Elvis Presley‘s Graceland home is one of the best-known personal residences in the United States. The king of Rock and Roll called Memphis, TN, home for 20 years. At 3764 Elvis Presley Blvd, Presley added and removed decor that changed with his tastes. However, one of the most popular rooms in the mansion has a secret window used specifically to entertain Presley and his friends. This area remains in the home to this day.
Elvis Presley’s Graceland opened to the public in 1982
When Pricilla Presley and her business advisors first came up with the idea of opening Graceland to the public in 1981, a severe cash flow problem was attached to running the estate, reported the home’s official site. While Graceland was not broke, there was indeed a cash flow problem. At that time, Graceland cost over half a million dollars yearly in maintenance and taxes.
In 1982, Graceland opened for tours. Around 3,000 fans paid a $5 admission fee for the opportunity to be the first to experience the place that the King of Rock and Roll called home.
Originally Presley’s cars and motorcycles were lined up in the carport. The trophy building consisted of his gold record collection, awards, costumes, a gun collection, and several other pieces of memorabilia. The Mansion tour included the living room, music room, dining room, TV room, pool room, and the trophy building.
Graceland’s most famous room has a secret window
In a video titled Gates of Graceland, Tom Brown and Graceland’s Director of Archives Angie Marchese toured several estate rooms. This area included the jungle room, TV room, and pool room.
However, one room, one of the home’s most popular, has a secret window. Brown told the cameras that he once spoke to Presley’s longtime friend Jerry Schilling, who revealed details about the space.
“There’s that little hidden window in the bar [of the TV room]. I remember Jerry Schilling telling me about it,” Brown said at the video’s 6:56 mark. “It looks like a painting, but it slides up or down, and that’s where the projector was.”
The TV room at Graceland features three televisions mounted on the wall. Presley added this feature after learning President Lyndon B. Johnson liked to watch the news on three different channels simultaneously. A movie screen hangs above the television sets.
Another room, once used for a favorite Elvis Presley activity, is attached to a museum of his accomplishments
According to the official Graceland blog, in the 1970s, the entertainer became interested in racquetball. In the summer of 1975, Elvis decided to bring his hobby closer to home by building a racquetball court at Graceland. Construction of the building began in September 1975.
In fact, on the last night of his life, Presley played racquetball alongside fiance Ginger Alden, cousin Billy Smith, and Billy’s wife, Jo. After playing a few games, the quartet lounged near the piano where Presley performed his last two songs, “Unchained Melody” and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”
The front half of the racquetball building is complete with a pinball machine, exercise equipment, and the piano mentioned above. The second half of the building was the court which houses a trophy hall filled with Presley’s posthumous awards and family artifacts.
