Introduction
Riley Keough Reveals Future Plans for Graceland and Unveils Secret Room Hidden on the Property
Riley Keough, granddaughter of the legendary Elvis Presley, is fully committed to preserving her family’s legacy. In a recent interview, she shared heartfelt insights about how her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, felt about Graceland—the iconic family home. “For her, it was a place where she could be wild and free,” Riley said. “Her father allowed her to kind of run the show there. Some of her most joyful memories were made at Graceland.”
Now as the official owner of Graceland, Riley says she’s touched by the continued love from fans who tour the mansion:
“There are still people walking through the house every day, and there’s this love that just doesn’t stop. It makes the house feel alive, and I really enjoy that.”
Riley has made her mission clear: to carry on what her grandmother and mother both did—preserve Graceland as a living tribute to their family.
In her recent appearance on Oprah, filmed inside Graceland, Riley offered a tour and spoke about her mother’s upcoming memoir From Here to the Great Unknown (October 8, 2024). During the interview, Riley dropped a major clue about a hidden secret on the property—a top-secret archives building.
When Oprah asked where the many personal items were kept, Riley casually replied, “Just out in the back.”
She was referring to Graceland’s private archives, a series of secure storage buildings hidden from the public eye. One building behind the mansion hosts the “white glove” VIP experience, where visitors can touch Elvis’s personal items. This same facility was also used by director Baz Luhrmann during his research for the 2022 Elvis biopic.
But there’s more—a second, underground archival vault exists somewhere behind the mansion, and only a select few people are allowed inside. Among them: Paul McCartney (in 2013), Baz Luhrmann (in 2019), and Oprah herself, who was reportedly the first celebrity ever allowed inside back in 2006 during a visit with Lisa Marie.
This vault is state-of-the-art: fireproof, earthquake-proof, tornado-proof, and temperature-controlled to protect over 1.5 million Elvis artifacts. Items stored here include Elvis’s personal jewelry, handwritten notes, his final wallet (which held family photos and credit cards), and countless photographs and documents.
Some of Elvis’s most iconic possessions include the legendary TCB ring—“Taking Care of Business”—a custom piece designed in 1975 with a 10.68-carat solitaire diamond and lightning bolt motif.
Another treasure: a gold Tree of Life necklace given to Elvis on his 30th birthday by the Memphis Mafia. Inscribed with names of his closest friends, along with the biblical quote:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,”
the necklace reflected Elvis’s love for spiritual meaning and deep friendship. He wore it frequently, including during his famous meeting with President Nixon in 1970.
Interestingly, this same necklace appears on the cover of Lisa Marie’s memoir—a subtle but meaningful tribute. Riley shared that she originally intended the cover to show only Lisa Marie, but the publisher suggested including part of Elvis’s image to reflect his enduring presence in her life.
“For me, you can feel his presence in the photo, without it being all about him. I wanted this to be my mom’s story, but the loss of Elvis was a huge part of her journey. He was the great love of her life, besides her children,” Riley explained.
With her passion and dedication, Riley Keough is not only preserving Graceland—but also honoring the memory and legacy of Elvis and Lisa Marie Presley for generations to come.