graceland tours in memphis tennessee

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Graceland tours: the best options & what to expect.

Advice for making the most of your time at Elvis' famous home.

The Best Graceland Tours

Andrea Zucker | Courtesy of Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau

A visit to Graceland is a popular activity for both Elvis fans and Memphis tourists.

Note: Some tour providers on this list may be running more limited operations due to COVID-19 or may impose testing or vaccine requirements. Check with your tour operator about availability before you book.

When Elvis Presley was just 22 years old, he purchased Graceland – a 10,266-square-foot mansion that occupied a nearly 14-acre property in Memphis, Tennessee . After the singer's death in 1977, the executors of his estate found that the mansion's exorbitant operating costs proved difficult to maintain, so they decided to open Graceland for tours in 1982. Since then, more than 20 million people from around the world have visited the mansion – which now spans 17,552 square feet – and its surrounding Elvis-themed museums and shops. Read on to plan your Graceland visit.

What is Graceland?

• Where is Graceland located?

Is Graceland open for tours?

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Graceland is a 120-acre institution dedicated to the life and music of Elvis Presley. The main draw is the mansion, but there's more to see than Elvis' former abode. Visitors can stop by Elvis Presley's Memphis, a 200,000-square-foot museum and entertainment complex. This building houses the Presley Motors Automobile Museum and a series of exhibits, such as "Elvis' Tupelo," which explores Elvis' early life in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. The Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum, which displays the entertainer's gold and platinum records, his famous jumpsuits and movie memorabilia, can also be found here. Tourists will also have access to 10 interactive exhibits and games. Located throughout the complex, the interactive features include quizzes, a simulated golf cart ride and photo booths that put travelers on Elvis' movie posters and album covers. Finally, the complex houses two restaurants, a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor and a soundstage where tourists can watch Elvis' movies and attend live music performances.

After you learn all about the King, check out the Graceland Exhibition Center. This 80,000-square-foot venue features a variety of rotating museum exhibits, covering a variety of subjects, including motorcycles, Muhammad Ali and Van Gogh. The complex also boasts a food court, a bar and a separate, rentable event space.

Where is Graceland located?  

Graceland   is located in the Whitehaven community of Memphis, nearly 3 miles west of Memphis International Airport and 10 miles south of downtown.

Yes, Graceland is open for tours.

The cost per person varies depending on which tour experience you choose. Expect to pay about $30 to $200 for children 10 and younger. Adults can expect to pay around $50 to $200 per person. Keep in mind: Higher ticket fees mean a premium experience complete with VIP access, keepsakes, meal vouchers and more.

There are multiple tour options for visiting Graceland.

• Elvis Presley's Memphis + Planes Tour : This is the basic tour option. It grants visitors access to Elvis Presley's Memphis Entertainment Complex and the Elvis' Custom Jets exhibit, but does not include access to the mansion. Tickets for this tour start at $48 for adults, with discounts for children.
• Elvis Experience Tour : Tickets for this tour, which start at $77 per adult, include everything in the above tour, plus access to the mansion complete with an audio tour.
• Elvis Entourage VIP : The Elvis Entourage VIP tour includes everything in both the other tour options, plus skip-the-line access to the mansion, a VIP shuttle to the mansion, access to a special exhibit, and a keepsake pass. Tickets start at $128 per person.
• Ultimate VIP Tour : The Ultimate VIP Tour includes everything in the Elvis Entourage VIP, plus a guided tour of the mansion with an experienced guide, access to a VIP lounge, a meal voucher to an on-site restaurant, an archives show and tell, the chance to buy exclusive souvenirs and a photo-op. Tickets for this experience start at $196 per person; children 2 and younger tour for free.

The mansion tour will take about 90 minutes to complete. Those who decide to tour the rest of Graceland's offerings should budget at least 3 1/2 hours to explore.

Tourgoers can purchase tickets online or at the box office on-site. Tickets purchased online can be printed at home or downloaded on a smartphone (which saves time). You can also choose to pick up your tickets at will call; you must have a photo ID to pick them up. Patrons may also purchase a multiday ticket to access Elvis Presley's Memphis for an additional one, two or three days. Multiday tickets start at $17 per adult and can be purchased on-site only.

Tickets for exhibits at the Graceland Exhibition Center are not included in any Graceland tickets and require additional entrance fees. Tickets for those exhibits can be purchased on Graceland's website.

Which Graceland experience you choose largely depends on your fascination with the King. Graceland visitors mention that even non-Elvis fans will enjoy the tour and the up-close look at the entertainer's famous lifestyle. Visitors also appreciate the audio tour narrated by John Stamos. They recommend upgrading your tour to one of the VIP options, saying it is well worth the additional cost.

Graceland is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. (depending on the day of the week and time of year). It closes or has abbreviated hours on holidays. The last mansion tour begins at 4 or 5 p.m., depending on the day and time of year.

The best time to visit Graceland depends on what kind of experience you want. Travelers should check out Graceland's events calendar as the complex and its hotel, the Guest House at Graceland, host numerous weekend events, concerts and daytrips to Elvis' hometown throughout the year. Visitors in the mood for a festive atmosphere will want to book a trip in late November, December or early January to see the estate's holiday lights display and decorations.

Andrea Zucker | Courtesy of Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Visit the mansion after 2 p.m. to enjoy fewer crowds and shorter wait times, as this is the slowest time of day. (Multiple travelers note long wait times when arriving before this time). Check Graceland's website for exact opening times; there are certain days and holidays where hours vary.
• You're welcome to bring cameras, but flash photography is not permitted.
• Video cameras cannot be brought into the mansion, attractions or gift shops.
• Note that two rooms in the basement of the mansion and the airplanes are not wheelchair accessible.
• Bring a permanent marker to sign the famous Graceland wall before you leave.

Patrons can reach Graceland by car. On-site parking costs $10. The lot is located next to Elvis Presley's Memphis and the ticket booth. The only way to get to the mansion itself is by shuttle, which is included in your ticket price. The shuttle pickup is across from the ticketing pavilion.

There are also a few public transportation options. The Memphis Hop, a hop-on, hop-off bus tour, makes stops every hour at several attractions in the city, including Graceland. This bus generally runs Wednesday through Saturday (it may not operate on Fridays during select months), and tickets cost approximately $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 4 to 12. Memphis Area Transit Authority No. 42 bus route stops close to Graceland.

Nashville sits about 215 miles northeast of Graceland (an approximately 3 1/2-hour drive).

Yes. You'll find options for tours from Nashville (and more) below:

• Gray Line Tennessee:  Nashville to Memphis with Skip-The-Line Graceland VIP Tour & Sun Studio. View & Book Tickets: Viator | GetYourGuide  
• Graceland:  Elvis Presley's Childhood Home with Lunch & Transportation from Memphis. View & Book Tickets: Viator | GetYourGuide  
• Memphis Best Tours:  Memphis City Tour with Admission to One Memphis Attraction.  View & Book Tickets »
• Blues City Tours: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour. View & Book Tickets »

You may also be interested in:

• The Best Memphis Tours
• The Best Nashville Tours
• The Best Whitewater Rafting in Tennessee
• The Top Things to Do in Tennessee
• The Best Places to Visit in Tennessee

Tags: Elvis Presley , Tennessee , Tours , Vacations , Travel , Tennessee Vacations , US Vacations , Southeast Vacations

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Top ways to experience Graceland and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Graceland - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Riverfront Station closed, all tours load at Bob's Steak & Chop House 250 Rep. John Lewis Way South

Memphis Day Trip: VIP Access to Graceland

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• Hour Glass Duration: 15 hours
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Stay in the heart of Elvis Presley’s Graceland ®

Graceland Experience Package

An extraordinary hotel experience in the heart of Elvis Presley’s Graceland ® ! Explore exhibits showcasing Elvis’ career, his automobiles, his wardrobe, his gold records, his custom jets, and much more from the Graceland Archives.

The Graceland Experience Package includes:

• Accommodations at The Guest House at Graceland
• Graceland Mansion Audio-Guided Tour with New Orientation Film
• Self-guided tour of Elvis’ Custom Jets
• Self-guided tour of Presley Motors Automobile Museum
• Self-guided tour of Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum
• Self-guided tours of Elvis Discovery Exhibits
• Immersive and Interactive Experiences

Please note: this package includes Elvis Experience Tour tickets for two adults. Additional tickets for adults and youth may be purchased on-site upon arrival.

Stay in Style

The Guest House at Graceland is just steps away from the music world’s most important and beloved landmark — welcoming music fans, Graceland guests, Memphis visitors, world travelers and groups alike. A perfect blend of style and Southern hospitality, The Guest House is a perfect way to experience Memphis — the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Home of the Blues.

When you visit The Guest House, you’ll enjoy all the luxurious amenities that would make Elvis proud. Inspired by the “make-yourself-at-home” warmth that Elvis always showed his guests, The Guest House at Graceland reflects Elvis’ style and the charm of Graceland . From the Southern colonial features to specialty suites with Priscilla Presley’s design supervision, every facet of The Guest House has a touch of grace and a dash of rock ‘n’ roll that guests will enjoy after exploring Graceland and Memphis.

Graceland’s Must-See Locations Include:

The tour of Graceland Mansion includes the living room, his parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, TV room, pool room, the famous Jungle Room, his father’s office, and more.

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A state-of-the-art entertainment and exhibit complex over 200,000-square-feet in size, “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” enables you to follow the life path that Elvis took.

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Step aboard Elvis’ customized airplanes to see how he traveled in luxury and take a glimpse at the Lisa Marie and Elvis’ smaller Lockheed Jetstar, the Hound Dog II.

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3600 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN 38116, USA 901.443.3000 | Reservations: 800.238.2000 or 901.443.3000 | Group Sales: 901.473.6084 GRACELAND.COM | Press Room | Employment | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Web Accessibility

Take a look inside Graceland, the Memphis mansion that Elvis Presley called home. His granddaughter is fighting a forced sale.

• Graceland is the 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee, that Elvis Presley once called home.
• The King of Rock 'n' Roll lived in the house from 1957 until his death in 1977.
• Now, Presley's granddaughter is fighting to stop an auction of the estate.

It's been 47 years since Elvis Presley died, but legions of fans still flock to Memphis, Tennessee, to see the sprawling Graceland estate the star once called home.

Per the official Graceland website , Presley lived in the mansion from 1957 until his death in 1977. Located off a highway that was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard in 1971, the two-story residence sits on 13.8 acres of land.

Since 1982, Graceland has operated as a museum dedicated to the star. Ticket packages offer access to the mansion, with prices for adults starting at $82. According to the website , it has hosted over 20 million visitors from across the globe.

On May 19, 2024, a public notice announced the foreclosure sale of the property, claiming that Promenade Trust — which operates Graceland — owes Naussany Investments and Private Lending $3.8 million to repay a loan that Presley's late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, took out in May 2018.

However, Lisa Marie's daughter, the actor Riley Keough, filed a lawsuit to prevent the auction of the estate, alleging that the signatures on the loan documents were forged.

A temporary restraining order was granted, delaying the auction. An injunction hearing is scheduled for May 22, per USA Today .

Also known as the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Presley was a cultural icon of the 20th century.

Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Mississippi. Heavily influenced by the country, gospel, and blues music that he listened to as a child, Presley started his singing career in 1954.

With hits such as "Hound Dog" and "Can't Help Falling in Love with You," he would go on to become one of the most successful performers of all time, with 14 Grammy nominations and millions of records sold, per the Recording Academy .

On August 16, 1977, Presley collapsed in his Graceland home and was found unconscious by his girlfriend, Ginger Alden. She documented the moment she found him on the master bathroom floor in her 2014 memoir, The Mirror reported.

According to The New York Times , coroners pronounced him dead on the same day, with the official cause of death attributed to heart failure. He was 42 years old.

Presley purchased the Graceland estate in 1957 for $102,500.

The Colonial Revival-style mansion, which was built in 1939, has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms, The Guardian reported after a tour of the house. About half of the 23 rooms in the house are off-limits to visitors, including the entire second floor — where the star's master suite is located.

According to the Graceland website , visitors are only allowed access to common spaces, including the living room, the kitchen, and the TV room. Spanning 17,552 square feet, the sprawling residence has five sets of staircases, three fireplaces, and a kidney-shaped swimming pool.

Presley frequently had friends and family over at the mansion, including an entourage of confidants and associates the media dubbed the " Memphis Mafia ." Some members of the group were childhood friends of Presley's, including his bodyguards Red and Sonny West.

In 2006, Graceland was designated a National Historic Landmark, per the National Park Service .

One of the most iconic features of Graceland is the entrance gate. Designed to resemble a musical score, there are figures on the gate depicting the star with his guitar.

According to the museum's website , Presley had the gate — which cost $1,339 — installed shortly after he purchased the residence. Throngs of fans would wait by the gate in hopes of catching a glimpse of their idol. Occasionally, he would also sign autographs for them through the gate.

"Back in the day, if you were ever at the gates of Graceland and you saw the cars around the front of the mansion, that meant Elvis was home," Angie Marchese — the Graceland archivist — told The Daily Express .

The brick wall that surrounds the estate is also popular with fans, the website states. Over the years, it has been covered in personal messages that fans have left in memory of their idol.

The interiors of Graceland are lavishly decorated. The living area has a custom-built 15-foot sofa and a 10-foot coffee table.

The sofa was originally a metallic blue, but Presley later had it reupholstered in white — which is what it still looks like today, per the Graceland website . He added the stained-glass windows in 1974 and chose to use a peacock design, which symbolizes eternal life and resurrection in ancient Christianity.

The dining room, which has black marble flooring in the center, was a place for Presley and his friends to gather.

"Elvis sat at the head of the table because it did give him one of the best views of the TV that's over to the corner on the right," Marchese said during a 2020 Instagram Live on the estate's official account .

She added that there was also a button under the table where they could call the kitchen for more food.

One of the most famous rooms in Graceland is the Jungle Room.

The room's name only came about after the mansion opened to the public.

Presley personally picked out the Polynesian-inspired furniture because it reminded him of Hawaii, which was his favorite holiday spot, per the museum's website . He installed a waterfall and covered the room with plants to complete the look.

A shag carpet covers both the floor and the ceiling, per the website. This soundproofed the room and allowed Presley to turn the space into a makeshift recording studio. Presley recorded some of the songs on his album "From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee," here.

The pool room features fabric-lined walls and ceiling, which took 10 days to install.

The Graceland website states that Presley worked with a designer, Bill Eubanks, to develop the room's concept.

A crew of three was needed to cut and attach 350 to 400 yards of cotton fabric strips to the walls and ceiling.

Presley died upstairs in his master suite, and it has been preserved exactly as he left it.

"It looks as if he just got up and left," Marchese said during the 2020 Instagram Live. "The record on the record player is the last record he listened to. There's a styrofoam cup that sits on a bookshelf."

Towards the end of his life, Presley spent much of his time holed up in his bedroom upstairs, especially if he was "in pyjamas or unshaven," Alden told The Daily Express .

The TV room, which is designed in a navy, white, and yellow color scheme, has three television sets.

Inspired by US President Lyndon Johnson, who liked to watch three news broadcasts simultaneously, Presley also wanted three television sets in his TV room, per the official Graceland website .

Although the upper floor remains off-limits, Presley's office desk has been brought down and turned into an exhibit for fans to see.

Presley's record label, RCA, gave him the desk as a gift for selling one million copies of the "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack, Marchese told The Daily Express .

Presley's gold records are on display in the Hall of Gold in the Trophy Building.

Presley constructed a new wing in the mansion in the mid-1960s to store a slot car track, as stated in Graceland's National Historic Landmark Nomination application .

Connected to the main house via a sheltered walkway, the estate renamed the new wing the "Trophy Building" and remodeled it to house his awards.

The estate updated the building in 2017 to feature an exhibit that focuses on Presley's personal life and his family, per the Graceland website . Some items on display include his wedding outfit, family photos, and his daughter's childhood toys.

Presley enjoyed playing racquetball. After he died, the racquetball building was transformed into an additional trophy hall for a few years.

The entire room was filled with posthumous awards and included a display of his famous jumpsuits, per the museum's website . In 2017, the racquetball court was restored to its original condition and all the trophies were moved into a new exhibit.

Presley has been laid to rest alongside his parents on the grounds of the Graceland estate, in the Meditation Garden.

Elvis Week, which commemorates the anniversary of Presley's death, takes place between August 9 and August 17, per the museum's website .

Every year, fans from around the world flock to Graceland to leave flowers at his grave. The estate hosts around 500,000 visitors every year.

Presley's only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, is also buried in Graceland, next to her late son Benjamin Keough and close to her father.

Lisa Marie Presley died on January 12, 2023, at 54. The announcement of her death came hours after her mother, Priscilla Presley, confirmed she had been rushed to the hospital.

In an August 2022 essay she wrote for People Magazine , Lisa Marie spoke about grief and how she was "destroyed" by her son Benjamin Keough's death. She also blamed herself "every single day."

Keough died by suicide in July 2020 , at 27, and was buried at Graceland.

In January 2023, a representative for Riley Keough, Lisa Marie's eldest daughter, confirmed in a statement to BI that her mother would be buried next to her son.

Elvis Presley saw a resurgence in popularity in 2022 when the Baz Luhrmann movie, "Elvis," starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, came out in theaters.

Members of the cast showed up at Graceland for the Memphis premiere of the film on June 12, 2022, per the daily Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal .

A press junket to promote the film was also in the screening, including a GMA interview with Tom Hanks and Austin Butler recorded in the Jungle room.

May 22, 2024: This story has been updated to reflect details of the ongoing lawsuit regarding the property's foreclosure.

• Main content

Graceland foreclosure: Emails allegedly from company claim sale of Elvis' home was a scam

Graceland has for a long time been a pilgrimage for tourists from around the world looking to pay homage to the late Elvis Presley .

But recently, the King’s estate in Memphis has been less a mecca for pop culture and more for the bizarre.  

An attempted foreclosure auction due to an alleged loan taken out by Lisa Marie Presley from the mysterious Naussany Investments and Private Lending. A lawsuit filed by Graceland owner Riley Keough claiming the foreclosure attempt was a fraud and that documents had been falsified. And now, emails in multiple languages have been sent to various media outlets claiming to be from the person behind the scam.

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"The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is aware of the email from someone purporting to be Gregory Naussany that says, essentially, that he is a scammer from Nigeria. We will continue looking into the matter of the failed attempt to foreclose on the iconic Graceland, beloved home of Elvis Presley," Amy Lannom Wilhite, the Tennessee Attorney General director of communications, said in an email Wednesday.

Here is the latest on the investigation into Naussany, the lawsuit against the entity and the emails from the alleged scammer.

What are the next legal steps regarding the attempted Graceland foreclosure?

For starters, the foreclosure was halted after a hearing in Shelby County Chancery Court on May 22. Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins ruled the pending foreclosure sale could not proceed.

On May 24, Memphis-based law firm Morton & Germany — which is representing Keough (the late Lisa Marie Presley 's daughter) and The Promenade Trust — filed the court-ordered injunction bond following the May 22 hearing. The order stopped the foreclosure sale and maintains the restraining order filed by Keough and The Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland estate, regarding the sale and fraudulent claims in the lawsuit.

Representatives from Morton & Germany told The Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY network, that no further litigation or hearings are scheduled regarding the case. That is a result of May 22's hearing and the arrival of a pending investigation from the offices of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

On May 23, Skrmetti formally announced his offices would begin looking into a fraud case regarding Naussany Investments' claims on Graceland .

Did Naussany Investments admit attempted Graceland foreclosure was a scam?

There's been no shortage of twists and turns regarding the Graceland foreclosure case and alleged representatives from Naussany Investments.

The initial lawsuit filed by Keough's legal team mentions two persons affiliated with the company: Kurt Naussany and Carolyn Williams. At the beginning of May 22's hearing, a Gregory Naussany came into the fold, first filing a request to delay the court hearing. That request was denied by the court.

After the hearing, the alleged Gregory Naussany emailed The Commercial Appeal and claimed to drop the foreclosure case. Despite the claim, the Shelby County Chancery Clerk's office confirmed it had received no correspondence from the company since the hearing ended the morning of May 22. As of Wednesday, May 29, the court has still not received any correspondence from Naussany Investments.

The email was riddled with grammatical errors and the alleged Gregory Naussany sent The Commercial Appeal a follow-up email claiming Kurt Naussany was no longer affiliated with the company and had not been since 2015. In addition, the emails received from Gregory Naussany came from a Hotmail account.

The two other emails associated with the company are Outlook accounts and are both listed in the lawsuit filed by Morton & Germany. The email for Carolyn Williams contained three "Ls" instead of two in "LLC."

Emails from alleged Naussany Investments associate claim foreclosure was a scam

After the emergence of Gregory Naussany, the email associated with Kurt Naussany contacted The Commercial Appeal on May 25. This email from the alleged Kurt Naussany came after a "please do not contact any further request" from the user.

The email from Kurt Naussany to The Commercial Appeal was written in Spanish. Using Google Translate, the email states:

"To all the press I am the Yahoo Ring Leader of Nigeria. I have Google worms in the United States, the Presly is all made up and a hoax, my ring preys on the dead and the elderly for money, we make things up by finding things on the Intanet to scam US citizens out of money, this it's something invented to get my worms to get money.

"As you know, we Nigerian Yahoos have been doing this for many years. We steal US birth and death certificates, hack into people's accounts, make up addresses, steal identities, search everything and hack all kinds of records. We hurt innocent people who don't know that we took their identity and used innocent people's names to do it. My ring has failed in this matr. We have stolen millions from you Americans, you blind fools.

"We move on to the next project and continue drinking. A press threat and we sit and laugh at you idiots and watch you make fools of yourself. Come find us in Nigeria."

In the email signature there is a request to translate the message from Nigerian to English to understand (it is written in Spanish), along with contact information for the Hotmail address associated with Gregory Naussany.

On May 28, the New York Times reported receiving a similar email from Naussany Investments; however some details differed. The Times reported the alleged Naussany Investments representative claimed to be a "ring leader on the dark web" and that the ring preyed on the elderly and deceased, "especially those from Florida and California."

Additionally, the email the Times received was written in Luganda, a Bantu language spoken in Uganda, according to the report.

Other media outlets, including the Daily Memphian , reported receiving an email from the same account, though the details in the message differ. The outlet reported the message they received was written in English and Ganda (also a dialect from Uganda) and claims to have "worms in AZ."

What will happen next in the Graceland case?

At this stage, no additional hearings are confirmed regarding the foreclosure case. With the Tennessee Attorney General's office looking into the fraud case, any additional news at this stage is likely to come from that investigation.

On Tuesday, The Commercial Appeal contacted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation regarding the case. TBI communications director Josh Devine said the TBI has not received any requests from the District Attorney General in Shelby County, which would be the mechanism for the TBI to open an investigation.

The Shelby County District Attorney General's office has not returned request for comment.

When asked about Shelby County involvement or the process of partnering with local and state agencies for the investigation, the Tennessee Attorney General's office did not provide additional information or comment.

The Tennessee Attorney General's office provided additional resources for consumer safety regarding real estate scams .

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Graceland foreclosure: Emails allegedly from company claim sale of Elvis' home was a scam

Tennessee Attorney General to look into attempted auction of Elvis Presley's Graceland

A notary said the signature on a document was not actually hers.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Thursday that his department would look into the attempt by a mysterious investment group to foreclose on Elvis Presley's Graceland.

"Graceland is one of the most iconic landmarks in the State of Tennessee, and the Presley family have generously shared it with the world since Elvis's passing," Skrmetti said in a statement. "Elvis made Memphis the center of the music universe, and Graceland stands as a monument to his legacy and a fond remembrance for his family."

Actress Riley Keough, Presley's granddaughter, and daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, sued to stop a company calling itself "Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC" from auctioning off the property. The sale had been scheduled for Thursday morning at the front of the courthouse but was blocked by a judge.

Skrrmetti said lawyers from the AG's office would look into the matter "and identify" what they could do to "protect both Elvis Presley’s heirs and anyone else who may be similarly threatened.”

"My office has fought fraud against homeowners for decades, and there is no home in Tennessee more beloved than Graceland," Skrmetti said.

During a hearing Wednesday in Memphis that lasted around eight minutes, Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins adjourned the sale of Graceland, saying, "The notary has sworn that the notary did not notarize the signature of Lisa Marie Presley on the deed of trust, which brings in the question as to the authenticity of the signature and indeed the deed of trust as being a fraud."

The Tennessee hearing was called to determine whether "Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC" could proceed with an advertised plan to auction off the estate of the king of rock 'n' roll, which for decades has been a major tourist magnet.

Keough is alleging Naussany presented fraudulent documents last September "purporting to show that Lisa Marie Presley had borrowed $3.8 million from Naussany Investments and gave a deed of trust encumbering Graceland as security," according to the court documents obtained by Memphis ABC affiliate WATN .

Keough is being represented by attorneys based in Memphis and Jacksonville, Florida. It is not yet clear whether Naussany Investments has an attorney; no lawyer appeared in court Wednesday on behalf of the group.

“We requested the temporary injunction and the court granted it,” Jeff Germany, the Memphis-based lawyer representing Keough, told reporters following the proceeding.

ABC News obtained a copy of the motion after court on Wednesday.

"I believe the claims made against Naussany Investments & Private Lending are unfounded and do not warrant the issuance of a Declaratory Injunction or Temporary Restraining Order," a man identified as "Gregory E. Naussany" wrote.

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"Lending the opportunity to present defense against the allegations made by Danielle Riley Keough, Trustee of the Promenade Trust, Naussany Investments & Private Lending is prepared to provide evidence and arguments to demonstrate the relief sought is not justified in this case," he added. "I respectfully request that the Court consider Motion of Denial and rule in my favor."

ABC News reached out to all email addresses that were listed in court documents for Naussany Investments to seek comment. On Wednesday evening, an individual identifying themself as "Kurt Naussany” responded, "You can wait like everyone else when documents are filed in the next 48 hours."

Shelby County Chancery Court representatives told ABC News that they had not received any withdrawal motions from Naussany Investments as of Thursday afternoon.

The addresses for Naussany Investments and the associated firm of NIPL LLC that are listed in court papers are all post office boxes, with one being in Jacksonville and the other two being in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains.

Naussany Investments is not listed as a registered business in Florida, Missouri or Tennessee.

Keough's legal team told the court that signatures from Lisa Marie Presley on a promissory note and deed of trust were forged. Court filings say that the documents were "purportedly acknowledged before notary public Kimberly Philbrick in May 2018 in Duval County, Florida" but never recorded with the Shelby County Register.

The court filings show that Philbrick, a registered notary in Daytona Beach, Florida, signed an affidavit on May 8 saying that she never met Lisa Marie Presley and never notarized these documents.

Philbrick has not yet responded to requests for comment from ABC News.

Graceland remains open to the public for tours this week.

ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report.

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Failed Graceland sale by a mystery entity highlights attempts to take assets of older or dead people

FILE - Fans wait in line outside Graceland, Elvis Presley’s Memphis home, in Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2017. A mysterious company has caused a stir for trying to auction Elvis Presley’s Graceland in a foreclosure sale this week. A judge has blocked the sale after Presley’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit alleging fraud. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)

FILE - Elvis Presley with his girlfriend Yvonne Lime are photographed at his home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tenn., around 1957. A mysterious company has caused a stir for trying to auction Elvis Presley’s Graceland in a foreclosure sale this week. A judge has blocked the sale after Presley’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit alleging fraud. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home, is seen, Jan. 7, 2011, in Memphis, Tenn. A mysterious company has caused a stir for trying to auction Elvis Presley’s Graceland in a foreclosure sale this week. A judge has blocked the sale after Presley’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit alleging fraud. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

FILE - Fans get off a tour bus at Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home, Aug. 11, 2010, in Memphis, Tenn. A mysterious company has caused a stir for trying to auction Elvis Presley’s Graceland in a foreclosure sale this week. A judge has blocked the sale after Presley’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit alleging fraud. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The catalyst behind the failed gambit to sell off the iconic Graceland property in Memphis is a mystery.

The self-styled investment company also is under fire from a lawsuit alleging fraud , an aggressive attorney general and a community of Elvis Presley loyalists who consider the home-turned-museum of the the king of rock n’ roll to be sacred ground.

Among the many questions surrounding the attempt to auction Graceland is how often cases pop up in which an entity emerges to claim assets of older or dead people. Experts say it’s more common than one might think.

“I have never heard of a fraud targeting such a well-known institution. So it’s a bit surprising on that end,” said Nicole Forbes Stowell, a business law professor at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus. “But I don’t think it’s surprising to everyday people that are the targets.”

Naussany Investments and Private Lending caused a stir when a public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) Graceland estate was posted this month.

The notice said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owed $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Riley Keough , an actor and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after her mother, Lisa Marie Presley , died in 2023.

Naussany said Lisa Marie Presley used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough filed a lawsuit on May 15 alleging Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and asking a Memphis judge to block the sale to the highest bidder.

“Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments,” Keough’s lawyer Jeff Germany wrote in the lawsuit.

“It’s a scam,” actor Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ former wife, declared on her social media accounts.

On Wednesday, an injunction by Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins halted the sale , which was planned for the next day. Jenkins said in court that Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing Nausanny’s attempt to auction Graceland is fraudulent.

One reason is an affidavit from Kimberly Philbrick, the Florida notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents. Philbrick indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley or notarized any documents for her, according to the lawsuit. The judge said the affidavit brought the signature’s authenticity into question.

On the relevant documents, the signature blocks were not correct and the paperwork references an online notarization option that was not recognized in Florida until 2020, two years after the alleged notarization, Stowell said.

“That makes me wonder if these documents were created after Lisa Marie passed away,” Stowell said. “The whole thing does not pass the smell test.”

Mark Sunderman, a University of Memphis real estate professor, questioned why the lender would foreclose now if it had not received payments years after the loan was issued.

“If someone starts missing payments or hasn’t made a payment, you’re not going to sit around for a couple of years and then say, ‘Golly, I think we need to foreclose now,’” Sunderman said.

The lender’s legitimacy also is in doubt after unsuccessful attempts by The Associated Press to verify its existence beyond an email address and court filing signed by a Gregory Naussany.

Court documents included company addresses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Hollister, Missouri. Both were for post offices, and a Kimberling City, Missouri, reference was for a post office box. The business also is not listed in state databases of registered corporations in Missouri or Florida.

“I’ve never heard of that business,” Kimberling City Clerk Laura Cather said.

A search of online records for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority showed no registration for the company. No representatives of Naussany appeared in court, though the company filed an unsuccessful motion denying the lawsuit’s allegations and opposing the estate’s request for an injunction.

After the sale was halted, Naussany issued a statement saying it would drop its claim because a key document in the case and loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement did not specify the other state.

Naussany has not responded to emailed interview requests from the AP. Online court records did not show any legal filings suggesting the claim, or the lawsuit, had been dropped.

Sunderman, the Memphis professor, said that apparently fraudulent claims involving real estate asset disputes arise more often than people think, especially in situations involving inheritances.

“It’s very difficult for someone to say, ‘Well, no, I didn’t take out this loan, I didn’t sign these papers,’ when they’re dead,’” Sunderman said.

Darrell Castle, a Memphis attorney not involved in the case but monitoring it, said he often sees cases where older people are targets of fraud.

“I get cases quite often where people who are really helpless in the final stages of life in a nursing home are financially victimized,” Castle said. “The human mind will think of some way to cheat and steal if it can.”

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said Thursday that his office was looking into the case to determine whether the estate was targeted with fraud.

Skrmetti’s office can investigate and bring civil lawsuits, including in instances of alleged consumer fraud. It could turn over evidence of criminal wrongdoing to the district attorney or federal authorities.

Opened in 1982, Graceland quickly became Memphis’ most famous tourist attraction and a touchstone for fans of Elvis Presley, the singer, actor and fashion icon who died in August 1977 at the age of 42. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock annually to the museum and the large entertainment complex across the street.

Who would target it with a scheme that “fell apart with the first email and phone call, or internet search,” and what holes in the legal system let it got closer to the auction block than it should have, should be the focuses of the attorney general, said Nikos Passas, a Northeastern University criminology and criminal justice professor.

“The chance of succeeding in what they were trying to do — that is, to get the property auctioned off and get the proceeds and then use the money — doesn’t seem to be the actual intent, unless they are incredibly stupid,” Passas said. “So, the question is then, ‘What was the intent, and who was behind it?’”

Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. AP reporter Heather Hollingsworth contributed from Mission, Kansas.

Tennessee's 228th birthday: A quick history of the state's National Historic Landmarks

by WZTV Staff

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee turns 228 years old this weekend.

With June 1 marking Statehood Day, FOX 17 News has compiled a list of some current National Historic Landmarks across the Volunteer State, plus a quick look at their histories.

For a complete list of all National Historic Landmarks in Tennessee, click here .

Beale Street Historic District – Memphis

Beale Street, founded in 1841, became a thriving area for Black commerce and culture during the Civil War. In the 1870s, yellow fever hit Memphis and severely affected the city’s population. As a result, the city had to forfeit its charter in 1879. During this time, formerly enslaved Robert Church acquired land in the area, and his investments helped restore the business community’s confidence in Memphis, which led to the regaining of its charter. Read more from the US Civil Rights Trail here .

William Blount Mansion – Knoxville

In 1792, Blount Mansion was home to U. S. Constitution signer William Blount, appointed by President George Washington to govern the Southwest Territory, which Blount shepherded into admission to the union as our nation’s sixteenth state, Tennessee.

Chucalissa Site – Memphis

The Chucalissa village, located on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and founded around 900 A.D., is known for the well-preserved architectural and archaeological remains that have been excavated from the site. Discovered in 1938, the site is one of the least damaged by cultivation and looting, and has been operated by the University of Memphis since 1962. The village functions as an educational site housing a Mississippian mound complex and exhibits that explore the Native American history of the southeastern United States. Chucalissa was also designated a National Historic Landmark on April 19, 1994. Read more from Memphis Heritage here .

Delta Queen River Steamboat – Chattanooga

The legendary vessel and her identical twin, the Delta King, were built in 1926 and entered service on June 2, 1927. At the time, they were the most extravagant river steamboats ever constructed, costing over $1 million each to build and furnish. While in service by the California Transportation Company, the Delta duo carried freight and produce on their main decks while offering luxurious accommodations to passengers commuting between San Francisco and Sacramento each night. The pair continued this way until 1940, when improved highways and rail service forced them out of service. Read more from the riverboat's website here .

Franklin Battlefield – Franklin

Franklin Battlefield was the site of the Second Battle of Franklin, which occurred on November 30, 1864, in the Civil War. It's located along U.S. 31 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Graceland – Memphis

Graceland, once owned by Elvis Presley, sits on nearly 14 acres in Memphis' Whitehaven neighborhood. The King of Rock and Roll is buried there, along with his parents. It's become a popular tourist destination and was named a National Historic Landmark in 2006, a first for such a site.

The Hermitage – Nashville

Andrew Jackson purchased this property as a 425-acre farm from his neighbor Nathaniel Hays on July 5, 1804. Called “Rural Retreat,” he eventually used the French term “Hermitage.” Jackson then expanded The Hermitage land into a plantation with one goal in mind: To produce cotton as a money-making enterprise. Read more here .

Hermitage Hotel – Nashville

This historic hotel opened its doors in 1910 and has been a staple of Music City ever since. Named after Andrew Jackson's estate, the Hermitage Hotel was built in the Beaux-arts style, a rare style of architecture in a commercial building in Tennessee.

Jubilee Hall at Fisk University – Nashville

According to the Tennessee Encyclopedia , funds raised by the Jubilee Singers during an 1871-74 international concert tour were used to construct the school's first permanent building, Jubilee Hall. This imposing six-story building, named in honor of the Jubilee Singers, was designed by architect Steven D. Hatch of New York. Construction began in 1873 and was completed in 1876.

Montgomery Bell Tunnel – Kingston Springs

Carved out of limestone using gunpowder and slave labor, the Montgomery Tunnel was the country's first successful water diversion tunnel. It's also known as the “Patterson Forge Tunnel” and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1981.

Old First Presbyterian Church – Nashville

Now known as the Downtown Presbyterian Church, this site became a place of worship in 1813. Its first structure burned down in 1832. After it was rebuilt, another fire destroyed the church in 1848. It was named a National Historic Landmark in the early 1990s and sits at the corner of Rep. John Lewis Way and Church Street.

James K. Polk Home – Columbia

Other than the White House, this is the only surviving residence of James K. Polk . The painted brick structure in Maury County is one of the best examples of Federal-style architecture in Tennessee.

Ryman Auditorium – Nashville

The former home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue settled in downtown Nashville. It's played a pivotal role in the popularization of country music, but was also named a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2022.

Sun Record Company – Memphis

An independent record label, Sun Record Company was founded in 1952 by producer Sam Phillips. It was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. Often referred to as the birthplace of Rock and Roll, the Sun Studio building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003 .

Tennessee State Capitol – Nashville

Tennessee's capitol building was built between 1845 and 1859 and was designed in a Greek Revival style by architect William Strickland. It serves as the home of both houses in the Tennessee General Assembly and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1971.

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