THE STORY BEHIND MEMPHIS MANSION
Henrik Knudsen, an Elvis Presley enthusiast beyond the usual, had worked for a long time to realize a Danish version of Graceland.
The original idea for the project arose several years ago during a meeting about the marketing of the Danish Elvis shop, Elvis Unlimited. The wish was to “raise” the store to a higher level.
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MEMPHIS MANSION PHOTO
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FROM MAIL ORDER TO STORE
Since he discovered Elvis at the age of thirteen, Henrik Knudsen has been a dedicated fan.
In 1990 he started The Official Elvis Presley Fan Club of Denmark, and in 1993 opened the first Elvis exhibition in Randers based on Henrik’s large collection of Elvis effects. It was such a great success that Henrik was offered a “full-time contract” in Søndervig. Since then, the museum has been in Odense and then back to Søndervig before opening again in Randers. Henrik has bought and collected Elvis effects for many years, and helped other Elvis fans immediately. This developed into a mail order company, which in 2002 became the first Danish Elvis store.
FROM IDEA TO REALITY
In 2006, Henrik Knudsen had the name Graceland Randers registered as a trademark and on 16 April 2011 the place opened to the public. But before it got that far, a building site and investors had to be found. In autumn 2008, the land in Randers was bought, but the financing was not yet fully in place. An agreement with Sparekassen Kronjylland was put in place and several local investors stepped in. A delegation of craftsmen and suppliers went to Memphis to take a closer look at the original Graceland. Graceland Randers was supposed to be twice the size of the original house, which is 175 square meters. in ground plan, and the architects Smærup and Wessman set out to measure and photograph the house. This, combined with floor plans from the internet, became the starting point for the construction. In mid-June 2010, the first sod was taken.
THE VISION
It has always been the vision that the outside of the house should be a copy with modifications of Elvis’ last and most famous home, Graceland in Memphis, USA. But inside, Henrik Knudsen has chosen to reproduce only a few elements and props because there had to be room for an Elvis Shop, an American Diner, party room and of course the only stationary Elvis Museum outside the USA. The house preserves Elvis’ life, music and memory. Graceland Randers is Elvis Nostalgia. Henrik Knudsen has lived for years by collecting and selling Elvis effects. With Graceland Randers, he fulfilled his life’s dream.
THE WORLD'S REACTION
There has been overwhelming interest from the media. The opening of Graceland Randers has been mentioned in virtually all Danish newspapers. The foreign media have also written about the place, e.g. The Guardian, The New York Times and BBC World have conducted an interview with Henrik Knudsen. Every day, tourists come from far and wide to visit the house.
New name
On January 1, 2016, Graceland Randers became the Memphis Mansion. The name was found in collaboration with the Jim Dandy advertising agency and was revealed to the public on 21 December 2015. The name Memphis Mansion is a perfect fit for the house and its many activities.
ELVIS MUSEUM
The Elvis museum contains one of the largest private collections in the world with many effects that either belonged to Elvis, were given by him or made for him.
ELVIS SHOP
The store always has more than 6000 different item numbers in stock, all of which are related to Elvis. CDs, DVDs, books, postcards, magazines, autographs, key rings, bags, mugs, watches and jewellery, t-shirts, photos etc. There are also things for sale that belonged to Elvis.
HIGHWAY 51
The diner is All American – in decoration and food. Brunch, snacks, burgers, steaks, salads, desserts and of course milkshakes are offered here. The food is prepared with love and true southern spirit from quality ingredients.
PARTY AND MEETING ROOMS
The company and meeting rooms are used extensively for all kinds of private parties, meetings and conferences, concerts and lectures, company parties and events. Since opening in 2011, we have had more than 1,000 events.