Homes Fit for The King: Peek at Elvis Presley's Plentiful Properties

2022-06-10 20:03:33 By : Mr. Frank Zhang

With the story of “Elvis” set to hit theaters this month, we decided to take a peek at the many harmonious homes of music legend Elvis Presley.

Everyone is aware of his presence at Graceland, but the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll did have a number of other places he called home.

Over the decades, many of the places where Presley once lived have drastically changed, no longer exist, or, thanks to the hot housing market, have gone up astronomically in price.

When he died in 1977, he left behind a fascinating real estate legacy. Let’s take a look.

Presley began life in Tupelo, MS. His birthplace is now marked by a street named after him. In fact, you can buy a 19-acre lot on Elvis Presley Road in Tupelo right now for $309,000.

While a teenager, he and his parents, Gladys and Vernon, moved to Memphis. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Presleys moved a few times in the area, according to the Graceland website.

First up: 370 Washington. The family reportedly paid $11 a week in rent at a boarding house in 1948. Sadly, the building is no longer there.

The Presleys lived there less than a year before moving to 572 Poplar, where they stayed a few months. The building now appears to be the site of a pharmacy and a parking lot.

In September 1949, the family moved to 185 Winchester St., a public housing complex known as Lauderdale Courts. Their apartment not only still exists, but is available for overnight stays or tours. A plaque out front commemorates the Presley family history.

The family moved to 698 Saffarans, then 462 Alabama in April 1953. Neither structure still stands. At this point, Elvis Presley graduated from the local high school.

In 1954, the family moved to 2414 Lamar Ave., which is now in use as a business. The next year they began renting 1414 Getwell, which is now a strip mall.

As Presley’s career ramped up, he and his parents plunked down $29,500 for a four-bedroom home on 1034 Audubon Dr. in March 1956. He stayed a little over a year before fans and photographers made the situation untenable.

The 2,884-square-foot brick abode on a half-acre has changed hands multiple times. In 2006 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and last purchased by music industry executive Mike Curb for $1 million.

Curb then gifted the home to nearby Rhodes College “as a space to celebrate and experience creativity and young energy.” In 2017, the home was undergoing repairs following a burst water pipe when it was extensively damaged by an electrical fire.

With the release of “Heartbreak Hotel” in 1956, Presley climbed to the top of the charts and sold 10 million singles in the next year. The following year, the superstar splurged on the Memphis mansion that would become Graceland.

Set on 13.8 acres, the property became his home for the rest of his life.

Opened to the public in 1982 as a museum, Graceland is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark.

Today, it’s one of the most visited private homes in the U.S. The street name is now Elvis Presley Boulevard.

Fans can tour the building where Presley slept and view the “jungle room” with its green shag carpet and Tiki decor, the trophy room, and an array of memorabilia and costumes from the performer’s stage and personal life.

In the mid-1960s, Presley bought up 30 acres in Coldwater, MS, for some family members. The King’s connection to the property came to light when the parcel landed on the market in 2020 for $485,000. It’s had a few price cuts but doesn’t appear to have sold.

Presley made his first appearance on the Las Vegas circuit at the New Frontier hotel in 1956, when he was just 21. He famously continued to perform in the gambling mecca over the next two decades, over 600 shows in all. His last concert in the desert came in 1976, a year before his death.

He married Priscilla in Sin City in 1967. In 1969, Presley signed a deal to perform at the International Hotel, which eventually became the Las Vegas Hilton. He also made his home in a grand hotel suite while in residence.

The Hilton was also his home base while he was on tour. In fact, the hotel’s 30th-floor Imperial Suite, where the entertainer would stay, eventually became known as “The Elvis Suite.”

The King’s spirit lives on in Vegas, from the impersonators to the tribute shows, to his bronze statue in the former Hilton, now the Westgate.

In 2016, the Westgate successfully petitioned for the street name in front of the resort to be renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard.

Presley came to L.A. to star in nearly 30 movies in the 1960s. While making films, he also made his home on the West Coast.

He and Priscilla lived large in a Beverly Hills estate from 1967 to 1973. Daughter Lisa Marie was born in 1968.

Built in 1958 on a 1.18-acre promontory in the exclusive enclave of Trousdale Estates, the three-bedroom French Regency residence offers floor-to-ceiling windows with city-to-ocean views, a pool, and a spa. It was purchased by Presley for $400,000.

The gated compound has since been extensively renovated and was sold for $25.5 million in 2019.

Presley then purchased a Holmby Hills residence in the early 1970s. It’s said to be the last home shared he shared with Priscilla prior to their divorce in 1973.

Set on 1.6 acres, the Tudor-style home has seven bedrooms, a pool, tennis court, and guesthouse.

Presley reportedly replaced the living room windows with French doors and updated the kitchen before selling it in 1975.

The home last changed hands for $20 million in 2020.

Before becoming a homeowner, Presley reportedly rented a lavish pad in Bel-Air at 525 Perugia Way, which has since been demolished. He famously hosted The Beatles there in 1965.

The star also stayed in another Bel-Air trophy property. This Wallace Neff–designed home from 1931 was originally built for studio mogul Sol Wurtzel and also belonged to Howard Hughes and Prince Rainer.

Set on 1.5 acres, the 13,361-square-foot Spanish Colonial residence offers gardens, terraces, a pool, and tennis court. It was most recently sold in 2019 for $31 million.

When the “Blue Suede Shoes” singer wanted to kick up his heels and take a quick break from Hollywood, he would head to Palm Springs.

There, Presley rented the so-called House of Tomorrow. The futuristic getaway is also where he spent his honeymoon.

The midcentury modern build spans 5,000 square feet and sits on an acre lot with a pool. The place lingered on the market for years, priced as high as $9.5 million. It was finally sold in late 2020 for $2.6 million.

In 1970, Presley bought his own Palm Springs place for $105,000. The crooner dubbed the 1946-era retreat Graceland West and lived there several months a year.

After his divorce in 1973, he tacked on a 1,500-square-foot addition to the home, including a party room, sauna, and extra bedrooms and baths.

The 5,000-square-foot estate with four bedrooms was last sold in 2014 for $1.5 million.

Priscilla Presley recently let go of her longtime Beverly Hills home. Featuring ornate old-world interiors, the 8,550-square-foot main house has seven bedrooms. The lush acre lot includes brick paths, a pool, tennis court, and outdoor fireplace.

Listed in August 2020, the property was sold for $13 million at the end of the year. It was the first time the home had changed hands in over 40 years.

The “Naked Gun” actress also sold a Brentwood-area property where her mother and stepfather lived. The actress listed the place in 2019 for $3.65 million. It sold for over the asking price, for $3.8 million. She had purchased the home in 1976 for $170,000.

Claudine Zap covers celebrity real estate, housing trends, and unique home stories. Her work has appeared on Yahoo, New York Post, and SFGATE.