 Lisa Marie Presley was almost assuredly best known for being the one and only child of the late great Elvis Presley. But did you know that if it hadn't been for both her and her mother Priscilla's stewardship of the Presley Trust, that we might not have as much to remember Elvis by, it's true. In fact, it's thanks to the two of them that Graceland is still the landmark it is today. Elvis originally bought the home that his daughter Lisa Marie would come to spend her earliest years in 1957 when he was still only 22 years old. At the time, he paid the small price of just over 102K, with half that amount being paid in cash, and the other half being a tree in with his previous house. In these videos we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. Graceland was originally built in 1939 by a wealthy Memphis family who would own the property and utilize it as a 500 acre farm since 1861. It was named after the original owner's daughter, Grace, and the name stuck. By the time Elvis came around in the late 50s, however, the place was most definitely down on its luck. One of the very first things Elvis did when he took ownership of the property was build a den in the basement which he then outfitted with a projector to watch films and an ice cream bar. From that point forward, the tone was set. Graceland would be a family home, a place where Elvis could relax and be himself while also allowing his parents, Vernon and Gladys, to live with him as well. It was with the help of his dear old mom that Elvis decorated Graceland for the first time, along with a little bit of assistance from interior decorator George Golden. With their input, Elvis worked his way through the house, planning colors, schemes, curtains, furnishings, and adding those infamous music gates for just over $3,000 as well as the wall of love. As for the main reception rooms, those were kept conservative and somewhat simple. Of course, Graceland would continue to be a work in progress throughout Elvis's life. The last time the house was redecorated during his lifetime was 1974. The year the king decided to turn his home into something akin to a bordello by painting it almost entirely in red. A local designer named Bill Eubanks assisted Elvis with the job turning the walls, carpets, curtains, and furnishings, all a hot Corvette shade of crimson. Meanwhile, the TV room was given a makeover as well. Only this space was painted canary yellow and spruced up further with a mirrored ceiling and walls. Speaking of the TV room, Elvis always had three TVs on the go in here. He got the idea from President Johnson, who reportedly enjoyed watching three news broadcasts at once. For Elvis, it was football, and he'd keep three games going at the same time. Then there's what's commonly known as the jungle room, otherwise known as Elvis's favorite room in the house, the den. In what very might well have been one of the first instances of a man cave, Elvis transformed his basement into a boy's paradise. They reminded him of his favorite holiday spot, Hawaii. This space was originally an outdoor patio, but it was incorporated into the home itself in the 60s. And then a water feature was added in 1965 to cascade down its stone walls. There's also mossy green shag pile carpeting, blanketing the floors and ceiling with wood paneling on the walls to complete the effect. Somewhat shockingly, those eye-catching or natively carved chairs and thrones that populate the space were not custom made. Elvis hand-picked them from a furniture storage just down the road if you can believe it. Lisa Marie spent the first few years of her life growing up on her father's massive estate. But then at only 9 years old, her father would die from a heart attack in one of Graceland's bathrooms. Even more tragically, Lisa would see his body for herself, lying face down on the carpet, and she actually remembers crying out my daddy's dead. Believe it or not, but Elvis's body wasn't removed from the property following his death. Something that Lisa Marie would later remember as being surreal, but also oddly comforting. His body was in the house for three days, and there was something very oddly comforting about that, which made it not necessarily real for me. What's more, when Elvis died, his estate was worth practically nothing. He was down to his last million and the fortune Lisa Marie was set to inherit on her 25th birthday had been dumped into a mass of tax debts. So Priscilla got to work changing all of that. She spent $500,000 refurbishing the home and restoring it, ripping out that tacky red paint Elvis installed in the 70s and replacing it with a more tasteful combination of blue, gold, and white. She then opened Graceland to the public in 1982. With Elvis's aunt Delta living in the home as a sitting tenant almost overnight, Graceland became a smashing success with 300,000 visitors traveling to check it out over the course of the first year. By the end of the 90s, Lisa Marie's estate was worth $200 million. And at Delta, the last person to ever live in the house passed away in 1993. Today, nearly 650,000 visitors each and every year make the pilgrimage to Petra Butte. Once they've made the short bus ride from the mansion gaze to the main entrance, visitors are issued with an audio recording of Priscilla and Lisa Marie, welcoming them to the miniature palace they once shared with the king. Of Graceland's nearly two dozen rooms, roughly half are out of bounds and only family members are allowed to go upstairs. The reason? Well, if you're a fan of conspiracy theories, the most popular rumor is that it's because Elvis is still alive and well living up there. As much fun as that might be to believe, we all know this family just isn't that lucky. You need any further proof of that? Look no further than the last home Lisa Marie Presley would ever own and the tragedy that unfolded there. In March of 2020, Lisa Marie Presley bought a new property for herself in the California city of Calabasas for $1.8 million. Set on a cul-de-sac in a guard gated community, this vaguely Mediterranean style stucco house was constructed in 1989 and sits with a handful of other similar looking homes. With the home recently being sold in an off-market deal, images and details are somewhat scarce, but tax records suggest this two-story villa measures in at around 3,600 square feet and both five bedrooms and four full baths, including a guest bedroom on the ground floor of the premises. For the most part, the property's exterior has remained unchanged throughout the decades. But the interior was recently remodeled to suit more current and popular trends, like the installation of top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances as well as a recessed lighting in the home's kitchen. Meanwhile, upstairs, the spa-style main bathroom is not only large, but offers dual fanaties and a glamorous glass shower with its own inset soaking tub. Out back, there's a grassy lawn to run around on, as well as a stone pathway that leads to and from the plunge-style pool. There's also some mesmerizing views of the surrounding hills. Residents who live in this gated community, one of many that populate Calabasas, pay around $439 a month in extra fees to cover the cost of 24-7 guards plus a variety of extras, like a pristinely maintained park and several sports courts. Not that Lisa Marie ever really got the chance to enjoy any of that. Scarcely four months after moving in here, her son Benjamin, the 27-year-old grandson of Elvis, took his own life at the home with a shotgun. Lisa Marie Presley's son, Elvis Presley's grandson, Benjamin Keele, has died. It was the very definition of tragedy and unsurprisingly, Lisa Marie wanted nothing to do with the home after it happened. She not only moved out, she listed the house and sold it to a non-famous woman for $2 million in March of 2021. Following which, she moved in with her former first husband and Benjamin's father, Danny Keele. Danny also owned a property in the Calabasas region, so Lisa didn't have that far to go. Despite how tragic the circumstances of her life had become, Lisa never gave up on her role as a steward to her father's estate. As recently as only a few days ago, she traveled to Graceland to give a moving speech on what would have been her father's 88th birthday, telling everyone gathered there how much their love and support has meant to her over the years. More than just that, Lisa was achingly honest about however, since her son's death, she had turned into a recluse, never wanting to leave the house unless it was to celebrate her family's legacy, like at the 2023 Golden Globes. When she was in the audience to lend her support to Austin Butler, as he took home the award for best actor, thanks to his portrayal of Elvis in the Boz Lerman biopic. Just two days after that ceremony ended, the LA County Sheriff's Department responded to a call in the city of Calabasas for a female in her 50s that had suffered a cardiac arrest. That woman was Lisa Marie Presley. She was Lisa Marie's housekeeper who found her unresponsive in her bedroom and right around that same time, her ex, Danny, returned home from taking the kids to school and he began performing CPR until the paramedics arrived. Lisa Marie was then transported to West Hills Hospital where her mother met her. Unfortunately, Lisa Marie Presley wouldn't be able to pull through. She passed away from a heart attack, the same condition that took the life of her father at only 54 years old. I'm not gonna lie, this is a heartbreaking conclusion to a story that wasn't exactly feel good in the first place. Considering what the Presley family has meant to the history of not only pop culture, but in many ways America itself, you'd hope for a happier ending. But sometimes that's just not in the cards. Here's hoping that Lisa's surviving children can carry on her family's legacy as proudly as she once did. All right, everyone, that's gonna bring this house tour to a close. But before we wrap up, give some thought towards the following question. Considering no one has officially lived in Graceland since Aunt Delta's passing, what do you think is upstairs that the family is keeping off limits? Let's hear your most interesting theories in the comments down below and be sure to leave your condolences for Lisa Marie and the Presley family. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to never miss an episode. Thanks for tuning in. My name is Curie the Vampire Slayer and I'll see you all on the next tour. Bye.