Military, Memorials, and Museums in Tupelo, MS

Memorials

Museums

Sites

Downloadable List

Map

With a storied and documented past, Tupelo gives visitors the chance to pay their respects and set foot on important grounds. The historic locations remind visitors of America’s tumultuous past, from Civil War sites to Civil Rights landmarks. And, the city’s rich collection of memorials honors men and women who have fought to serve and protect the country.

Though every day is a great time to honor Tupelo’s history and military personnel, we encourage revisiting these sites on Memorial Day to pay respects to those whose lives were lost in the line of duty.

Memorials

An older gentleman in full uniform kneels before the Vietnam Veterans Replica Wall Memorial in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Veterans Memorial Park

800 North Veterans Boulevard

The park is a tribute to Mississippi veterans and all men and women who have served our country. The park includes a walking trail with memorial trees, a sunken memorial area with a U.S. Flag and a POW/ MIA Flag displayed in the center, an F-105 Thunderchief aircraft, and a military flag display area representing the five branches of the U.S. Armed Services.

Gold Star Families Memorial Monument

800 North Veterans Boulevard

Located in Veterans Memorial Park, the monument is a two-sided tribute made of black granite. One side bears the words: Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, a tribute to Gold Star Families and Relatives who sacrificed a Loved One for our Freedom.

Vietnam Veterans Replica Wall Memorial

800 North Veterans Boulevard

Also within the Veterans Memorial Park grounds, this is a permanent 300' granite replica of the wall in Washington, D.C., inscribed with the names of 58,267 KIAs and MIAs of the Vietnam War.

Museums

Mississippi's Final Stands Interpretive Center and Brice's Crossroads National Battlefield

607 Grisham Street Baldwyn | 662.365.3969

The center offers a complete look at the Civil War, the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, fought June 10, 1864, and the Battle of Harrisburg/Old Town Creek, fought July 13-15, 1864.

Tupelo Veterans Museum

689 Rutherford Road | 662.844.1515

Located in the Tupelo City Museum, the collection includes thousands of military artifacts dating from the Civil War to the Afghanistan War with some of the most interesting being the flag that flew over the U.S. Capital at the hour the D-Day invasion began and a working clock from a Japanese kamikaze plane.

Sites

A white sign marks the location of Town Creek in Tupelo, MS.

Battle of Ackia Marker

Intersection of President Avenue and Pierce Street

The Chickasaw victory over the French at the 1736 Battle of Ackia prevented the further expansion of the French and eventually led to their defeat during the French and Indian War. This single battle changed the course of history and laid the foundation for what would eventually become the United States of America.

Confederate Gravesites

Milepost 296.4 Natchez Trace Parkway

Soldiers marched, camped, and fought along portions of this historic road. A five-minute walk on the Old Trace leads to the gravesites of 13 unknown Confederate soldiers.

Old Town Creek

4154 Mount Vernon Road

This site interprets the second day of fighting during the Battle of Tupelo and is located on 12 acres at Old Town Creek. This fight ended the Battle of Tupelo and is considered one of the last stands of the Confederate cavalry in northeast Mississippi in the summer of 1864.

Tupelo Civil War Heritage Trail

Multiple Locations

The final battles of the Civil War in Mississippi were fought in and around Tupelo. Visit seven locations on the Civil War trail that tell Tupelo's story during this tumultuous time in our history. Use our map of the heritage trails to explore this local history.

Tupelo National Battlefield

2005 W Main Street

More than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought here between the morning of July 14 and the evening of July 15,1864. Neither side could claim a clear victory, but Union troops succeeded in their main goal of keeping the Confederates away from Union railroads in Tennessee. The National Park Service administers the Tupelo National Battlefield through the Natchez Trace Parkway.

World War ll Marker

Corner of North Spring and Court Streets, Lee County Courthouse

Dedicated to the memory of those from Lee County who gave their lives in the service of our country during WWI and WWII, as well as the Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq wars.