In October of 2008, we traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, and one of the locations that we visited was Graceland. Within the grounds of Graceland, you are aloud to visit the Meditation Gardens that are located just past the swimming pool, and the final resting place of the Presley's.
Elvis' final resting place is in the Meditation Garden at Graceland located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee.
In the Meditation Gardens you will find the final resting place of Gladys (Elvis' Mom), Vernon (Elvis' Dad), Elvis, and Minnie Mae (Elvis' Grandmother). A Cenotaph was placed at Graceland in memory of Elvis' twin brother who was stillborn and is actually buried in an unmarked grave in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Was Elvis' Body Moved?
Elvis Presley's funeral, held on the 18th, was a modest affair, though attended by stars such as his "Viva Las Vegas" co-star Ann-Margret, James Brown, and actor George Hamilton. Held in Graceland's living room (pictured below), it lasted from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Elvis's body was originally laid to rest next to his mother Gladys Love in the Forest Hill Cemetery. An estimated 80,000 people came to watch the funeral procession, lining the street and bearing handmade signs expressing their sorrow for the loss of The King. Elvis' last record, "Way Down," topped the United States and United Kingdom music charts over the following weeks.
In late August of the same year, a thief attempted to steal the body of Elvis. As a result, both Elvis and his mother's remains were relocated to the Meditation Garden at Graceland on October 2, 1977.
Thousands of people flocked to Memphis for the Elvis' funeral. So much so that President Jimmie Carter issues that 300 National Reserve be sent in to help with crowd control. If you would like to see some footage from Elvis' funeral, check out the video below.
Another thing I wanted to mention, the monument that you see below that now resides in the memorial gardens at Graceland, once stood in Forest Hill at Elvis' mother Gladys' grave. I found a picture on a blog post of two girls standing next to this same monument at the other cemetery, so this must have been moved as well. I was not able to insert that picture, but you can see that blog post here.
Every August 15 at 8:30 pm., Graceland invites guests carrying candles to make a procession up the driveway to the Meditation Garden and past Elvis’ grave. The solemn event is free and no reservations are required. It usually takes until the early morning of August 16—the date of Elvis’ death—for the crowd to disperse.
