Elvis Hasn’t Left the Building: What It’s Like Visiting Graceland in Memphis

It wasn’t just a visit—it felt like a pilgrimage.
I’d grown up hearing Elvis Presley’s voice echo through family road trips, kitchen radios, and late-night reruns of his old movies. But standing in his Memphis home for the first time, I felt something deeper…a quiet kind of awe that caught me off guard.

If Visiting Graceland has been on your bucket list for a while, or if you’re wondering whether it’s truly worth the hype (and the ticket price), you’re not alone. I wasn’t sure what to expect either. Would it feel kitschy? Overwhelming? Would I connect with a place that felt so steeped in myth?

In this post, I’ll walk you through what it’s really like to visit Graceland, from the unexpected emotional moments to the must-see exhibits, and where I stayed nearby that felt safe, quiet, and perfect for a solo traveler like me.

Whether you're an Elvis fan or just curious about one of America's most iconic homes, this guide will help you decide if Graceland deserves a spot on your next adventure and how to make the most of it if you go.

Arriving at Graceland

Graceland has a nice website to help you plan out your visit and buy tickets online. There are various tours from which to choose. We got the “Elvis Experience Tour,” which averages 3.5 – 4 hours. That was about how much time we spent. If you are someone who wants to read every information plaque you could easily spend another hour or two more. The “Elvis Experience Tour” included an interactive iPad tour of Graceland Mansion, checking out Elvis's planes, and entry to the exhibits.

When you first arrive, go into the building straight ahead from the parking lot pictured above. Inside, it's kind of like checking in at the airport. You'll be placed in a line for your tour. Before you board the shuttle bus, which will drive you across Elvis Presley Boulevard to the mansion, each person gets an iPad with headphones and a strap so you can hang it around your neck. You use this for your self-guided tour through the mansion and its grounds. After a little fiddling around, it was pretty intuitive to use.

Elvis's music and videos are playing while you wait in line, and it was a great reminder of how beautiful his voice (and he himself) was! What an amazing talent!

What It’s Really Like Visiting Graceland in Memphis for the First Time

Once you get off the short shuttle ride across Elvis Presley Blvd. you stand at the front door where a guide will give you the rundown on what to expect and remind you not to touch things, etc. Then you enter the house. I was surprised at how small it was. For a “mansion” I'd pictured something larger, but the over-the-top decor makes up for the modest size!

You ever visit a place thinking, “Okay, this’ll be wacky fun,” and then five minutes in you’re blinking back tears and putting on your sunglasses inside? That was me at Graceland.

I thought I was just here for some kitsch, maybe to gawk at Elvis’s rhinestone jumpsuits. But walking into the house? It felt… weirdly personal. Like I was intruding on someone’s very fabulous, very shag-carpeted private life. The Jungle Room? Exactly as wild as promised. But it was the quiet places that got me. His childhood photos. The Meditation Garden, where he’s buried, is peaceful in a way that made my throat go tight.

I didn’t expect to be moved, but Graceland snuck up on me like that.

And no, you don’t need to be an Elvis superfan. I met a woman in her sixties who had just learned his middle name on the tour and still called it one of her top travel memories.

Seeing the dining room was touching when the audio recording described their family dinners there, including mentioning that Lisa Marie Presley would still have her family's holiday dinners there up until her 2023 death.

The tour ends with the Meditation Garden, where Elvis, Lisa Marie, and other family members have been laid to rest. It's hard not to shed a tear after having just immersed yourself in their lives for the past hour!

Touring Elvis’s Private Planes at Graceland: Are They Worth It?

I'll be honest, I almost skipped the planes. I mean, how exciting can a couple of old jets really be? But curiosity (and a coffee buzz) got the best of me, so I hopped aboard.

And surprisingly? I’m glad I did.

Elvis’s Lisa Marie jet is like stepping into a Vegas lounge with wings. It's a 1958 Convair 880 that Elv spent $800,000 on remodeling into the swank haven we can now see! Think plush seats, gold-tone seatbelts, and a phone in every room, even the bathroom. It’s part time capsule, part peek into how wildly over-the-top travel was in Elvis’s day. My favorite moment? Realizing he had a bedroom on board with a full-size bed, complete with seat belts (bed belts?)

There's also a smaller Lockheed Jet Star plane you can peek in to see the wondrous green and yellow decor. Sorry, somehow, I missed taking a picture of it.

Is it worth it? If you’re already there, I say yes. It’s not a must-see like the mansion or the museum, but it added a layer of “wow, he really lived like this” that rounded out the visit.

Tip: You can’t go inside the planes without the “Elvis Experience” or higher-level ticket, so check your pass before heading over.

Inside the Elvis the Entertainer Museum: What You’ll See and What Surprised Me

After that, it was back to the main building where we started. This is where the legend really hits you.

You enter an enormous warehouse that goes on and on! I couldn't believe how many exhibits there were. I kept thinking we must be done, but no, yet another exhibit. I'm not complaining, but I was genuinely astounded at how much memorabilia exists for this one person!

Here's a selection from the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, a huge car collection. Even for someone who is not a “car person” (ie. me) some of these are beautiful!

There are many gift shops scattered throughout the exhibits, with tons of Graceland salt shakers, oven mitts, Christmas ornaments, t-shirts, and anything else you can think of! Here we tried on some Elvis shades:

There's an arcade / interactive exhibit where you can play Elvis-related games. Here, we virtually tried on Elvis attire. You could then email the image to yourself or anyone.

Probably my favorite exhibit was of the costumes. Amazing how many he had.

There are also exhibits featuring costumes and entire sets from the recent Baz Luhrmann Elvis movie, and thousands of Elvis's personal belongings and Gold Records etc. on display.

I'd say that even a casual Elvis fan would enjoy visiting Graceland for its slice of Americana, at the very least. What an amazing phenomenon Elvis's journey was. We wondered if there is any other person whose life has made so much money for so many other people! Hard to imagine the amount of money that is still being made off of Elvis almost 50 years after his death.

After seeing his cars, golf carts, and other toys, it was good to know that Elvis himself got to enjoy some of that wealth before his early passing at age 42 in August 1977.

Where to Stay Near Graceland Memphis: My Honest Review of La Quinta

I’ll admit it, I wasn’t expecting much when I booked the La Quinta Inn & Suites Memphis Downtown. I just wanted something clean, safe, and quiet where I wouldn’t lie awake wondering if the air conditioner was about to fall out of the window.

Turns out, it was a total win.

The room was spacious, the bed was actually comfortable (not the usual trampoline-mattress situation), and the front desk staff were the kind of people who smile like they mean it. I felt perfectly safe walking in solo, even after dinner. And the location? Just a 10 minute drive from Graceland, and within walking distance of Beale Street.

The best part? They had free breakfast that wasn’t just sad muffins and a side of regret. I made a decent waffle and had a quiet moment to sip coffee while mentally preparing myself to enter Elvis’s jungle room.

Starting prices range from $140 – $350 depending on the time of year.

If you're looking to splurge a little more:

*Graceland has its own hotel you can stay at : The Guest House at Graceland. This is one of the largest hotels in Memphis at 450 rooms. Starting prices range from $200 – $450 depending on the time of year.

*Be sure to check out the Peabody Hotel. It's a beautiful, historic building with a gorgeous lobby. It was opened in 1869. Totally wacky tradition: A group of Mallard Ducks live on the hotel's roof, and each day, they are escorted down to the lobby, where they hang out in the lobby pond. This has been a tradition for the past 90 years. Don't miss their parade through the lobby at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.

Starting prices range from $200 – $750 depending on the time of year.

*Beale Street – Be sure to visit Beale Street when you're in Memphis! It has such a great vibe. We ate dinner at the BB Kings Blues Club. Great food and excellent live music. And the music wasn't too loud! That's becoming one of my top priorities these days!

Is Graceland Worth Visiting? Here’s My Honest Opinion

If Graceland’s been on your maybe-one-day list, I hope this nudges it up a few spots. It’s not just for Elvis superfans or history buffs. It’s for anyone craving a glimpse into a life that was as big and bold as the dreams we carry around ourselves.

Walking those halls felt like flipping through a shag carpeted scrapbook of American pop culture. And while the house is iconic, it was the feeling that stuck with me. That mix of nostalgia, surprise, and a quiet little voice that said, “I’m so glad I did this.”

If you’re thinking of visiting, trust your gut. Book the ticket. Stay somewhere comfortable. Make your own playlist and take the trip. (Be sure to blast Paul Simon's Graceland on your way there!)

And if you’re planning your stay, the La Quinta Downtown was my pick: clean, close, solo-traveler approved. You can check prices and availability here.

Pin Me for Later