Earlier this week Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion shut its doors in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The King’s ex-wife Priscilla Presley made the announcement through her Facebook account. The 74-year-old wrote: “Dear friends, in line with Federal and CDC guidelines, and with the absolute best interest of our Guests and Staff in mind, it is with a heavy heart we advise you that Graceland will be temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
She added: “We will vigilantly monitor the situation and remain in regular contact with the appropriate officials and health experts.
“Based upon that information, we will continue to adjust our operations as appropriate.
“Our goal is to reopen Graceland just as soon as it is advisable to do so.”
But despite the closure, Elvis’ house has shown a patriotic “sign of solidarity”, which fans can view through a live web cam.
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These are unprecedented times, but we’re all in this together. As a sign of solidarity, Graceland Mansion will be lit red, white and blue nightly at sunset until we reopen to the public. From our Graceland family to yours, we wish everyone around the world health and happiness. We look forward to welcoming you back at Graceland soon. See the mansion live on our webcam at graceland.com/graceland-cam
A post shared byElvis Presley’s Graceland (@visitgraceland) on
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Elvis Presley: ‘Graceland SHUT DOWN due to monster virus’ – Priscilla
Graceland has been lit up in red, white and blue; the colours of the American flag.
No doubt Elvis fans will be pleased with the touching symbol, especially considering how much of a patriot the King was.
Graceland’s official Twitter account wrote: “These are unprecedented times, but we’re all in this together.
“As a sign of solidarity, Graceland Mansion will be lit red, white and blue nightly at sunset until we reopen to the public.”
They added: “From our Graceland family to yours, we wish everyone around the world health and happiness.
“We look forward to welcoming you back at Graceland soon.
“See the mansion live on our webcam at graceland.com/graceland-cam.”
Lighting up Graceland in red, white and blue is very reminiscent of the same move being made on the White House for Independence Day.
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Graceland, which became a museum in 1982, is the second most-visited house in the US after the president’s Washington DC home.
Elvis’ mansion has over 650,000 visitors come down to Memphis, Tennessee for a visit every year.
According to the official Graceland website, the National Historic Landmark plans to reopen on April 4.
In a statement, they wrote; “In line with Federal and CDC guidance and with the absolute best interest of our Guests and Staff in mind, Graceland will be temporarily closed beginning March 21 through April 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
They continued: “Graceland tour tickets for March 21 to April 3, 2020, will be automatically extended to use any date within one year of the original tour date.”
Graceland even encouraged Elvis fans to purchase tickets from April 4 onwards, adding: “We will continue to make adjustments to our operations as appropriate and look forward to welcoming Guests back to Graceland as soon as it is advisable. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Of course, planning to reopen on April 4 seems somewhat optimistic given the scale of the coronavirus pandemic and its growth across the US.
So fans should not be surprised if Graceland’s closure is extended or announced to be indefinite, as is the case with many similar locations across the world right now.
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