Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion Set To Reopen

The spectre of Elvis makes its way into The KUIC Hometown Morning Show often – Ron Brown does a spot-on imitation of “The King of Rock ‘n Roll” – so it is with more than a passing curiosity that I present the following: According to the Associated Press, Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion will reopen Thursday, May 21st following its March, 2020 closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourist attraction that opened in Memphis, Tennessee back 38 years ago told The AP that facilities management has adjusted the attraction’s  tours, and restaurant and retail operations have been modified to enhance visitors’ safety. As many know, Graceland is centered on the life and career of the late rock n’ roll icon Elvis Presley; he reportedly paid around $100,000 for the property at the beginning of his legendary career back in 1957. The Memphis tourist attraction attracts about 500,000 visitors annually, including a sizable number of international travelers. A spokesperson for Graceland told The AP in a news release that it is “reducing tours of Presley’s former home-turned-museum to 25% capacity, requiring employees and encouraging visitors to wear face masks, and limiting restaurant capacities to 50%.”  Other precautions include temperature checks for guests and employees, and hand sanitizing stations are being installed throughout the buildings. “We are helping Memphis and Tennessee to get back to some sense of normality,” said Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Graceland Holdings, in a statement to The AP…are we ready for “some sense of normalcy”? Can we achieve that new normal while protecting ourselves, our families and our neighbors from a deadly virus? We’re about to find out…

John Young