Elvis death – Graceland upstairs still preserved ‘like he got up and left’ (2024)

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Elvis Presley's Graceland upstairs is off-limits to the public, but one of the only people allowed up there has shared what it's like in The King's mysterious bedroom, next to the bathroom where he died 47 years ago.

By George Simpson, Senior Film and Arts Reporter

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Elvis death – Graceland upstairs still preserved ‘like he got up and left’ (2)

Elvis death: Graceland upstairs bedroom and bathroom preserved ‘like he got up and left’ (Image: GETTY)

Elvis Presley's home has been open to the public as a museum for over 40 years, but nobody is allowed upstairs.

That is unless you are Priscilla Presley, his granddaughter Riley Keough or someone with special permission like Graceland’s Vice President of Archives and Exhibits Angie Marchese.

Even when Elvis first moved into Graceland back in 1957, he was conscious of protecting his privacy.

The Memphis mansion had an open house for his family and inner circle, but the upstairs was by invitation only.

The world-famous singer even had a security wall with a one-way mirror installed on the first-floor landing, with security cameras for him to see who was downstairs.

Read more... Elvis death – Livestream Elvis Week Candlelight vigil at King's Graceland grave

Elvis death – Graceland upstairs still preserved ‘like he got up and left’ (3)

Angie by the Graceland staircase at Graceland (Image: GRACELAND/GETTY)

Graceland’s upstairs includes Elvis’ office, his dressing room, his daughter Lisa Marie’s room, plus his bedroom and the bathroom where he died on the toilet of a heart attack at just 42 on August 16, 1977, 47 years ago today. Since it was Elvis’ private space in his life, it remains so in his death. However, Angie has spoken of what it’s like up there, as it’s her job to preserve The King’s inner sanctum – rooms that the late Lisa Marie described as the one place she felt safest in the whole world.

Elvis death – Graceland upstairs still preserved ‘like he got up and left’ (5)

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    Speaking previously in an Instagram Q&A from inside Graceland, the archivist admitted the upstairs is preserved as The King had it in 1977, saying: “It looks as if he just got up and left. It is part of my job to maintain it. So we do go up there to maintain the space. The record on the record player is the last record he listened to. There’s a styrofoam cup that sits on a bookshelf. The bed is made, so we really maintain it the way that Lisa wants us to preserve it. So, unfortunately, [fans] can’t see it, but it is taken care of.”

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    Elvis death – Graceland upstairs still preserved ‘like he got up and left’ (2024)

    FAQs

    Elvis death – Graceland upstairs still preserved ‘like he got up and left’? ›

    Speaking previously in an Instagram Q&A from inside Graceland, the archivist admitted the upstairs is preserved as The King had it in 1977, saying: “It looks as if he just got up and left. It is part of my job to maintain it. So we do go up there to maintain the space.

    Was the second floor death bathroom inside Graceland upstairs? ›

    The Upstairs Remains Off Limits

    It was there, in his bathroom, that Presley's body was found on Aug. 16, 1977. After the home was opened to the public in 1982, the second floor was sealed shut out of respect to the family — and also to avoid any macabre attention at the scene of his death.

    Who was the last person to live at Graceland? ›

    A mostly unnoticed presence, Aunt Delta remained at the mansion until her death on July 29, 1993, at the age of 74. She was the last resident of Graceland, where she had lived since the death of her husband in 1966.

    Who is the only person allowed upstairs at Graceland? ›

    Aside from Lisa Marie and her family, the only other people allowed up there except by special request (Elvis movie director Baz Luhrmann was allowed 15 minutes for research), are those who preserve the rooms. Among them is Angie Marchese, VP of Archives & Exhibits, who has worked at Graceland since 1989.

    Did Elvis live at Graceland until he died? ›

    Elvis Presley lived at Graceland in Memphis for more than 20 years — from its purchase in the spring of 1957 until his death in the summer of 1977.

    Who cleans Graceland upstairs? ›

    Graceland's upstairs is maintained and persevered today by on-site archivist Angie Marchese, at the request of The King's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. She has shared in the past that it's like Elvis just got up and left, with items exactly where he had them in 1977.

    What caused Lisa Marie's death? ›

    Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of rock 'n' roll legend Elvis, died of a bowel obstruction, the Los Angeles County medical examiner's office has said. The obstruction was a result of adhesions caused by weight-loss surgery she underwent several years ago.

    Does anyone live in Graceland today? ›

    Though no members of the Presley family actively live in Graceland, Riley does have vivid memories of her past stays in her family's home, and told VF: "There were a few times that we slept there," recalling: "The tours would start in the morning, and we would hide upstairs until they were over.

    How much did Priscilla Presley inherit from Elvis? ›

    When Elvis and Priscilla divorced in 1973 she was given a one off payment of $720.000 ( worth over 5million today ) she was also given spousal support and child support. Along with 5% of Elvis's Royalties..she also got half of the sale of their Californian home… when she was with Robert Kardashian who was a top lawyer.

    Who is running Graceland now? ›

    Following Lisa Marie's death on January 12, 2023, her eldest daughter, Riley Keough, became the sole trustee and owner. In May 2024, a company called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC claimed that Lisa Marie Presley failed to pay back a $3.8 million loan it had given her.

    Are Oprah and Elvis related? ›

    Fun Fact: Oprah Winfrey and Elvis Presley are distant cousins.

    Why is Graceland closing? ›

    In early May, a public notice was issued for the foreclosure sale of the 5-hectare estate in Memphis. Naussany Investments and Private Lending said that Promenade Trust, which controls Graceland Museum, owes $US3. 8 million ($5.7 million) after failing to replay a 2018 loan.

    Was the death bathroom inside Graceland upstairs? ›

    Famously, Presley died in the bathroom just off the master suite. That's a major reason why no one is allowed up there. Rumor has it that the interior of the space remains. unchanged from the moment Presley took his last breath.

    What did Priscilla do after Elvis died? ›

    Priscilla became the executor of his estate two years after his death—including his Graceland property in Memphis, Tennessee, which opened to the public in 1982 and is now a hugely popular tourist attraction—and helped preserve his legacy through Elvis Presley Enterprises.

    Why can't Graceland be sold? ›

    Graceland can stay in the hands of Elvis Presley's family for the time being, after a Tennessee court chancellor ruled Wednesday that a mysterious company trying to sell it likely committed fraud.

    What happened to Elvis in the bathroom? ›

    As he forcefully attempted to defecate, his abdominal aorta was compressed, shutting down his heart.

    Was there a secret room in Graceland? ›

    The upstairs is off-limits to guests at Graceland, but there's another room hidden on the grounds of Graceland. Elvis: Secret Room At Graceland. One person can go in it anytime she likes, Elvis' daughter Lisa Marie.

    How many bathrooms are in the Graceland mansion? ›

    Presley moved into Graceland with his parents and lived there for 20 years until his death in 1977. The estate grew to 17,552 square feet after additions and features 23 rooms with eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms and five staircases.

    Was there a pool at Graceland? ›

    ELVIS PRESLEY - In June of 1957, Elvis had a kidney shaped swimming pool installed at Elvis Presley's Graceland.

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