Graceland Expansion, “Elvis Presley’s Memphis,” Set to Open March 2

Elvis Presley’s Graceland will officially open its new $45 million, 200,000-square-feet, state-of-the-art entertainment complex, “Elvis Presley’s Memphis,” on March 2, 2017.

The expansion is currently under construction across the street from Graceland and on the Grand Opening Celebration weekend Graceland will welcome visitors from around the world to its largest expansion since first opening to the public in 1982. The opening four days (March 2-5) will feature major events each day, including live concerts.

In “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” fans can experience a new “Ultimate VIP” tour, Graceland’s most exclusive tour option. On it a small group of visitors are taken on a journey through Elvis Presley’s life story touring Graceland, the new Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum, Elvis Discovery Exhibits, Elvis’ Custom Jets and an exclusive Ultimate VIP Tour Exhibit.

The cornerstone of the “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” experience is “Elvis: The Entertainer,”celebrating Elvis’ music, movie and live touring career. The museum will feature hundreds of artifacts from the extensive Graceland Archives, from Elvis’ early days in Tupelo, Mississippi, through his first recording session in Memphis, rise to fame, Hollywood career, Army service, life at Graceland, the Vegas years and more.

A 20,000-square-foot soundstage will play host to a variety of live music acts during the Grand Opening Celebration, showcasing the rich music history of Memphis and the best of Memphis music today. With theater seating for 1,700, the Soundstage will provide a venue for live music performances and movie screenings and premieres and will be available for private events, corporate meetings, conferences and trade show exhibitions.

The new facility will also feature two theme restaurants named for Elvis’ parents, Gladys and Vernon. Gladys’ Diner will feature classic American fare, including Elvis’ favorite, grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Vernon’s Smokehouse will feature authentic Memphis BBQ, smoked in-house. A coffee bar and ice cream shop will also be located within the complex.

Tickets for “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” are now available for opening weekend and throughout the rest of 2017, as a combined ticket with the Graceland Mansion tour, at graceland.com.

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Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

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