Elvis Presley Tour Part 4 ~ Fairpark | Tupelo Hardware

Elvis Presley Tour ~ Fairpark and Tupelo Hardware – Tupelo, MS, the birthplace of Elvis Presley, must-see places and information. August and February are big tourist months for Tupelo and the Elvis Presley Birthplace. This August was no exception, especially with the unveiling the second Elvis statue at Fairpark. (See the first statue here.) Fairpark is a commercial and residential redevelopment of the old< Tupelo Fairgrounds, where Elvis Presley performed.

Elvis Presley Tour Part 4 ~ Fairpark and Tupelo Hardware

This interactive display features a song list from the concert Elvis played (1956). You can use your smartphone to access the video from the concert.

This bronze sculpture is a replica of a 1956 photo taken by Roger Marshutz. It depicts Elvis performing a concert at the place it now stands, which was the Tupelo Fairgrounds at the time.

The Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Tupelo Elvis Fan Club commissioned Bill Beckwith from Taylor, MS, to make the statue. It is a little larger than life-size; it is 7 feet tall and is on a 4-foot base. You can see Tupelo Hardware or Tupelo City Hall in the background when looking at this sculpture. It also faces the birthplace and has an outstretched hand that visitors can touch, just like in a concert.

Also, plan your trip to Tupelo and enjoy the Tupelo Elvis Festival for a musical extravaganza!

Fairpark and Tupelo Hardware

The red bricks located on the lower left side of the above photo were purchased from fans around the world. All 200 of the small bricks sold out. The base of the statue has eight sides, which is Elvis’ favorite number.

The statue is aggregate concrete, popular in the 1950s in the area.

Tupelo Hardware is where Elvis purchased his first guitar. Intending to purchase a bicycle, Elvis saw a gun he wanted instead. His mother didn’t want Elvis to buy a gun, so she convinced him to get a guitar instead.

View from across the street from Tupelo Hardware.

Front of Tupelo Hardware.

For information on Elvis-inspired guitars, go here.

  Enjoy more about Tupelo.

1. Elvis Presley Birthplace Part 1
2. Elvis Presley Tour Part 2 
3. Elvis Presley Tour Part 3 – Favorite Restaurant
4. Elvis Presley Tour Part 4 – Tupelo Hardware
5. Where to eat in Tupelo, MS