Upstairs at Graceland

[TCBinAZ]

Do you think they will ever open the upstairs of Graceland for the tour?
I think all Elvis fans would love to see the king?s bedroom and infamous bathroom with the red shag carpet!
What do you think is the real reason they keep it closed?

[tcbtigerman]

They keep it closed out of respect.I think it should remain like that.

[joanne]

I think it may be opened eventually.

[orwell1976]

As far as I know they simply can't open the upper rooms because the stairs won't hold all the visitors. But I believe that they will bring more or less everything down and display it somewhere else. I don't believe that everything is still untouched, I guess it was all brought to some dustfree and air conditioned storage room. As soon as the amount of visitors becomes less, they will have to find new attractive things to display, so a re-reation of Elvis' or Lisa's room is a possibility. Maybe they even re-decorate the livingroom someday. Who knows?

[0349054]

They can't open it because they would need to alter the house for fire and safety reasons. Logistically speaking it would take a major overhaul of the whole house and they would need to get permission from the National Registry to do it. The hallway upstairs is not very wide, so you would have difficulty moving large volumes of people through it.

I think it should be left closed.

[boogie]

I hope they never open it for the public, let's give E that last privacy for himself............

[joanne]

When they need more money it could become tempting.

[KPM]

I could imagine them perhaps re-creating the room elsewhere on the grounds to avoid major reconstruction for county codes and fire laws. Just moving his bedroom furniture and the things they would want to include in the exhibit to
another building or build another one for doing it. I'm sure it woud not be a true representation, but would be interesting. But if I had a vote I'd say just leave it alone.

[THENATUREBOY]

You never know about EPE. I dont think they will ever open it, but not because of respect or privacy, but because they would have to alter the house and all that.

[ayda]

I don't know what to say.If it had being my father the one who died in that room I would keep it closed.I would probably had done everything different,but Precilla is running the show and eventually if it brings more tourist she will open the bedroom.Maybe she's waiting for the right time.Maybe when tourist get tired of seing the mansion,EP's resting site,the planes she'll go:"Hummm let's open the bedroom"What do you TCB people think?There is no stopping Precilla when it comes to $$$$$.I just can't figure her out.She can't have enough.In the documentary"Elvis center stage"she cries like she cared She has even gone has far as adding photos of her and Elvis in the Mansion walls.Always selling.

TCB

Alyda

[Sattnin]

I believe the upstairs should remain closed as that was Elvis's private quarters for when he wanted to get away. Very few of his friends were ever invited upstairs. I don't believe the upstairs has remained the same since his death. This question and answer is from Elvis.com:

Why does the Graceland Mansion tour not include the upstairs area (Elvis? bedroom, bath, office and wardrobe room, Lisa Marie?s nursery, etc.)?

Tours of the upstairs have not been available up to now and won't be in the foreseeable future. The part of Graceland we show the world on our tour is the part that Elvis showed anyone who visited him at Graceland. The upstairs was his private area. When Graceland opened, Priscilla and Lisa felt that the upstairs should remain private, that letting everyone go up there would be disrespectful and inappropriate - something the rest of our management wholeheartedly agrees with. Along with these personal feelings is the matter of logistics. With our volume of visitorship we would be required to put in an extra staircase as an exit, we'd have to do some remodeling upstairs as the hallway connecting the rooms is not large enough to accommodate crowds. This would radically alter the house and no one wants to do that. The issue of privacy and respect is also the reason that we do not publish photographs of the upstairs area. However, we do bring items from upstairs into our exhibits.

[Albert]

It's a myth that the upstair floor has stayed untouched. Just as much as a myth that Graceland has been left untouched. We all know that Priscilla has redecorated everything to her style before opening it to the public.

Upstairs is empty (with a few rooms being used for storage).

[KPM]

I read that Lisa showed the bedroom to Nick Cage during Christmas the few days they were married.

[Lonniebealestreet]

Apparently they watched the Vigil from his room that year.

It's a myth that the upstair floor has stayed untouched. Just as much as a myth that Graceland has been left untouched.

...A myth that Lisa perpetuates, which is surprising to me that she could do so in good conscience. But despite her love for her father, she has learned 'the business' from her mother, and that isn't the only example of her telling tall tales.

I agree with joanne and ayda that the financial lure will likely outweigh all other factors at a certain point. Even though I am not too crazy about that way of thinking, I wouldn't mind seeing it happen. It seems to me that the logistical issues could be fairly easily overcome if they really wanted to do it.

[orwell1976]

To me it isn't tasteless or something if the bedroom furniture was shown to the public. As long as Elvis and his music is kept in public and a good buck can be earned it doesn't bother me. Nobody forces me to buy that stuff and see exhibitions that I don't like. But today you have to build some kind of Disneyland to attract the people and once in a while you have to add some new attractions. Elvis is dead and nothing new will come. So I guess it is just a matter of time until some stuff from his bedroom or private wardrobe will be shown. If it's done in a tasteful way I have nothing against it.

[0349054]

Stuff from the Bedroom is already on display. The usairs is practically empty.

[Danny Ocean]

Everything in the upstairs rooms is untouched. Not since Elvis died, but when Graceland opened to the public. Priscilla and Lisa-Marie taked out a few things. Like books, photo's..clothes..And then it was closed. Later in 2002-2003 I believe..they made a new inventory list. Things were missing..Maybe the employees? So the moved almost every clothes, books and other stuff to a storage..The furniture Is still there.. And the bed who's on display? Do you think Elvis had the same bed and desk and chair for years? I don't think so.. The real bed and desk are still upstairs. These are from mid '60's.

[0349054]

Elvis' bed in his room is too big to move anywhere. Lisa's room only has a few storage boxes in it, Elvis' room is fairly empty as well, they are slowly removing everything from it. I've spoken to a few people who have been up there since he died and all the stories pretty much match up, regarding whats left and whats gone.

[joanne]

Elvis' bed in his room is too big to move anywhere. Lisa's room only has a few storage boxes in it, Elvis' room is fairly empty as well, they are slowly removing everything from it. I've spoken to a few people who have been up there since he died and all the stories pretty much match up, regarding whats left and whats gone.

I don`t expect you to name names but is it staff members that have told you that?

[0349054]

Yes among others. Also there is a CCTV camera in Elvis' bedroom and its not the one looking out the window for the Collectors Club, their is another one in there as well.