VIRTUALLY THERE: I’m going to Graceland (online)

“I’m going to Graceland, Graceland; Memphis, Tennessee,” Paul Simon crooned in his popular hit of the same name. But surely solo Simon (sans Garfunkel), didn’t mean virtually, and in these troubled times, what are fans of the King of Rock and Roll to do?

Elvis Presley’s Graceland is now offering live online tours for the first time ever for fans who can’t travel to the Tennessee tourist attraction during the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-hour guided tours will take virtual visitors into Presley’s former Memphis home, which has been turned into a museum, and through the Meditation Garden, where he is buried.

Hosted by “one of the world’s foremost experts on all-things Elvis Presley” – VP of Graceland Archives and Exhibits Angie Marchese – the Virtual Live Tours promise guests a VIP experience with an in-depth look into Elvis’ life, including “behind-the-ropes” highlights of the Mansion, the Lisa Marie jet, and Elvis’ Memphis exhibit and entertainment complex, where guests will see various artifacts, including Elvis’ cars, jumpsuits, gold records and movie memorabilia.

The artifacts spotlighted and stories told will vary from tour to tour making each experience unique, and viewers will have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the event.

Virtual tours are scheduled at 8 a.m. CST on Jan. 27, Feb. 25, and March 25, with more dates expected. Tickets cost US$100 and can be purchased on the Graceland web site. (Regular in-person admission prices range from $43 to $190 for and Ultimate VIP tour).

Graceland typically hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but the tourist attraction has seen a drop in visitors during the virus outbreak. Graceland was closed for several weeks last year and is now open for limited-capacity, in-person tours.