Elvis Presley paid $437,000 for 163 acres in Mississippi in 1967; the ranch he used for riding became known as Circle G

In 1967, Elvis Presley paid $437,000 for a 163-acre Mississippi ranch after his horse hobby outgrew Graceland. He sold the Circle G ranch in 1969 for $440,000.

We all probably know someone whose weekend hobby quietly turned into an expensive obsession. For Elvis Presley, that hobby was horseback riding. According to Graceland’s official timeline, he bought a 163-acre ranch in Mississippi for $437,000 in February 1967. The land was only minutes from Graceland, just across the state line. His entourage, their wives, and Elvis himself had all taken up riding, and the hobby had outgrown the pasture at his Memphis home. Soon the ranch was known as Circle G.

Elvis Presley bought a 163-acre Mississippi ranch in 1967 after his love of horseback riding outgrew Graceland. (Wikimedia Commons)

How a Christmas horse led to a ranch

The trail began in late 1966. Elvis got serious about horses by December 5 and bought riding clothes and gear, according to the timeline. He got Priscilla a horse on December 20 for a Christmas present. The National Register of Historic Places registration form for Circle G Ranch says the ranch grew out of this horse-buying business. It names a four-year-old black quarter horse called Domino as Priscilla’s horse. She didn’t want to ride alone, so Elvis bought himself a palomino called Rising Sun. Then he started buying horses for everyone around him, and the form says the stable soon outgrew Graceland. The same document says that Priscilla remembered seeing the ranch one morning in February 1967 as she drove by Horn Lake, Mississippi. There were cattle and a little lake with a bridge and a barn with horse stalls. And it was for sale.

Circle G became a retreat for Elvis, Priscilla, and their friends, but the horses, cattle, trailers, and vehicles proved costly. (Wikimedia Commons)

Buying the ranch and naming it Circle G

The property was only about 10 miles from Graceland, but the form says it felt like a world apart, set along narrow roads in sparsely populated countryside. Elvis bought the whole place, house and cattle, with a bank loan using Graceland as collateral. The decision was seen as rash and financially unwise, but the ranch was believed to be a turning point in his life.

After buying this place, he moved his horses and other riding gear from Graceland to the ranch’s stable, though he still lived at Graceland. He called the place Circle G Ranch. However, since the name was already copyrighted, the official name became Flying Circle G. Elvis designed the logo himself, and it still read Circle G. One friend, Charlie Hodge, later said there were about 20 horses there.

Weekends, picnics, and a honeymoon

Elvis also purchased eight house trailers and set them on concrete pads near a brick barbecue pit to accommodate friends and their families. Graceland’s timeline says he and his group spent a lot of time there in the months after the purchase, and describes the ranch as a happy break from his frustration over his career. Elvis and Priscilla got married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1967. After Palm Springs, they spent the rest of their honeymoon at Circle G. Priscilla recalled Sunday picnics, horseback riding, skeet shooting contests, and hunting for turtles and snakes in the lake. Elvis even told his father he was having fun for the first time in a long time.

Why the ranch didn’t last

The good times came with a price. According to the form, operating expenses for the cattle ranch, as well as trailers, horses, and vehicles he bought for loved ones, drained Elvis’ finances. In late 1968, his visits became rarer, and his father started selling cattle. In May 1969, the Circle G ranch was sold. Graceland notes its selling price was $440,000, only $3,000 above what Elvis paid for it, before counting the running costs, trailers, horses, and vehicles described above. The form mentions its buyer was the North Mississippi Gun Club. The property, however, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2019.

The nomination says the ranch offered Elvis a peaceful retreat from his fame at a pivotal time in his career. That is the view of the authors, but the facts behind it are simple. A horse lover bought the land, filled it with friends, and gave it a name that stuck.