Featured
Tupelo Outdoor Recreation Options Include Fishing, Camping and Golf
Tupelo is the ideal place for outdoor recreation, from simple outings to more significant connections with nature.Fishing The diversity and number of fishing spots in northeast Mississippi make Tupelo a fisherman's paradise. Some of the more popular spots include Enid Reservoir, Pickwick Lake, Lake Lamar Bruce, the Tombigbee waterway, Trace State Park and, of course, Elvis Presley Lake. The region is known for its crappie, smallmouth and largemouth bass, catfish and bream fishing.Golf Lush... Read More »
Tupelo, MS Offers Fine Dining, Casual Eateries and Dessert Shops
It's not hard to fill your belly in Tupelo, as the city is home to plenty of tasty dining options. From upscale establishments to casual eateries, complete with sweet shops sure to satisfy even the strongest sweet tooth, Tupelo is a foodie's paradise.Fine DiningOffering a more extravagant experience, Park Heights is open for dinner beginning at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Diners can choose from a broad selection of entrees, such as Chilean Sea Bass and Pan-Seared Escolar... Read More »
Vanelli's Restaurant Offers Food and Music Under One Roof
Vaz Vanelli unveiled what he proclaims “the eighth wonder of Tupelo” just outside his Vanelli’s Greek & Italian Restaurant in north Tupelo.
“It’s actually ‘Papa’s Pavilion,’ ” he says of the cedar-roofed dining and party area that was added to the restaurant’s patio in 2008. “It comes to a point, so when you go underneath and look up, it’s like a Swiss chalet,” Vanelli says of the new structure.
The... Read More »
Tupelo Celebrates the King at Presley Birthplace
Before the crowds, before Graceland, before there was a King, there was Tupelo. The city celebrates the music legend's early years at the Elvis Presley Birthplace.
Presley was born in this northeast Mississippi city on Jan. 8, 1935, in a two-room home that his father built. Each year, more than 80,000 people visit the home, which Elvis once remarked could fit inside his living room at Graceland.
The property, which has become one of the most popular attractions in the state of Mississippi, has... Read More »
Tupelo's Tribute to the King Endures
He may have found a new place to dwell, but Elvis Presley’s presence in his hometown of Tupelo is felt in more places than ever.
Elvis Presley Boulevard runs through town, and Presley Heights is a neighborhood of homes and businesses. People relax at Presley Lake, and Tupelo sports teams call themselves the Hound Dogs. A local flower business advertises that “nothing says love me tender” like its bouquets.
“Over the years the people of Tupelo have become more and more... Read More »
Tupelo History, Music and Arts Attractions
Tupelo may be best known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, but did you know Tupelo also offers a wide variety of cultural experiences to visitors? Tupelo features a distinctive blend of interesting historical sites, museums, cultural centers, and musical and theatrical venues that everyone can enjoy. Hop in the car and discover some of the interesting attractions around the Tupelo area.Tupelo's Civil War BattlefieldsSee where Confederate forces led by General Nathan Bedford Forrest scored a... Read More »
Theater, Art and History Education for Kids in Tupelo
Arts and education thrive in Tupelo, thanks to cooperation between local arts organizations, schools and the community.GumTree MuseumFor more than 25 years, the GumTree Museum of Art has reached out with programs that make art accessible to people of all ages.“We try to have many different opportunities to bring the community in and learn about the exhibits we have, and teach a little art history as well,” says Kit Stafford, GumTree’s executive director.One of the museum... Read More »
Need Barbecue? Go to Tupelo
Have a craving for slow-cooked barbecue? Tupelo serves up its version of this beloved cuisine at a variety of restaurants around town.
Romie’s Barbeque
Romie’s Barbeque recently moved to a new, more spacious location on Troy Street. Bright colors, exposed-brick walls and neon lights create a fun, inviting atmosphere where you can feast on some of Romie’s signature dishes, like the pulled pork sandwich, sticky rib racks, BBQ nachos or fried green tomatoes.
“Our fresh meat... Read More »
Dig Into the Dudie Burger Festival in Tupelo, MS
Dudie Burger Festival The famed Dudie Burger can only be experienced one weekend a year, during the annual Dudie Burger Festival in Tupelo, MS, in May (when some 1,400 burgers are sold). The famous Dudie Burgers are a mix of meat, flour and water first introduced during World War II when many items were being rationed. In 1947, resident Truman "Dudie" Christian converted an old Memphis streetcar into a diner that operated for years on the corner of South Gloster and Carnation streets... Read More »
Lyric Theatre Stays Vibrant in Tupelo
For nearly 100 years, people have been entertained inside the historic Lyric Theatre.
The downtown landmark hosted live theatrical productions from 1912 to the early 1930s, and then it was converted into a movie house during the Depression. The Lyric stayed that way for 50 years until 1984, when the Tupelo Community Theatre purchased the historic building for $100,000.
“It took every penny we had, but we made a good purchase in ’84 because the theater building today is supposedly worth more... Read More »
Tupelo's Manly Enough for Elvis
Before the crowds, before Graceland, before there was a King, there was Tupelo, MS. The city celebrates the music legend's early years at Elvis Presley's Birthplace. Presley was born in this manly town on Jan. 8, 1935, in a two-room home that his father built. Each year, more than 80,000 people visit the home, and we're sure Dad would love to be one of them. You know there has to be some machismo here if it produced a star who thousands of women screamed about. Manly Things to Do: •... Read More »
Tupelo Automobile Museum Displays More Than 150 Cars
Classic car fanatics could scarcely find a better home base than Tupelo, MS, where the Tupelo Automobile Museum features 120,000 square feet of automobile displays and open viewing restoration bays.
More than 150 antique, classic and collectible automobiles are displayed chronologically at the museum, illustrating the progress of more than 100 years of automobile design and engineering.
The collection, valued at over $6 million, includes an 1886 Benz, representing the birth of the... Read More »
Natchez Trace Parkway Offers History, Nature in Abundance
Outdoor lovers must experience the scenic 444 mile Natchez Trace Parkway that stretches across Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.Camping, hiking, biking and horse back riding are among the exciting recreations offered here.Natchez Trace was made a unit of the National Park Service in 1938 and restoration was completed in 2005.The parkway still contains parts of the “Old Trace” that Native Americans used to track bison.Camping in Natchez Trace is very abundant. There are three... Read More »
Downtown Tupelo Rocks With Guitar Sculpture Project
There's no mistaking Tupelo's rich musical history on Main Street.
Its rock 'n' roll roots are larger than life these days, thanks to a series of 30, 6-foot-tall, colorfully painted guitar sculptures lining the streets.
Thomas Street Elementary School art teacher Kit Stafford dreamed up the public art project, which was implemented with the help of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association and lots of young artists.
Students from every public school in Tupelo participated in designing and... Read More »
Tupelo Offers Top-Ranked Golf Courses
The Tupelo area is home to several good golf courses at a great value.
Tupelo Country Club ranks as one of the top quality tracts in all of Mississippi. The 18-hole layout in Belden just outside Tupelo was built in 1970 and measures a formidable 6,897 yards from the back tees.
The course has six small lakes and 300 native trees, and groundskeepers attend to more than 10,000 annual flowers that thrive in Tupelo's Southern climate.
“Tupelo County Club is amazing with some challenging holes... Read More »
Tupelo Music Scene Makes Cultural and Economic Impact
Tupelo's rich music scene is a critical part of its cultural identity as well as a major lure for tourism dollars.
Elvis' Legacy
Elvis Presley is an iconic name in Tupelo, and for good reason. This city will always be known as the rock ‘n’ roll king’s hometown. Even the small house where he was born in 1935 has been transformed into a museum in his honor. Tupelo is also home to an annual Tupelo Elvis Festival.
“The city understandably has a deep appreciation for Elvis... Read More »
Tupelo Hosts Many Festivals
You can hop into a classic car and attend the Blue Suede Cruise during the first weekend of May, then make a pig of yourself at the Tupelo Pig Roast on the second weekend of May.Those are just two of many festival options that Tupelo offers its residents – and visitors – on an annual basis.Tupelo Elvis Festival One of the more well-known events is the Tupelo Elvis Festival that takes place during the first weekend of June.“More than 10,000 people attend this hometown tribute... Read More »
Elvis Presley Homesite Preserves His Tupelo History
Before the adoring crowds, before the swaying hips, before Graceland, before there was a King, there was Tupelo.
Elvis Presley was born in this northeast Mississippi city on Jan. 8, 1935, in a two-room home that his father built for $180. Each year, more than 80,000 people visit the home, which Elvis once remarked could fit inside his living room at Graceland.
The house nearly passed into obscurity in the 1950s when the land came up for sale. But Elvis happened to be stopping through in 1956 to... Read More »
GumTree Museum of Art Promotes Visual Arts, Holds Annual Festival
The GumTree Museum of Art has been decorated by the works of Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mississippi masters and Tupelo schoolchildren.
The museum, located in a Beaux Arts-style building listed on the National Historic Register in downtown Tupelo, is free of charge to the general public.
The Gumtree was established as a non-profit corporation on 1982. Since 1985, the museum has served as an educational institution for the visual arts, offering quality exhibitions, work shops,... Read More »
Tupelo Lakes Earn Reputation for Reel Good Fishing
Every weekend, anglers in northeast Mississippi confront what some might say is a good problem to have.
When they grab their poles and head for the water, they have to choose one of more than 20 lakes within an hour-and-a-half drive of Tupelo. It’s tempting to head out to Enid Reservoir to try and best the white crappie world record that was set there in 1957, but then all those prize smallmouth bass swirling around in Pickwick Lake might get jealous. Is the day more suited for an afternoon... Read More »
Buffalo Park and Zoo Brings Old West to Deep South
Buffalo in Tupelo? That’s the question Dan Franklin’s family and friends might have asked him when the veteran cattleman returned home with six buffalo from Colorado and Canada.
But doubts were quickly put to rest as Franklin’s herd grew to nearly 100 and became the main attraction at the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo, a 217-acre menagerie of giraffes, monkeys, buffalo and everything in between.
The park, which occupies a former Chickasaw Indian village, offers schoolchildren... Read More »
BancorpSouth Arena Hosts Everything from Rodeos to Ice Hockey
Oh, go ahead and bother with Winnie the Pooh.
BancorpSouth Arena will host a Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh concert Sept. 26, 2008, with tickets priced from $14 to $45.
The BancorpSouth facility also has five meeting rooms that can accommodate almost any event. One of the rooms can seat 1,900 people for banquets.
The arena also hosts everything from basketball to rodeos and includes a full-size professional ice-hockey rink. The arena seats 10,000 for concerts and 8,000 for sporting events. Read More »
Shopping in Tupelo, MS
Tupelo, Miss. is alive with history and culture, so while you are shopping be sure to take in all that the city offers. In all directions, you'll find shopping venues that assist you with finding that special item or gift.
North Tupelo
The Mall at Barnes Crossing – Tupelo Mall
Need a family outing where all members can find something to do and see? Visit Tupelo's The Mall at Barnes Crossing. This mall delivers an all-in-one place for you to peruse items for you or take the family for some... Read More »
Tupelo National Battlefield Marks Mississippi's Last Civil War Battle
Learn about Tupelo’s role in the Civil War at Tupelo National Battlefield, a one-acre preservation of the original battlefield where the final war conflict in Mississippi occurred on July 14,1864.While development has overtaken most of the original battlefield, the preserved area is where, over the course of two days, the Union army fought to regain ground lost earlier at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads. It was here that Stephen D. Lee and Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest led... Read More »
Explore Civil War History at Brice's Crossroads
Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield, located off the Natchez Trace Parkway, commemorates the June 1864 Civil War battle where Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest was victorious over the Union cavalry.The visitor’s center offers a historical trip back to the Civil War era with its detailed exhibits, informative films and period artwork. The “Forrest’s Finest Hour” display narrates the story behind the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads, including a... Read More »
Tupelo Automobile Museum in Tupelo, MS
Tupelo Automobile Museum
Stroll through the Tupelo Automobile Museum and you'll literally walk a timeline that spans more than 120 years. This 120,000-square-foot showroom features more than 100 antique, classic and collectible cars, all chronologically displayed to illustrate the progress of automobile design and engineering. The collection is valued at more than $6 million and includes vehicles once owned by celebrities including Elvis Presley. Visitors can also peek in on ongoing vehicle... Read More »
Tupelo Film Festival Draws Big Crowds
Tupelo Film Festival
While some cities take years to grow a film festival into a national and international draw, Tupelo, MS, has managed to do so in under a decade. The Tupelo Film Festival's official beginning was in 2004, but its inception really dates back to 1989 with the establishment of the Tupelo Film Commission. The group works with local organizations such as the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as the Mississippi Film Office. Its goal is to elevate Tupelo’s... Read More »
