04/19/2026
Tupelo Hardware Store opened in 1926 and has been owned and operated for five generations by the Booth family! We had the opportunity to tour the original (or at least the current building) Tupelo Hardware location before it closed its downtown location, where Elvis Presley and his mother, Gladys, purchased his first guitar. We filmed during the last couple of days that it was open as a hardware store. The store's last day of operation on Main Street was on December 31st, 2025.
Don't worry- you'll still be able to go see where Elvis bought his first guitar one day! The Convention and Visitors Bureau of Tupelo, Mississippi, has plans to restore the building to its original, period-correct 1940s and 50s style. And you can still visit the Booth family's Tupelo Hardware business at their new location on 1776 McCullough Blvd, where they sell souvenir t-shirts too.
Special thanks to Joey, Owen, George, and Floyd for giving us a great tour of the store when we showed up with a camera in hand! Also, if you're in Memphis, check out Sue's Memphis Road Tours.
Shoutout to Timmy, who bought the last two guitars in the store and gave us the change! Our first official supporter!!!
This is the first video in our new limited series:
Mississippi's 100-Year-Old Businesses!
Watch the full film here: https://youtu.be/hVNEjHFPgxk?si=knf2WkcPlqoAseVr
