A Peek Inside Elvis Presley’s “Jungle Room” At Graceland
on Aug 08, 2016 • Updated Mar 10, 2020
An Intriguing Room In Graceland
Each and every room in Elvis Presley‘s famous Graceland mansion is intriguing in its own way. But the one room that always seems to captivate guests the most is a den-like space/recording studio that has been dubbed “The Jungle Room.”
Take a look inside the ultimate man cave — Elvis Presley's 'Jungle Room'! 😆
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The Jungle Room was not called that when Elvis lived at Graceland, but was given that name after his death and once the home opened for tours.
Constructed in 1965 as an additional part of the mansion, the Jungle Room was the space in which Elvis spent a large majority of his time. He ate breakfast there, entertained his friends, and enjoyed time in his own personal paradise away from the real world.
A Truly Unique Space
With walls covered in wood paneling, green shag carpet, and a large waterfall, the Jungle Room didn’t have its jungle-themed furnishings until years after it was built. The focal point was always a large color television, which Elvis had an endless supply of as a recording artist with RCA.
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There are various stories out there as to how Elvis eventually came to purchase the jungle-themed furniture and other fixtures for the room, but one version of events is supported by several of his friends. Rolling Stone relays the story in an article published about the Jungle Room, saying that Elvis’ friends recalled a conversation between “The King” and his father, Vernon:
“Vernon returned home one day in 1974 exclaiming, ‘I just went by Donald’s Furniture Store and they’ve got the ugliest furniture I’ve ever seen in my life.’ After describing it, [Elvis] replied, ‘Good, sounds like me.’ By afternoon Vernon found the same furniture sitting in the den, along with his laughing son.”
A Special Place In “The King’s” Home & History
Elvis also turned his man cave into a makeshift recording studio, in which he recorded in February and October 1976. These recording sessions were Elvis’ last before he passed away in August of the following year.
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Today, Elvis’ recordings from those sessions have been revived in a two-disc set called Elvis: Way Down in the Jungle Room. The discs include rare outtakes and alternate versions of already released songs, providing a more personal glimpse into Elvis’ recording sessions than ever before.
You can watch a video about the disc collection below. The video also shows you glimpses of Elvis’ iconic Jungle Room, so if you aren’t able to make the trip to Graceland, this is the video for you.
The walls of the Jungle Room contain so much history that it has gone on to earn a legendary status almost as great as Elvis himself.
