Graceland is 17,552 square feet and has a total of 23 rooms, including eight bedrooms and bathrooms on 13.8 acres in Memphis that was owned by Elvis Presley. It was opened to the public on June 7, 1982 and declared a National Historic Landmark on March 27, 2006. Graceland is the second most-visited house in America with over 650,000 visitors a year; second only to the White House.

Graceland was built in 1939 and originally owned by Thomas and Ruth Moore. Presley purchased Graceland on March 19, 1957 for $102,500.

To the right of the Entrance Hall is the Living Room, with the adjoining Music Room behind a doorway framed by vivid large peacocks set in stained glass. The Music Room has a white baby grand piano and a 1950s style TV. The Living Room contains a 15-foot-long white sofa against the wall overlooking the front yard.

In the mid-1960s, Presley enlarged the house to create a den known as Jungle Room which features an indoor waterfall of cut field stone on the north wall and green shag carpeting.

The TV room in the basement is where Elvis often watched three television sets at once, and was within close reach of a wet bar. Opposite of the TV room is the billiard room which has its walls and ceiling covered with 350–400 yards of pleated cotton fabric.

A wrought-iron front gate, designed and built by Abe Sauer, that was shaped like a book of sheet music, with green colored musical notes and a silhouette of Elvis.

Presley also installed a kidney shaped swimming pool and a racquetball court. There is also a functional stable of horses. Elvis also added a Meditation Garden, where he was eventually laid to rest. He was originally buried at a local cemetery, but was moved for security reasons.

THE PEABODY DUCKS

The Peabody is probably best known for the “March of the Ducks,” a custom dating back to the 1930s. Every day at 11:00 a.m., the Peabody Ducks are escorted from their penthouse home, on the Plantation Roof, to the lobby via elevator. The ducks proceed across a red carpet to the hotel fountain, made of a solid block of Italian travertine marble. The ducks are then ceremoniously led back to their penthouse at 5:00 p.m.

Duck is not served anywhere at The Peabody and has not been seen on the hotel’s menus since its 1981 reopening. Each team of Peabody Ducks lives at the hotel for only three months before retiring from their duty to a farm where they are free to live as wild ducks.

It should be noted that although it is called the “March of the Ducks,” it is more like a duck sprint. Most of the pictures that we got are blurry. You need to arrive at least an hour early to get a good seat.

The Duckmaster, is responsible for the training, protection, and care of the ducks. He is the only Duckmaster in the world.

BEALE STREET

Iconic Beale Street is a wonderful place to sit and enjoy some Blues.

CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

This was a very powerful museum that takes you through the Civil Rights Movement beginning with slavery and continues through the Civil War, Jim Crowe, to the present. It is housed at the former Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated.

MEMPHIS SCENIC DRIVE

Sun Studio has been called the “Birthplace of Rock N’ Roll” and is home to the ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ – Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.

Thank you to Scott’s Aunt Terry and Pat for their hospitality while we visited Memphis.