took us through Graceland’s mansion, via The King’s grave, onto the Lisa Marie private jet and through his possessions, cars and clothes inside Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment and exhibit complex.
Safe to say, the two-hour tour was well worth the $100 price tag. Sure, there was a brief technical glitch in the first 10 minutes, but Vice President of Graceland Archives and Exhibits Angie Marchese made up for that by adding on another generous 30 minutes to the tour while answering fan questions throughout.
There were only set to be two more of these virtual tours at the end of February and March, but due to phenomenal demand Graceland are now putting on more with four types of tour to choose from.
Graceland wrote in a statement: “The response to these tours has exceeded our expectations, as all three of our initial Graceland Virtual Live Tours have officially sold out. So we are very happy to announce that we have added additional tour dates as well as three brand new virtual tour options.
“There are now four unique Graceland Virtual Live Tour options available so that you can choose the one that’s right for you! All Virtual Live Tours are hosted by Angie Marchese, Vice President of Graceland Archives and one of the world’s foremost experts on all-things Elvis Presley.”
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Graceland continued: “The artifacts spotlighted and stories told will vary from tour to tour making each experience unique, and viewers will have the opportunity to ask Angie questions throughout the event.
“These two-hour guided tours will provide guests a behind the scenes VIP experience with unique highlights and an in-depth look into Elvis’ life, with the new options offering a more detailed and in-depth look at some of the specific aspects of the Graceland campus such as the Mansion and Elvis Presley’s Memphis exhibit and entertainment complex – where guests can see various artifacts such as Elvis’ cars, jumpsuits, gold records and movie memorabilia.
“One of the new tour options even provides guests the opportunity to join Angie inside Graceland’s top-secret Archives facility, where Elvis’ personal items not on display to the public are stored!”
All four tours cost $98.50 each and require a Facebook account as the virtual tour will be live-streamed to a private Facebook group you are given access to after ticket purchase.
Graceland notes: “The group is active for 7 days following the live event, during that period virtual tour ticket holders may rewatch their tour as often as they like!
“At the conclusion of the 7 day period, the group will be closed and there will be no further access to the Virtual Live Tour.”
While on Graceland’s upstairs they added: “At the request The Presley Family, the upstairs of Graceland Mansion is private and is not included in any tour conducted by Graceland, in-person or virtual. We honour their request without question and graciously thank them for letting us share the downstairs area with the millions of Elvis fans all across the World.”
The four tour types, which are all approximately two hours, are The Graceland Experience, The Mansion, Elvis’ Life & Career and The Archives Vault.
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The Graceland Experience is the highlights tour Express.co.uk took through the mansion, Meditation Garden, Lisa Marie jet and Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment and exhibit complex.
Next up, The Mansion tour spends more time at the house, including Vernon’s office, the trophy building and racquetball court.
Then there’s Elvis’ Life and Career tour which gives an extended look at the Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment and exhibit complex, with a chance to see his cars, costumes and more possessions.
Last but not least is The Archives Vault tour, in which Angie takes fans inside Graceland’s Archives Building, the top-secret facility where Elvis’ personal items that are not on display are stored. Here are the upcoming virtual tours:
February 25, 2021 – The Graceland Experience – SOLD OUT
March 13, 2021 – The Graceland Experience
March 25, 2021 – The Graceland Experience – SOLD OUT
April 5, 2021 – The Mansion
April 12, 2021 – The Archives Vault
April 19, 2021 – Elvis’ Life and Career
Elvis Presley’s Graceland Virtual Live Tour tickets can be purchased here.
