visitor

Graceland began as Elvis Presleys $102,500 purchase in 1957; since opening to visitors in 1982, it welcomed its 20 millionth visitor in 2016

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Graceland, Elvis Presley’s iconic Memphis home, reflecting the legendary singer’s enduring legacy and the historic estate closely associated with his life and career. (Wikimedia Commons.)

When Elvis Presley purchased Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1957 for $102,500, the sprawling estate was intended to be a private home for the rising rock ’n’ roll star and his family. More than six decades later, the mansion has become the mansion has become a widely recognized destination in American music history, welcoming more … Read more

Yellowstone rangers remove 20,100 pieces of trash from geothermal areas in 2026, including more than 5,000 rocks and sticks, 280 visitor hats and over $18 in coins

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Yellowstone rangers remove 20,100 pieces of trash from geothermal areas in 2026, including more than 5,000 rocks and sticks, 280 visitor hats and over $18 in coins

Yellowstone rangers uncover 20,100 pieces of trash in geothermal areas. (Photo: NPS) Cleaning up litter may be one of the less glamorous parts of working as a national park ranger, but at Yellowstone National Park, the job is particularly important because trash can pose a serious threat to the park’s geothermal features.With more than 4.5 … Read more

Tennessee’s Andrew Jackson estate spans 1,200 acres; its new plan puts much of a 70,000-square-foot visitor center underground so the building does not interrupt views across the historic landscape

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Tennessee's Andrew Jackson estate spans 1,200 acres; its new plan puts much of a 70,000-square-foot visitor center underground so the building does not interrupt views across the historic landscape

Plans for a $132 million redevelopment of The Hermitage, the 1,200 acre historic estate of former US President Andrew Jackson, will put much of a new 70,000 square foot visitor and education center underground to protect sightlines across the historic grounds. The Andrew Jackson Foundation announced the project, calling it a “generational transformation,” to replace … Read more

A former fuel-tank farm beside an Alaska national park visitor center has been erased; a young conservation crew restored 15,000 square yards of landscape and built 500 feet of new trail

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A former fuel-tank farm beside an Alaska national park visitor center has been erased; a young conservation crew restored 15,000 square yards of landscape and built 500 feet of new trail

The project also created about 500 feet of new pedestrian trail, connecting the visitor center with the Lakeview Tinitun trail and the broader trail network. What was once a utilitarian patch of ground beside an Alaska visitor center is now becoming part of the landscape again. At Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, a young … Read more