Skip to main content

Elvis Presley’s Graceland is one of the most famous homes in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans each year who walk in the King of Rock and Roll’s footsteps. While many fans are familiar with the mansion’s iconic rooms and legendary history, there are hidden stories and little-known details about Graceland that even the most devoted followers may have missed. From secret rooms to ghostly legends, here’s an inside look at some of Graceland’s most fascinating untold secrets.

Graceland’s hidden doorways, secret spaces

Graceland is no ordinary mansion. While the public gets to tour much of the home, private areas remain off-limits to visitors. One of Graceland’s most intriguing spots is the upstairs area, which includes Presley’s bedroom, bathroom, and personal office.

To this day, no one outside of family and close associates has seen these private rooms since his 1977 death. Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley said on numerous occasions these spaces remain untouched, and preserve the King’s final moments.

Graceland also has hidden stairwells. Express reports the home boasts a set of first-floor doors. A door on the right leads directly up to Presley’s bedroom, but there’s also a second door that opens to a secret staircase that leads from upstairs to the kitchen.

There are also longstanding rumors of a secret tunnel leading from the mansion to one of the outer buildings, possibly used by the king to avoid fans and the press when he wanted privacy. However, his cousin Billy Smith, confirmed in a YouTube video there was no tunnel underneath Graceland.

Elvis Presley and Gladys Presley’s spirits remain at Graceland said a longtime cook

Elvis and Gladys Presley photographed in 1958 at Graceland
Elvis and Gladys Presley photographed in 1958 at Graceland | Bettmann/Getty Images

The King of Rock and Roll was known for his deep-rooted beliefs in numerology, astrology, and supernatural forces. Elvis Presley’s employees claimed they felt ghosts of the dead in the home, including several Presley family members.

In an interview for Classic Bands, one of Graceland’s cooks, Nancy Rooks, claimed the spirit of Presley’s mother, Gladys, remained. She says she felt Gladys’s presence several times.

Rooks claimed Presley’s spirit lived on at Graceland. She said, “I would be down in the trophy room and the lights and things would flash on and off when I would be cleaning. I would tell Mr. Elvis ‘Now you leave these lights alone ’cause I got to see.'”

Rooks continued, “One night I was laying down on the platform where his uniforms, his suits, they had in the middle there, in the trophy room on exhibit. I was lying down and I tried to sleep and take a nap, and somebody shook my foot. I said ‘What is this?'”

She concluded, “I jumped up. I didn’t see anybody. I said ‘Mr. Elvis, I know what you did. You did that to wake me up.’ That means for me to go to work. So I get on up and hurry up and get out of there.”

A secret Graceland vault

Related

Elvis Presley’s Graceland: Archivist Reveals if Secret Upstairs Area Will Ever Be Opened to Public

While Graceland displays an impressive collection of Elvis Presley’s costumes, letters, and personal effects, there is an even more exclusive collection stored in the estate’s secret vault. This climate-controlled, highly secured area is said to house some of the king’s most private belongings.

Among the rumored hidden treasures are home movies, some of which have never been released publicly. Other items offer a rare glimpse into the personal life of the legendary performer as shown by Graceland archivist Angie Marchese in an “Inside the Archives” video.

Graceland remains a time capsule of Elvis Presley’s life, a place where his legacy lives. While fans may think they know every detail of the king’s world, these untold secrets prove that Graceland still has stories left to tell.

Best in News