A NOT SO FAR AWAY SAFARI

The Tupelo Buffalo Park and the Oren Dunn City Museum both have seasonal hours and varying hours on Sundays, so be sure and check out their schedules before you head to Tupelo.  In general, here’s a great time-frame to enjoy these attractions:

9am – 12pm                Tupelo Buffalo Park
12 pm – 2pm               Ballard Park
2 pm – 4 pm                Oren Dunn City Museum

Sometimes a family just needs an adventure together and a Tupelo safari fits the bill.  Start at the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo where you can board a Monster Bison Bus and hand-feed the buffalo herds grazing throughout the park.  Explore the remaining exhibits where you can see all types of exotic animals including monkeys, bears, birds and giraffes just to name a few. Move on just 3 miles down the road for a picnic in Ballard Park, a serene and beautiful setting that features a lake, playground and walking track.  Although ducks are about the most exotic animal you’ll find here, the rare breed you’ll be searching for is the relaxed family spending some quality time together.  Continue your explorations at the Oren Dunn City Museum located in Ballard Park and unearth the true history of Tupelo’s colorful past.  Why don’t you check into one of Tupelo’s many affordable hotels and choose another suggested itinerary for tomorrow.  You don’t have to be far from home to make a memory that lasts a lifetime!

Cost:  On average, $12 per person will have you exploring some of the best attractions Tupelo has to offer

HAVE A BALL AT THE MALL AND A MOVIE
Mall Carousel
Mall Indoor Playground
Other stores in the Mall for individual interests – some of our favorites include Build a Bear workshop, Arcade and Barnes & Noble
Food Court
Movie

It’s more than a collection of stores under one roof, it’s a family-fun adventure.  Start the ball rolling with a carousel ride for all – old and young alike.  Next, it’s on to the indoor playground where children can climb through broccoli trees and hurl down slides until their heart is content.  A major bookstore will be a nice respite when it’s time for a rest and an arcade filled with activities is sure to keep the fun going.  A 600-seat food court offers everyone their choice of cuisine.  Family movie night is sure to spark the imagination of all on your getaway – pick a movie and lose yourself in the experience!

Cost:  $16 per person as long as you keep your shopping in check

The Mall at Barnes Crossing is open from 10am – 9pm Monday through Saturday and from 12:30pm until 6pm on Sundays.  Movie theaters in the Mall area include Cinemark Movies at the Mall at Barnes Crossing and the Malco Theater.  Movie showings and times vary and you should make your plans around your preferred movie.  Remember that matinees are normally cheaper than night time shows and may be a good way to save a few dollars on your family adventure.

GET DOWN TO DOWNTOWN
9am – 10:30am          Elvis Presley Birthplace
10:30am – 11:30am    Elvis Presley Driving Tour
11:30am – 12:30pm    Lunch at one of Tupelo’s great restaurants
12:30pm – 2:30pm      Tupelo Automobile Museum
2:30pm – 5pm             Fairpark District for guitar trail, shops, dining, dancing fountain or playground  (Note that a few of downtown's shops close a little earlier on the weekend - so be sure and plan accordingly!)

It’s an iconic downtown and it showcases some of America’s most recognized icons.  Gettin’ Down in Downtown is fun and affordable.  Start with the most recognized pop icon of our lifetime – Elvis Presley.  The Birthplace of Elvis Presley, located just off Main Street in East Tupelo, showcases the house where Elvis was born, the Church where he was exposed to gospel music, a museum that houses an extraordinary collection of Elvis memorabilia and many more exhibits that bring to light the world in which Elvis was born.  An Elvis Presley driving tour directs you to many places of influence on Elvis’ life including the hardware store where Elvis’ first guitar was purchased.  The Tupelo Automobile Museum also feels the connection to Elvis as it displays a car once owned by Elvis Presley and exhibits one of only two complete collections of Elvis Presley movie posters owned by the Tupelo Elvis Presley Festival.  Other automotive icons included a rare Tucker and a never-driven Dodge Viper, as well as many other international and American favorites.  The day plays out in beautiful downtown Tupelo in the Fairpark District where you can follow their Elvis movie-themed guitar trail, visit their unique shops and eclectic dining spots and revel in family entertainment like the dancing fountain and playground at City Hall.

Cost:  On average, $16.50 per person will get you in the downtown groove – shopping not included!

LEARNING SHOULD BE FUN
HealthWorks! Kids Museum
Natchez Trace Parkway Visitors Center
The Final Stands Civil War Interpretive Center

How would you like to travel through the brain of a teenage girl?  A scary thought for most, but the HealthWorks! Kids Museum gives you just that opportunity.  It exposes kids to an outbreak of fun and learning in the interactive health-education center with games and exhibits that entertain while they educate. Just a few miles away is the headquarters of the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile highway commemorating a vital travel route that sliced through a primeval forest before recorded history.  The headquarters is home to an interactive display that takes you on a trip into the past for a history lesson you won’t soon forget.  The Battle of Tupelo/Harrisburg and the Battle of Brices Crossroads were Mississippi’s final two major conflicts in the Civil War.  The Final Stands Civil War Interpretive Center personalizes the human conflict with a display of Civil War artifacts, exhibits and a battlefield diorama interpreting both battles.  The experience brings the Civil War to life and enlightens you to the sacrifices of the North and South.

Cost:  On average, $8 per person – not a lot to pay for a little enlightenment!

FREE FAMILY FUN DAY
10am – 1pm Ballard Park playground, walking track and picnic pavilions
1:30pm – 3:30pm        Veterans Park Splash Pad

The perfect family day doesn’t have to cost a lot or anything at all really.  Consider this, pack up the family and a picnic lunch and head to Ballard Park where you can take advantage of nice picnic pavilions, a lake, walking tracks, a fantastic playground and acres of space to let your imagination roam.  Then, pack up the kids and the picnic basket and head over to another of Tupelo’s fine parks.  Veterans Park, just a few miles across town, and you can finish the day cooling down in the Splash Pad.

Cost:  No admission to either park.  ENJOY!