Centrally located between Jackson, Birmingham, Nashville and Memphis, Tupelo is a booming city nestled in the hills of northeastern Mississippi. Well known as the birthplace of the legendary Elvis Presley, Tupelo is also rich in history and offers a variety of exciting attractions, activities and entertainment. Visitors can explore the same countryside that Hernando De Soto did in 1540 prior to discovering the Mississippi River. The famous Natchez Trace Parkway that was built to facilitate trade with the Natchez Indians to the South is now a national scenic trail headquartered in Tupelo. Two major Civil War battles are commemorated in the area. In addition, the area offers a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, boating, camping and more. Tupelo hosts a number of festivals and special events throughout the year including the Gumtree Festival, one of the South's finest art shows, and the Elvis Presley Festival, a music festival honoring the King of Rock and Roll. Best Western Tupelo Mississippi.
Things to do in Tupelo
Bel Air Golf Course
Bel Air is a 9-hole municipal golf course located at 2107 Country Club Road. Call 662-841-6446 for more information.
Big Oaks Golf Club
Big Oaks has been named the best daily-fee course in Mississippi. The 18-hole championship course covers 250 acres with generous Bermuda fairways and large bentgrass greens. Located just off Highway 45 in Tupelo, one mile east of the mall on Barnes Crossing Road. Call 662-844-8002 for more information.
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site commemorates the Civil War battle in which Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest fought to interfere with Union General William T. Sherman's railroad supply line from Nashville. The battle took place on June 10, 1864. The Confederates scored a decisive victory over Union forces with the Union losing three men for every confederate loss. Though the battle was considered a major tactical win for the Confederacy, it failed to diminish the effectiveness of Sherman's campaign and supplies continued to flow. The one-acre site is located on MS Highway 370, six miles west of Baldwyn. Call 662-680-4025 for more information.
Elvis Presley Birthplace
Built in 1934 by Vernon, Vester and their father Jesse Presley for $180, the 2-room structure is the original house where Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935. The birthplace is an official Mississippi landmark, and is part of the 15-acre Elvis Presley Park. Also located within the park are a museum, statue of Elvis at age 13, memorial chapel and gift shop. A story wall presents a collection of original, unedited stories from people who knew Elvis when he lived in Tupelo. Call 662-841-1245 for more information.
Elvis Presley Festival
Elvis' hometown of Tupelo pays tribute to the King annually with the 3-day Elvis Presley Festival held the first weekend June. The festival features a variety of big name musical entertainment, events, food, merchandise and more. Call 888-273-7798 for more information.
Elvis Presley Lake and Campground
Named in honor of Tupelo's most famous native son, the Elvis Presley Lake and Campground is an 850-acre scenic park popular with campers, boaters, water skiers and fishermen. An all-terrain bicycle trail, nature and hiking trails, volleyball courts, boat ramp, picnic tables and grills, RV and tent campsites, and pavilion are also available. Located five miles north of the Elvis Presley Birthplace on Veteran's Boulevard, off Highway 78E. Call 662-840-5172 for more information.
GumTree Museum of Art
Since 1985 the GumTree Museum of Art has been serving as a center for the promotion of the visual arts. The art gallery is open to the public and is located in the original Peoples Bank and Trust Company in downtown Tupelo. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Beaux Arts style building was built in 1905. A variety of visual arts exhibitions rotate throughout the year. The museum also holds workshops for adults and children, and hosts the annual GumTree Festival, a celebration of the visual arts, music and writing. The museum is located at 211 West Main Street. Call 662-844-ARTS for more information.
Lyric Theatre / Tupelo Community Theatre
A restored turn-of-the century production theatre, the Lyric Theatre is now home to the Tupelo Community Theatre and is one of the finest amateur theatrical venues in the state. Productions are held year-round. Located on N. Broadway Street. Call 662-844-1935 for more information.
Natchez Trace Golf Club
Nestled in the gently rolling hills of northeast Mississippi, the semi-private Natchez Trace Golf Club offers a beautiful, challenging and well maintained 18-hole course. Located at 978-A County Road 681 in Saltillo. Call 662-869-2166 for more information.
Natchez Trace Parkway
The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway commemorates an ancient trail that connected southern portions of the Mississippi River to what is now central Tennessee. Congress approved an act to survey and plan the parkway in 1934. Completion ceremonies are planned for spring of 2005 - over seventy years later. The Natchez Trace used heavily from 1785 to 1820 by the "Kaintuck" boatmen that floated the Ohio and Miss. rivers to markets in Natchez and New Orleans. The men sold their cargo and boats and began the trek back north on foot. Maintained by the National Park Service, visitors today can drive, hike, bike, horseback ride and camp along the National Scenic Byway and All-American Road. Information, displays and a 12-minute film about Natchez Trace can be viewed at the Visitor Center, located in Tupelo at milepost 266. Call 662-680-4027 for more information.
Oren Dunn City Museum
Known as a history lover and storyteller, Oren F. Dunn founded the Oren Dunn Museum to chronicle and preserve the area's history. Housed in a refurbished 1937 dairy barn, exhibits include pioneer days, a recreation of the Civil War's Battle of Tupelo, a pictorial history of the Tornado of 1936, and life during World War I and II. Rotating exhibits, such as Elvis Presley memorabilia, Mississippi archeology, and toys from 1850-1960, are also featured. Also featured on the grounds are an 1870 dogtrot cabin, one-room schoolhouse, historic church, a restored caboose and replica depot, a 1941 library bookmobile, a Memphis streetcar/diner, fire engines from 1940 and 1941, and farming implements. The museum is located on Highway 6 West in the James L. Ballard Park. Call 662-841-6438 for more information.
Pontotoc Country Club
Pontotoc Country Club offers a semi-private, 18-hole golf course located of MS Hwy 6 E in Pontotoc. Call 662-489-1962 for more information.
Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery
Established in 1901, the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery (originally named the Tupelo National Fish Hatchery) is one of hundreds used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to manage the nation's fishery resources. Private John Allen is one of the nation's oldest hatcheries, and the only federal fish hatchery in Mississippi. The facility raises millions of fish annually. A 1904 Victorian house, the hatchery manager's residence until the 1980's, now is home to the Tupelo Garden Club and is listed on the National Register of Historic Homes. The grounds of the hatchery are beautifully manicured with turn-of-the-century plantings. Call 662-842-1341 for more information.
The Meadows Golf Club
The Meadows is a public 9-hole course located off MS Highway 6 at 717 Sims Gin Road. Call 662-840-1985 for more information.
Tombigbee State Park
Tombigbee State Park offers a beautiful setting for a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. Located within the park, Lake Lee is well stocked with bass, bream, and catfish. The park's lakeside picnic sites have tables, grills and scenic views. An RV camping area features picnic tables, grills, electrical, sewage and water hook-ups, a bathhouse with hot showers, and laundry facilities. A scenic ridge offers the ideal spot for tent camping. Group camping facilities can accommodate from 25 to 200 people. Fishing boats and canoes are available for rental year round; paddleboat rentals are available in summer. Other recreational features include three nature trails, playground equipment, softball and soccer fields, a tennis court, and an 18-hole par 3 disc golf course. Located 6 miles southeast of Tupelo off Mississippi Highway 6. Call 662-842-7669 for more information.
Trace State Park
Located just minutes from Tupelo, Trace State Park offers a quiet, natural retreat with a variety of outdoor activities. The 600-acre Trace Lake offers fishing and water skiing. Fishing boat and paddleboat rentals are available. The park features 25 miles of trails for ATV's, motorcycles, horses and mountain bikes. RV campsites feature picnic tables, grills, and electrical and water hook-ups. Two bathhouses with hot showers, laundry facilities and a central sewage dumping station are located in the developed camping area. A primitive camping area is also available. Twenty-five picnic sites featuring tables and grills are located throughout the park, many with views of the lake. The park features an 18-hole disc golf course. In addition, a special arrangement with the Pontotoc Country Club allows park guests to play the club's 18-hole golf course without paying green fees. Located ten miles east of Pontotoc and nine miles west of Tupelo off Mississippi Highway 6. Call 662-489-2958 for more information.
Tupelo Automobile Museum
Over 100 automobiles, displayed chronologically, illustrate over 100 years of automotive engineering and progress. The impressive 120,000-square-foot museum includes an 1886 motorized carriage that is considered the world's first automobile, a rare Tucker, a Lincoln once owned by Elvis Presley, and more. Located ½ block off Highway 45, Main Street Exit, at 1 Otis Blvd. Call 662-842-4242 for more information.
Tupelo Ballet
The Tupelo Ballet sponsors professional companies and guest artists, as well as presenting its own full length productions. Among the productions the Ballet has put on are Coppellia, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Nutcracker and A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. Located at 775 Poplarville. Call 662-844-4352 for more information.
Tupelo Buffalo Park
The Tupelo Buffalo Park features the largest buffalo herd east of the Mississippi River. The entire family will enjoy touring the park on the Monster Bison Bus, seeing how and where buffalo live. The park specializes in exotic animals and is home to monkeys, a Bengal tiger, an African lion, a reticulated giraffe, an American black bear and a reptile section. Park attractions include a live pony carousel, horse trail rides and a petting zoo complete with pigmy goats, miniature horses, and sheep. Located at 2272 N. Coley Road. Call 662-844-0709 for more information.
Tupelo National Battlefield
The Tupelo National Battlefield commemorates one of the bloodiest and the last major Civil War battle in Mississippi. The battle took place for two hot July days in 1864 between the forces commanded by Union General A.J. Smith and Confederate Generals Stephen D. Lee and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Smith was charged by Major General William T. Sherman to keep Forrest's dreaded Calvary corps in Mississippi, so as not to interfere with Sherman's "March to the Sea" campaign in Georgia. Although the Union forces retreated to Memphis after the battle, it was a Union victory; General Forrest was kept from interfering with Sherman's campaign. The one-acre site is located in Tupelo about 1.3 miles west of the intersection of MS 6 and US 45. It is 1 mile east of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Call 662-680-4025 for more information.