A life-size bronze statue depicts Elvis Presley at age 13, standing at ground level in Elvis Presley Birthplace Park in Tupelo. His birthplace tells of an earlier moment: Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, in a two-room house built by his father, grandfather, and uncle. Here, you can encounter two specific moments from his life: his birth in the family home and his later depiction as a teenager.

Out and About on the Natchez Trace

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational and scenic road through three states. At milepost 266, the Parkway Visitor Center near Tupelo offers information and a 16-minute film during opening hours. Check current opening hours before your drive. The visitor center also provides access to a short paved trail and the northern terminus of the Blackland section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.

Trails with Their Own Character

The Beech Springs Nature Trail is a 2,800-foot loop on a paved path. Dogs are welcome on a leash. At Old Trace and Confederate Gravesites, a somewhat steep, 700-foot paved path leads to thirteen modern grave markers; an original section of the Old Trace is also preserved there. The Blackland Prairie section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail begins at its southern trailhead on Jackson Street; the Parkway Visitor Center is 6 miles away.

Civil War History in Tupelo and Baldwyn

Tupelo National Battlefield commemorates the Battle of Tupelo and the people who lost their lives in it. Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield is in Lee County near Baldwyn and was the site of a Civil War battle fought on June 10, 1864. The Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center in Baldwyn depicts both the first and second days of the Battle of Tupelo-Harrisburg. These sites draw attention to different events and forms of Civil War remembrance.

Museum, Park, and Animal Encounters

The Oren Dunn City Museum is located in Ballard Park and is housed in a converted dairy that was part of the internationally known Forest Lake Farms. Its permanent exhibits include a 1940s train model, the history of tornadoes and the Hospital on the Hill, Chickasaw cultural history, and fossils from Northeast Mississippi. Ballard Park has playgrounds, picnic areas, and a walking path by the lake.

At Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo, visitors can feed goats, sheep, deer, and other animals. The bison tour takes visitors into the pasture, where they can see buffalo, zebras, water buffalo, and Watusi cattle up close. For another point of reference: Tombigbee State Park is six miles south of Tupelo.

Discover more destinations: Tupelo, Pike, Kemper County, George County, Prentiss, Pontotoc County, Washington County, Panola.

For the broader travel overview: Mississippi.