The ultimate Memphis to Tupelo road trip for Elvis Presley fans
The Memphis to Tupelo road trip is extra special during the Tupelo Elvis Festival — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
While nearly every state has some piece of Elvis Presley’s history, you’ll find the most important homes, restaurants, and museums in Memphis, Tennessee, and Tupelo, Mississippi.
Memphis to Tupelo is less than two hours by car via Interstate 22. Between these two cities, from Graceland to Elvis’ birthplace, you can visit more than a dozen landmarks over a weekend. Whether you go for the Tupelo Elvis Festival or want to tour the King of Rock’s home, you’ll get all shook up with the history and nostalgia. Here are 10 places every Elvis fan should put on their bucket list.
The Arcade Restaurant
The Arcade Restaurant was a popular dining spot for Elvis — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
This classic diner is a Memphis dining staple, a perfect breakfast spot for the beginning of a Memphis to Tupelo Elvis road trip. The Arcade Restaurant, Memphis’ oldest cafe, predates its most famous patron by 16 years.
Sit in the Elvis booth and order things like eggs “redneck,” a powerhouse plate with sausage, chicken, or bacon, biscuits soaked in gravy, eggs, and hash browns, or sweet potato pancakes, a true local favorite.
Lansky Bros.
Bernard Lansky was known as Elvis’ clothier — Photo courtesy of Troy Glasgow / Memphis Tourism
In 1952, teenage Elvis walked into a well-known clothing store at 126 Beale Street. He couldn’t afford the same clothes as customers like Duke Ellington or B.B. King. By 1956, he was an international star, and from that point on, Lansky Bros. founder Bernard Lansky provided the King with clothes.
The Clothier To The King line started in 2001, and you can buy those and other outfits at The Peabody Memphis, where Lansky at the Peabody is based. There’s a plaque at 126 Beale Street, and in 2024, the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum purchased the building to keep its iconic status in music history.
Sun Studio
Elvis recorded at Sun Studio between 1953 to 1955 — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
Sun Studio is not just for Elvis fans, but it’s still an essential stop on any Memphis to Tupelo road trip. Elvis’ record label was Sun Records, and he recorded his earliest songs here. It’s still a functioning studio, although not during the day.
Guided tours take roughly 45 minutes, and the Elvis component includes classic photos, including the 1956 “Million Dollar Quartet” shot of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis, which your friendly guide will explain.
1034 Audubon Drive
Elvis outside the first home he purchased in Memphis, Tennessee — Photo courtesy of Elvis Presley Enterprises
In early 1956, Elvis purchased a one-story home at 1034 Audubon Drive with royalties from his first million-dollar hit record, “Heartbreak Hotel.” While his prior address at 1414 Getwell Road is now a mini-strip mall, 1034 Audubon Drive remains a private residence (and closed to the public, so please don’t bother the tenants). Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, there’s a historical marker to the right of the gate.
Graceland
Graceland is a must-visit on a Memphis to Tupelo road trip — Photo courtesy of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
If you’re only going to visit one Elvis attraction, this is it. Since 1982, everyone from American presidents to Japanese prime ministers has made the pilgrimage to Graceland. While the house that Elvis called home for the final two decades of his life remains the highlight for most, there’s also a car collection and other exhibits, as well as the airplanes the King flew, including the Lisa Marie, named after his only daughter.
Casual fans will likely spend a few hours exploring the 120-acre complex, but serious Elvis fans may find too much to see in one day. In that case (or if you’re looking to break up your Memphis to Tupelo road trip), there’s the 450-room The Guest House at Graceland. If you’re looking for more intimate accommodations downtown, try ARRIVE Memphis.
Elvis Presley Birthplace
The Homecoming Statue is an important stop for Elvis fans on the Memphis to Tupelo road trip — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
Admittedly, the Elvis Presley Birthplace will feel underwhelming after a visit to Graceland. The 300-square-foot attraction will make New Yorkers think their apartments aren’t that small. If you’ve only heard the term “shotgun shack,” this is a chance to see what that actually means.
Fortunately, the property has more interesting structures, including a chapel, an outhouse, a small museum, and the “Becoming” statue, symbolizing the transformation from boy Elvis to entertainer Elvis. The admission fee also includes the church that Elvis attended as a child, where you can attend a recreation of the same experience that likely inspired young Elvis to get into music.
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Johnnie’s Drive-In
Stop for lunch at Johnnie’s Drive-In, where Elvis used to frequent — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
Johnnie’s Drive-In was a favorite after-school dining spot for young Elvis and his friends. It opened in 1945, the same year a young Elvis got his first guitar. Like at Arcade Restaurant, there’s an Elvis booth. The cheeseburger he preferred is still on the menu, but Pepsi has since replaced his drink of choice (RC Cola).
Tupelo Hardware Company
A young boy reenacts Elvis getting his first guitar at Tupelo Hardware — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
Tupelo Hardware Company is where a pre-teen Elvis is said to have bought his first guitar. More accurately, the future King wanted a rifle but ended up settling for a guitar as an 11th birthday gift.
While the store is open Monday through Saturday and marked by one of 14 bronze plaques that are part of Elvis’ Tupelo Driving Tour, it’s best to come during the Tupelo Elvis Festival to see a reenactment of how the fateful purchase went down.
Elvis Presley Homecoming Statue
The Elvis Presley “Homecoming” Statue in Tupelo’s Fairpark District is a popular stop on the Memphis to Tupelo trip — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
Admission to the Elvis Birthplace, food at Johnnie’s Drive-In, and hotels in Tupelo, Mississippi, come at a price. But seeing the Elvis Presley Homecoming Statue is free of charge. The statue was dedicated in 2012 and commemorates his 1956 homecoming show, which took place on what was then the Fairgrounds. The bronze Elvis faces his birthplace in East Tupelo.
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Hotel Tupelo
Every fan should stay in the Elvis-inspired suite at Hotel Tupelo — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni
The Hotel Tupelo downtown is important to Elvis fans for two reasons. First, anyone can book the Elvis-inspired King’s Suite 365 days a year. Second, it’s across the street from the Cadence Bank Arena, where Tupelo’s Elvis Festival occurs annually.
While neighboring Arkansas has Rockin’ Eureka: Elvis & Friends Festival and Memphis has Elvis Week, there’s something special about watching Elvis Tribute Artists (don’t call them “impersonators”) from as far as Australia compete in the same city where the King was born.
