Elvis Presley fans are in luck! If I can’t visit the real Graceland, I can check out the miniature one in Virginia!
Miniature Graceland in Roanoke, Virginia
Music fans planning to visit Memphis, Tennessee for the first time will be sure to check out Elvis Presley’s Graceland. While there, they will experience the beloved Graceland tradition and enjoy new attractions and activities to see and do. They will party, listen to music and drool when they try the delicious food offered at Graceland. This year marks the launch of ELVIS 45. It’s a year-long celebration that will include concerts, films, signing events, record giveaways and more to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Elvis’ passing. However, Elvis Presley fans can avoid traveling to Tennessee by making a stop in Roanoke, where the King’s outdoor memorial is nestled. They will see hand-made miniatures of his home, Graceland, his birthplace in Tupelo, his childhood church and a concert venue here. So if fans can’t visit the real Graceland, they can check out the miniature one in Virginia.
Who’s Behind Miniature Graceland?
Any Elvis enthusiast will immediately associate the name Graceland with the King’s Memphis, Tennessee residence. However, there is also a much smaller location that might come to mind for someone from Roanoke, Virginia, as well as a few true Elvis devotees. A replica of Graceland can be seen tucked away in a backyard near Roanoke. Only this version stands three feet (91 cm) tall and is a member of a distinct tiny community. Elvis Presley was more than just a favorite of Don and Kim Epperly. They adored him so much that they decided in the 1980s that his dream home, Graceland, was too magnificent to be missing from their neighborhood. Therefore, this cute couple chose to build their own replica of Elvis’ house instead of moving to Memphis. The finished product, filled with windows, shutters, columns and other tiny aspects of the King’s favorite home, is stunning. But it was just the beginning.
Every morning, Kim, Don’s wife, dressed a small Elvis Presley doll in new clothes, and the little Elvis village continued to get a new structure every year. Famous concert halls where Elvis performed and even a miniature facsimile of the Elvis Presley Car Museum were among these painstakingly created locations. On a piece of land near the Epperly residence, the town was laid out for several years. It immediately became prominent on neighborhood bus rides. Unfortunately, Don’s poor health prevented him from carrying out the care and when he died in 2012 the site had fallen into disrepair. Fortunately, the Salem Garden Club worked to partially repair the structures. Elvis lovers can still travel to Miniature Graceland. A gold statue of Elvis will greet them, and they can also leave a small payment to keep the Epperly family’s devotion to Elvis alive.
- Location: 605 Riverland Rd SE, Roanoke, VA 24014, United States
- Opening hours: From Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m
- Entrance fee: There is no entrance fee, but visitors can donate money.
Visit other attractions in Roanoke, Virginia
Check out The Bright Roanoke Star
The enormous star that shines from the top of Mill Mountain was built in 1949 to serve as a beacon for Christmas shopping. Despite a seasonal start, the bright oddity immediately gained enormous popularity among the population, and it was agreed that the star would be lit all year round. When lit up, the star, which is more than 88 feet (26.82 meters) tall, can be seen for miles around, giving the city of Roanoke, which is located at the base of the mountain, its colorful name. The enormous design is made up of three nesting stars, each of which can emit one of America’s three national colors. Today, the star is often illuminated in red, white and blue every night until midnight.
Visit the Cool Roanoke Pinball Museum
The Roanoke Pinball Museum, located on the second floor of the Center in the Square building in downtown Roanoke, first opened its doors in 2015 and is now home to more than 50 pinball machines, with models dating from 1948 to the late 1990. Every exhibit in this hands-on museum can be played for free as part of the price of admission. Screwball, one of the oldest pinball machines in the collection, was created in 1948 and has flippers that point outward. One of the first pinball machines to have flippers which were adopted as part of the transition of pinball machines from purely gambling machines to games of skill.
- Location: 1 Market Square SE, Roanoke, VA 24011, United States
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 13:00 to 18:00
- Entrance fee: $13.50 per visitor over 10 years old and $10 per child 2-10 years old.
- Other museums in the Center in the Square: Harrison Museum of African American Culture, West Virginia Museum of History, and West Virginia Museum of Science.