As you stroll through the Elvis Museum in Pigeon Forge, you can’t help but marvel at how close you are able to get to so many of Elvis Presley’s actual personal and professional belongings. But the museum’s many exhibits—which span Presley’s lifetime—are more than just a collection of items of great historical importance. They’re a direct, one-way connection to the man who changed the face of American music forever and continues to add new fans more than 30 years after his passing.
“Elvis wasn’t just another singer. He was and still is a pop culture icon,” says museum owner Lynn Moon McAllister, whose father, Mike L. Moon, first opened the Parkway attraction in 1977. “His career spanned decades, and when you compare his record sales and lifetime achievements to artists like The Beatles and Michael Jackson, you can see why Elvis is still regarded as the King of Rock and Roll.”
The Elvis Museum tells that story through exhibit after exhibit of items that once belonged to or had been used by Presley himself. From his humble roots as a poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi, to his rise to the pinnacle of the entertainment world, the exhibits share Elvis’s life story with museum guests, along with a lot of Elvis-related facts, trivia and stories.
In fact, many of the items on display were first contributed by members of Elvis’s inner circle of friends—including Charlie Hodge, Marty Lacker, Red and Sonny West and Billy Smith—often known as the Memphis Mafia. Mike L. Moon also acquired Elvis-related items through his personal friendship with The King.
“My dad once complimented Elvis on the black leather belt he was wearing, and Elvis took the belt off and handed it to him,” says McAllister. “That made a lasting impression on my dad, and he became an avid follower and fan, collecting authentic Elvis memorabilia through the years.”
You’ll see several of The King’s cars on display, including his last limousine—a 1973 Lincoln Continental—and the 1967 Cadillac Coupe de Ville he drove on his honeymoon with Priscilla Presley. Also included in the exhibits are personal possessions like his karate black belt and the racquetball he used in his last game at Graceland the day before he died.
Of course, there’s plenty of concert-tour gear on hand too, such as a Fender guitar, a powder blue jumpsuit, tour jackets and personal effects from his last tour, including a razor, hairbrush and cologne. You’ll also see outfits Elvis wore in several of his movies.
One of the most memorable tour highlights is the “jewelry tunnel,” where you’ll see the gold watch with 26 quarter-karat diamonds Elvis gave to J.D. Sumner and the world-famous TCB ring—also a gift to Sumner—which is valued at $250,000. Also exhibited are the first dollar Elvis ever earned, his personal checkbook and his 14-karat gold sunglasses with silver TCB logo.
While you’re there, be sure to stop by the TCB Theatre, located above the museum. During the day, the theater shows Elvis movies and concert footage on its big screen, and at night, you can see Elvis tribute artist Matt Cordell perform from his repertoire of hundreds of Presley songs.
To really round out your Elvis experience, the museum even offers overnight accommodations located on the same premises in the luxury TCB Suite.
For more information or to order tickets to the TCB Theatre, you can call the museum/box office at 865-428-2001 or visit www.elvismuseums.com online.
