Visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, is like stepping into music history, where every detail reflects the King of Rock and Roll’s life. Among the estate’s most recognizable features are the pair of marble lions that guard its front steps, yet these iconic statues weren’t part of the property when Elvis purchased Graceland in 1957.
Graceland’s official Instagram shared a reel highlighting the majestic statues that sit at the base of the mansion’s front steps. The post revealed the little-known story behind the decorative pieces.
On August 22, the social media account posted, “On this day in 1957, Elvis made one of his first big additions to Graceland: the iconic marble lions that still guard its entrance! He first spotted them outside a home on Cherry Road, tracked down the owner, and purchased the statues for $1,000!”
The social media account said that although some fans believe the lions are identical, they are in fact, not. “Look closely and you’ll see they’re not identical, with one proudly holding a shield,” the site revealed.
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Elvis purchased Graceland in March of 1957 at the age of 22. He bought the home and adjacent grounds for $102,500, according to the home’s official website.
In a video titled Gates of Graceland, Part 3: Hidden Graceland, the home’s Vice President of Archives and Exhibits, Angie Marchese, toured the property with host Tom Brown. “Do you know where these lions came from?” Marchese asked Brown.
“These lions were actually at a house off Cherry Road,” Marchese continued. “It’s about two roads away from Audubon Drive, where Elvis lived before moving to Graceland. He buys Graceland and immediately goes to the house he has passed a million times.”
“He asked the homeowner if he could buy their lions and have them moved to the front door of Graceland. Could you imagine sitting at home one day and Elvis shows up and asks, ‘Can I buy your lions? I bought a new house, and they’d look great outside.’”
Brown added the story was “one of those things. Seeing these lions up close, everybody takes their pictures with them; everyone sits on the little benches in front before you go into the house.”
More than six decades later, the lions continue to watch over the mansion just as they did during Elvis Presley’s lifetime, from 1957 until his passing in 1977. Today, the Memphis estate is preserved under the care of Elvis’s granddaughter, actress Riley Keough, who became the official owner after inheriting the property from her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, reports NBC Washington.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
