Dedicated in 2017 at Tupelo's Veterans Memorial Park, this replica of the Vietnam Memorial at the National Mall honors the 58,318 veterans known to have been killed or missing during the Vietnam War. The names of the veterans are inscribed on a 300’ Black granite wall within the park. While traveling replicas of Washington D.C.'s memorial have toured the nation, this is the first granite replica and is sixty percent of the size of the original. The state of Mississippi allocated $750,000 for the project while local residents and the City of Tupelo raised the remaining funds for the project's completion.
Elvis Presley--"The King of Rock-n-Roll"--, though he gained immense fame and fortunate during his lifetime as a music and acting star, began his life in a modest two-room house. Born to Vernon and Gladys Presley on January 8, 1935, Elvis spent the first thirteen years of his life in Tupelo before moving to Memphis with his parents. Today, the home is a part of a museum devoted to the legendary celebrity and is opened to the public seven days a week.
Johnnie's Drive-In was known as one of Elvis Presley's favorite hangouts during his childhood. Originally opened in 1945 by Johnnie Chism, Johnnie's Drive-In is Tupelo's oldest restaurant. Chism started the restaurant after he was discharged from the armed forces, and the site remains popular today. The restaurant is still serving the same great food that was served when Elvis dined there, allowing visitors to experience the Drive-In the way Elvis did during his younger years. Featured on the Elvis Presley Driving Trail, the restaurant is known as one of twelve important sites form the time of Elvis' youth.
The museum, which opened in 2002, houses over 100 automobiles, from an 1886 Benz to a 1994 Dodge Viper. A century of automobile history is represented throughout the museum. Additionally, cars once belonging to various celebrities, including Elvis Presley's Lincoln, and various rare models of cars are on display at the museum. The museum was designated the official State of Mississippi automobile museum in the spring of 2003. The collection's value totals to about $6 million, and more vehicles are added as they are restored.
Dedicated in 2012, this statue commemorates the 1956 "Homecoming Concert" of music legend Elvis Presley, Tupelo's most famous native son. The statue faces east towards the place where Elvis was born and is located near the former fairground where the concert took place. The statue is positioned so that the Tupelo City Hall is visible over Elvis' right shoulder and Tupelo Hardware is visible over his left. Based on a famous photo of Elvis taken by Roger Marshutz at the concert in 1956, the statue was created by a sculptor from Mississippi named Bill Beckwith.
Tupelo Hardware Company was established in 1926 and is best known for being the place where Gladys Presley purchased a guitar as a present for her son Elvis in 1946. According to a letter written by a longtime employee who was present that day, young Elvis Presley wanted a .22 rifle but was eventually persuaded by his mother that a guitar was a better gift. The hardware store is a family run business that has been serving the city of Tupelo for over 90 years.
The North Broadway Historic District in Tupelo, Mississippi is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The area is composed of 4 acres which contain 13 properties. The district is historically significant because it contains some of the only remaining buildings in Tupelo that were constructed before 1936. A tornado destroyed a large portion of the city of Tupelo in 1936, making buildings constructed before that time a rarity today.
The Colonial Dames of America erected this Tupelo monument in 1923 to commemorate the arrival of Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto. De Soto and his men spent the winter of 1540-1541 in northeast Mississippi during their extended expedition in which they explored what is now the southern United States today. De Soto is credited as the first person of European descent to discover and cross the Mississippi River. Half of the men who began the journey with De Soto died during the expedition owing to disease and conflicts with Native tribes. After De Soto died in 1542 along the Mississippi River, his men decided to end the expedition. Diaries from De Soto's expedition only offer the perspectives of the Spanish explorers, but they remain one of the best sources of information related to the people of this region in the 16th century. While the Spanish Crown claimed vast sections of land, they also regarded De Soto's expedition as a failure owing to the lack of obvious mineral resources and concentrated their colonization efforts in other parts of the Americas.
Constructed in 1927, Robins Field was home to both the white and Black high school football teams of Tupelo prior to the integration of the schools. The all-white Tupelo High School Golden Wave played on Fridays and the Blue Devils of the all-Black Carver High School played their home games on Saturdays. Integration of the high schools of Tupelo began in the late 1960s and this field was used by the integrated high schools of Tupelo until 1991. The field was named in honor of Tupelo Mayor D.W. Robins.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour includes many of the major sites in Tupelo's downtown area. Included in this tour are famous Elvis sites, historical landmarks, memorials, and more. With a wide variety of entries included, this tour gives an overview of Tupelo's rich history. Focused primarily in the downtown area, this tour remains concise while incorporating many different aspects of Tupelo's history and culture.
