There’s really only one name that comes to mind when you think of Tupelo, Mississippi – Elvis Presley! So, on the occasion of his birthday today, January 8, we’d like to tell you about our visit to his childhood home in Tupelo.
On a recent trip, when we realized we’d be close to Tupelo, we made sure to plan to stop in. Of course, there is more to Tupelo than just Elvis, but admittedly, he is the drawing point.
We were traveling down the gorgeous Natchez Trace Parkway, so we just hopped off just outside of Tupelo, found a place to stop for the night, grab a bite to eat, and head to bed.
The next morning, refreshed and ready to go, we plugged Elvis’ boyhood home address in the GPS and headed out. One of the first things we noticed along the streets were guitars placed along the side of the road. We found out that there are more than 20 of them, and they are all Elvis-themed. They’re all multi-colored, eye-catching works of art that were fun to see and became a game of trying to watch for them.
Driving along Main Street we looked over and saw a statue in a park. We pulled over and saw that it was called “The Hands” and was made from one of his most famous photos. Visitors and fans can position themselves with the statue to recreate the iconic scene from the 1956 Homecoming Concert held at the site, which was formerly the fairgrounds.
Now, we’ve all heard some GPS horror stories and luckily, this one isn’t bad at all, just wonky. It led us past the main turnoff to Elvis’ home and in through the back way. Weird.
Then we arrived at the “Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum.” Wow! The site was much larger than we expected and contained wonderful historical information.
It was sweet to see the home he had lived in, very tiny to be sure, but a well-kept representation of the home styles of the time. The website says it was built by Elvis’ dad for $180. It is now a landmark. And it goes to show that a person doesn’t have to be born with a silver spoon in their mouth, or to a wealthy family, or grow up in a large home to make something of themselves.
All around the plot surrounding the home are concrete blocks chronicling the timeline of Elvis’ life.
His boyhood church is also located on the property and is a small, white building, exactly the kind you would expect from the time period.
For those who have never seen an outhouse in person – well, there’s one of those on site as well.
But on this anniversary of his birth, we think the sweetest and most poignant item on display is a bronze statue called “Elvis at 13” where he is holding a guitar. That treasured guitar was a gift from his mom for his birthday two years before. She likely never imagined where that simple present would take her baby boy – or how it would change the world.
You’ll find the Elvis Presley Birthplace at 306 Elvis Presley Dr., Tupelo, MS 38801
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