Visiting Graceland (Memphis: motels, gated, live)

[jojojones]

I am going to the heart break hotel on Sunday and after reading some of the comments on here im a bit worried about staying there can anyone reassure me that im going to be safe :-(

[MStoAZ]

Originally Posted by jojojones

I am going to the heart break hotel on Sunday and after reading some of the comments on here im a bit worried about staying there can anyone reassure me that im going to be safe :-(

I've been to Graceland over and over again. Memphis is not Fallujah.. You'll be fine there. You probably won't walk around after dark anyway because there's not much to do around there.

[jaydarl]

Originally Posted by MStoAZ

I've been to Graceland over and over again. Memphis is not Fallujah.. You'll be fine there. You probably won't walk around after dark anyway because there's not much to do around there.

Agree with this post.

[CristenS]

The hotel is pretty much filled only with Graceland tourists like yourself. They have armed guards patroling the site 24/7 (or at least they used to). The Graceland area is unforunately pretty isolated, nothing great around it other than strip malls selling Elvis stuff. To really see Memphis, you'll need to get in the car and drive elsewhere. Much better overall experience of our city if you go elsewhere. The Graceland area is just that - Graceland. They have free shuttles that take you between downtown, Sun Studios (again very isolated), I think maybe Stax (another bad area of town), and a few other touristy things. The Rock and Roll Museum is downtown, along with the Civil Rights Museum, Beale St, and tons of great restaurants and some shopping.

[My_home_town]

Agree with others. Pick a downtown hotel as your home base. This way you can experience life on the river as well as explore many other attractions and great dining. Or you can pick a different hotel location depending on what you plan to do here during your stay.

If you are looking for additional fun things to do in Memphis: Top 30 Things to Do in Memphis, TN on TripAdvisor: Memphis Attractions

[latunafish]

i agree with the above, stay downtown and you can walk to most of the attractions in the downtown area. there are shuttles, cabs or you can drive to graceland. at least, this is what we have been doing for years.

[jabogitlu]

Agreed. If you can find a hotel or AirBnB in the South Main district, that's where I'd stay if I were visiting Memphis.

Also, although Sun and Stax may be a little far afield from downtown, they are GREAT additions to your lineup. When you're out at Sun, be sure to check out Trolley Stop Market or Evelyn & Olive, both great restaurants in the Edge neighborhood.

Also, just my own personal preference, but on a visit to Graceland, I'd buy the base ticket and skip the extra add-ons. The "Elvis in Hawaii" and all those other exhibits are basically glorified souvenir shops with tacky displays and videos. You'd want to spend the majority of your time at the house/grounds, then head on back up to downtown.

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by Christipia!

if you go to graceland and are short on money, you can avoid getting into a couple of the museum-ish parts (like the car museum) by simply walking into the gift shop and going through the door that says 'exit only'. You cannot do this however, at the actual mansion (they have shuttles for that) and the airplane.

I don't think that the area around graceland is as bad as people make it seem. You have to be aware of your surroundings everywhere, and it's not like you'll be held at gunpoint if you walk outside at 9 pm. Same for Beale Street. It is not far from my apartment (10 mins from Graceland) and yeah, there are a lot of drunk people there, but it's a street full of bars and music, what do you expect?

I havent stayed at the heartbreak hotel, but I have spent some time there waiting for a friend and eating some free popcorn. I know that if you stay there you'll get out of the 10 dollar parking fee to get into the graceland parking lot.e Yes, the HH is gaudy, but come on! This is Elvis we're talking about here! Remember the jumpsuits? The hotel is the equivalent of that.

BBq: Rondezvous for dry ribs, Blues city on Beale for saucy deliciousness.

My thoughts exactly! We are thinking of a road trip from Ohio to Memphis to visit Graceland. Elvis was one of the few musical icons that captured three generations of my family - both of my grandmothers loved him - especially his Gospel - which told them that he was a "good boy".

My parents saw him in the early 60s. I was in nursery school. I got on board late. In the 70s.

I'd like to stay in a place that Elvis would have liked - and the HH seems to be that place.

I also like the parking agreement and I'm expecting a few other perks while staying there.

How is Beal St? When is it best to visit. Also, the Civil Rights museum. How safe are these are places? Any suggestions would be helpful.

[jabogitlu]

Beale Street and the Civil Rights Museum are in safe parts of town. Stick to downtown, go with the flow (where you see other folks walking) and use your street smarts. Memphis is a great town to visit. Check out the South Main district and the Main Street Mall for additional downtown fun, outside the Beale Street area.

[CristenS]

I'm not sure Elvis would have liked the Heartbreak Hotel. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't set foot in that area of Memphis if he was alive now. It's nothing like it was when he built the house there. It could not be more opposite actually.

The area around the Civil Rights Museum is 10x safer than the area around Graceland. Beale St is safe too, other than the junk you deal with anytime you get thousands of drunk people together....

Originally Posted by sheena12

My thoughts exactly! We are thinking of a road trip from Ohio to Memphis to visit Graceland. Elvis was one of the few musical icons that captured three generations of my family - both of my grandmothers loved him - especially his Gospel - which told them that he was a "good boy".

My parents saw him in the early 60s. I was in nursery school. I got on board late. In the 70s.

I'd like to stay in a place that Elvis would have liked - and the HH seems to be that place.

I also like the parking agreement and I'm expecting a few other perks while staying there.

How is Beal St? When is it best to visit. Also, the Civil Rights museum. How safe are these are places? Any suggestions would be helpful.