Graceland upstairs – Behind Elvis’ drapes at the top of the stairs

When Elvis Presley moved his family from 1034 Audubon Drive to Graceland in 1957, the rising star really wanted to protect his privacy. He had an open house policy for his Memphis Mafia, but you had to be specially invited upstairs into his private dwellings. Up there was his sanctuary and at the heart of it, a bedroom. The space has no windows and air conditioning so cold that guests would be given jackets to stay warm.

Access at the top of the first-floor landing was obstructed by a privacy wall, featuring one-way mirrors so that Elvis could see who was on the other side.

If you take a Graceland tour today, you can just about see these from the bottom of the staircase by the entrance to the mansion. But have you ever wondered what was behind the drapes at the top of the stairs?

Elvis’ cousin and last surviving original Memphis Mafia member Billy Smith was asked about this during a previous Q&A on his YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, the camera stayed downstairs and went into the kitchen to find that she had come down the stairs into that room.

Angie explained this was how Elvis would come downstairs to the kitchen when he was hungry. There he could pick up some snacks for himself and even his famous peanut butter banana sandwiches.