Elvis Museum Closes Doors Until January For Renovations

Music lovers must wait nearly three months to visit the Elvis Presley Museum. It’s closing for major renovations. The museum, housed at the site of the late singer’s birthplace, shut its doors after regular operating hours Friday so that Germantown Contracting can begin a $262,000 project to turn it into a world-class exhibit.

Some 50,000 people tour the museum each year, but the closure isn’t expected to hurt that number, said birthplace and museum director Dick Guyton. “If we have a slow time, this would be it,” he said. “A lot of tour companies don’t start tours until November. We’ve got eight or nine tours booked during this time, but they already know it, and ticket prices will be adjusted to charge them just for going through the house” where Elvis was born.
The house, gift shop, chapel and other attractions at the East Tupelo site will remain open, Guyton said.

When work wraps up on or before Elvis’ Jan. 8 birthday, the museum will sport a more modern look, feature multi-media elements and contain some new collection materials, including a memorial to Presley family friend Janelle McComb. The renovations are expected to double museum attendance.

To fund the project, the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation – which runs the attraction – put up $100,000. It received $50,000 from the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau and $100,000 from the city. The remainder is being raised internally by foundation members.