Tips For Making The Most Of Your Time At Elvis' Famous Home, Graceland
A visit to Graceland is one of the biggest draws for Elvis fans, and, having had over 20 million visitors since it opened to the public 1982, Graceland is Memphis' most important tourist attraction. We've got some tips for you to avoid the crowds and to make sure your visit here goes smoothly.
Firstly, the official Graceland website advises that the site is usually less busy in the afternoons, so come after 2 p.m. if you want to minimize your wait time. Graceland gets over 500,000 visitors per year, so we recommend doing anything you can to avoid the crowds. Peak season is Memorial Day through Labor Day, while weekdays in the middle of winter tend to be the quietest times. The last mansion tour is at 4 p.m.; you can check this on the hours of operation page. Graceland is open all year, and closes only on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Book in advance or visit for free
Second, Graceland recommends booking tour tickets in advance if you want to visit at a specific time. If you choose to have your tickets emailed to you, make sure you print them before you come, as it costs $1.50 to have them reprinted onsite. If you collect your tickets at Will Call, bring your photo ID and the credit card you used to make the purchase. You can also pay for parking online in advance to make sure your arrival at Graceland goes smoothly.
Ticket prices for visiting the Graceland mansion start at $77 for adults. If this is too much for you and you don't want to go inside the Graceland mansion itself, you can go to the Meditation Garden for free. Here, you'll find the graves of Elvis and some of his family members. You'll need to arrive between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and you'll have to leave the grounds before the mansion tours start. There's no need to book for this.
Accessibility tips and what to bring
The mansion tour at Graceland is accessible to wheelchair users. However, wheelchair users should be aware that there are two rooms in the basement that are not accessible, as well as the airplanes tour. Graceland recommends wheelchair users bring their own wheelchairs to tour the site, as they are not provided. Travel bloggers Gemma and George, who toured Graceland with a baby, suggest either carrying young kids or using a baby carrier, as strollers are not permitted inside the mansion.
Our final tip is to bring along a sharpie and your camera. The sharpie is because you get to sign the famous Graceland wall to leave permanent evidence of your visit here. The camera is, obviously, to take photos. However, you should be aware that flash photography isn't permitted. You can also leave your video camera at home, as it's not permitted inside the mansion, gift shops, or attractions.