17. Barn
Graceland was originally developed as a cattle farm in 1939, and the site had a large barn behind the home from the start. To keep a prize bull cool, the barn was the first part of the farm to get air conditioning. Elvis Presley was a huge horse lover and a skilled rider. In his barn, he kept a variety of horses and other animals. Elvis’ handwriting is all over the barn walls, where he designated the equipment for each horse.
When Elvis Presley first moved here, he had a few animals, but it wasn’t until 1966 that he became serious about horse ownership. For Christmas that year, he bought a horse named Domino for his soon-to-be bride Priscilla. Elvis also purchased Sheba, a horse for Priscilla and her friend Sandy to ride together. He finally purchased a Palomino horse named Rising Sun, which became his favorite. A golden Palomino horse is always present at the Graceland stable in remembrance of the Rising Sun. Tucker, or Tuscan Sun, is the current palomino.
