While Graceland is seen as a popular tourist attraction today, it was simply ‘home’ to Elvis Presley.
The late ‘King of Rock and Roll’ spent many happy years at his Memphis, Tennessee, residence but Christmas was an especially “sentimental” time for him.
After relocating to the sprawling estate from his four-bedroom, ranch-style house on Audobon Drive, a residential neighborhood in Memphis, Elvis spent his first Christmas at Graceland in 1957.
It was an especially poignant holiday for the singer as it marked his last Christmas before he entered the army.
“Elvis’ first Christmas in ’57 was kind of one of those sentimental Christmases. Not only was it his first Christmas here at Graceland, but he also did just receive his draft notice,” Angie Marchese, Vice President of Archives and Exhibits at Graceland, explained in a “Gates of Graceland” video.
“He knew he was getting ready to go into the army, so he was kind of mentally preparing for that. But he didn’t let that dampen his Christmas spirit,” she continued.
“Elvis definitely went full throttle. One of the first things he bought was a gigantic piece of lawn art, which is still in the yard today. It’s the Santa with the reindeer that says, ‘Merry Christmas to All, Elvis.'”
She added: “Now it’s on the north lawn. But Elvis displayed it right in front of the house in the center of the yard so everyone could see it. We still have the receipt for that lawn art, which cost Elvis around $300.”
It would be three years before Elvis spent another Christmas at Graceland, returning in 1960 after he was discharged from the army.
© Getty ImagesThe following year he spent the holiday in Las Vegas, but then spent every Christmas at Graceland from 1962 until his death in August 1977.
Elvis’ granddaughter Riley Keough recently shared an insight into spending time at Graceland during her childhood.
The Daisy Jones & The Six actress is now the sole owner of the legendary Tennessee estate following her mother Lisa Marie Presley’s death in January 2023, and a brief legal battle with her grandmother Priscilla Presley.
© Getty ImagesAnd though the legendary residence has been open to the public since 1982, both Elvis and his daughter’s bedrooms are kept private, and the Presley heir not only grew up spending weekends at the home, but now, she enjoys staying there with her own family as well.
“There were some nights that [Lisa Marie] wanted to stay there, and she would bring us with her,” she said on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
© Getty Images“The tours start in the morning and they end at 4 pm, so if we were to stay in the house — Elvis’ room and my mother’s room are not part of the tour — we would stay upstairs and have to wait, we’d get stuck until the tours were over.
In September, Riley spoke to People about the responsibility she holds as sole owner of Graceland.
“My hope is to continue what my grandmother did, and then my mother did, which is simply to preserve our family home,” she said.
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