Elvis Presley’s Hidden Legacy: Inside Graceland’s Private Upstairs Rooms and Riley Keough’s Mission to Protect His Mystique

Graceland, the legendary home of Elvis Presley, has always been a symbol of rock-and-roll grandeur, offering visitors a glimpse into the life of the King of Rock.

However, behind the public tours that showcase the iconic rooms and artifacts, there is a hidden world that has remained untouched since the death of Elvis Presley in 1977.

The upstairs of Graceland, including Elvis’s personal bedroom, office, and Lisa Marie Presley’s childhood room, has always been off-limits to the public. This area, steeped in mystery and private memories, is a sanctuary that continues to be a source of intrigue for Elvis fans around the world.

In 2023, Riley Keough, Elvis’s granddaughter, became the owner of Graceland. As she navigates the weight of carrying her famous grandfather’s legacy, she has made it clear that the upstairs area of Graceland will remain private.

Riley, who juggles her own successful career as an actress, is also the keeper of her family’s most intimate history. Her resolve to keep the upstairs rooms off-limits stems not only from a deep sense of respect for her late grandfather’s wishes but also to honor her mother, Lisa Marie Presley’s desire for privacy.

For Riley, preserving the sanctity of these private spaces is crucial. In an interview, she shared how the upstairs area of Graceland, especially her mother’s bedroom, was the place where she felt the safest.

It was here that Lisa Marie would seek solace, feeling close to her father even after his untimely death. Riley recalls how her mother would often sleep in Elvis’s bed, a way for Lisa Marie to reconnect with her father’s spirit. The upstairs was a place of both personal memories and profound loss—a refuge from the public eye.

Riley’s recent decision to publish Lisa Marie’s memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, in 2024, offered fans a rare look inside the private world of Graceland.

The book included reflections on the intimate details of the upstairs rooms, allowing readers a glimpse into the heart of the Presley family’s home. In her memoir, Lisa Marie describes the upstairs as her haven, a place she returned to throughout her life to find peace. “It always reminds me of when I was the happiest,” Lisa Marie wrote, capturing the significance of Graceland in her personal journey.

The mystery surrounding Elvis’s bedroom is especially compelling. Riley revealed that Elvis’s bedroom was filled with religious texts, books on sacred science, and personal literature that offered insight into his search for spiritual understanding.

Elvis, known for his deep connection to religion, had stacks of Bibles and books on various faiths. His bedroom, adorned in his favorite colors of red, black, and gold, reflected his larger-than-life persona, a stark contrast to the subdued, more traditional rooms of Graceland.

In fact, the upstairs at Graceland is largely unchanged since the day Elvis passed away. The preservation of these rooms has created a sense of mystique around them. Elvis did not allow many people upstairs during his lifetime, making the space an even more powerful symbol of his private world. Riley’s decision to maintain this privacy is a tribute to her family’s history and a way to protect the emotional ties that still exist within those walls.

There are several reasons why the upstairs area has been kept off-limits, and Riley is resolute in her commitment to preserving this boundary. The first and foremost reason is the personal nature of the space.

After Elvis’s death, Lisa Marie chose to keep the upstairs closed to the public to protect the intimate memories she had with her father. The rooms, including the one where Elvis died, are sacred to the Presley family, and Riley’s decision to maintain privacy is rooted in this reverence for her family’s history.

Another factor is the logistical challenges of turning the upstairs into a public tourable space. The narrow hallways and intimate size of the rooms would make it nearly impossible to accommodate the large number of visitors who flock to Graceland every year.

Even if the upstairs were to be opened to the public, the necessary remodeling to handle the influx of visitors would inevitably disturb the historical integrity of the house.

Riley has made it clear that she has no intentions of allowing public access to the upstairs, and this decision has been met with mixed reactions from fans.

Some feel that the upstairs area, especially Elvis’s bedroom, is an integral part of the Graceland experience and should be opened to the public. However, others understand the need to preserve the sanctity of these spaces, recognizing that opening the doors to the public would change the mystique surrounding Elvis’s legacy forever.

In addition to the logistical and emotional reasons for keeping the upstairs private, there is also the profound respect for Elvis’s wishes. Throughout his life, Elvis kept his personal world hidden from the public eye.

He only shared what he wanted others to see, leaving fans to speculate about the private aspects of his life. The upstairs at Graceland is the final frontier of this mystery—a place that holds the secrets and memories of a man who always guarded his personal life. Keeping this area private ensures that the mystique of Elvis Presley remains intact for future generations of fans.

In the years to come, Graceland will continue to be a place of pilgrimage for Elvis fans, with its iconic rooms, artifacts, and history. However, the upstairs will remain an untouched part of that history, a hidden world that only a select few will ever know.

Riley Keough, as the new steward of Graceland, has made it clear that this part of her family’s legacy is one that will remain closed to the public, ensuring that the mystery and allure of Elvis Presley continue to captivate and intrigue fans around the world.

Graceland’s upstairs is more than just a private space—it’s a symbol of the Presley family’s dedication to preserving the memory of their loved ones. For fans, the continued mystery surrounding these rooms only adds to the allure of Elvis Presley’s enduring legacy.