Graceland feels a little more electric than usual this week, the kind of buzz that seeps into the sidewalks and hangs in the Memphis air, as fans from every corner of the world arrive to mark the birthday of Elvis Presley. Five days of celebrations set the rhythm, but the real heartbeat is inside the museums, where two brand-new exhibits open like carefully sealed time capsules. At Elvis Presley’s Memphis, the Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum quietly expands its story, not by rewriting history, but by letting it move again—on film, in fabric, in scuffed shoes and scratched guitar bodies that have clearly lived a life.

Some scenes linger long after you’ve walked away, and this one feels like that sort of memory — warm, smoky, and slightly chaotic in the best possible way. The air looks thick with the smell of grilling bratwurst, the kind that makes you suddenly hungrier than you intended to be, even if you already had dinner. The giant circular grill hangs like a medieval fire pit, chains pulling it upward while rows of sausages sizzle and blister.