Things to do with kids in Tupelo: Ballard Park's all-inclusive playground, splash pads, free library story times, the buffalo park and rainy-day picks.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Facts come from Tupelo Parks and Recreation’s 2026 Leisure Service Guide (PDF), the Lee County Library’s events calendar and each attraction’s own website.

Tupelo is an easy town to fill a day with children: big parks with playgrounds and splash pads, a free city museum, weekly library programs and a buffalo park and zoo on Coley Road. Here is what is where, with the hours.

Quick picks

  • Playground: Ballard Park’s all-inclusive playground, 655 Rutherford Road
  • Free and indoors: Lee County Library story times; Oren Dunn City Museum
  • Animals: Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo, 2272 Coley Road, 662-844-8709
  • Hot day: splash pads at Veterans Memorial, Rob Leake City and Theron Nichols parks, and Fairpark
  • Parks and Recreation: 662-841-6440

Playgrounds

Ballard Park, 655 Rutherford Road, is the city’s main family park: 153 acres with a 3-acre lake, an all-inclusive playground with wheelchair-friendly play structures, two more playgrounds, a skate park, an 18-hole disc golf course, pavilions and a 2.75-mile trail. Visit Tupelo lists its hours as 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Other city parks with playgrounds, from the Parks and Recreation guide:

Park What’s there
Veterans Memorial Park, 800 N. Veterans Memorial Blvd. Playground, splash pad, half-mile trail, Aquatic Center
Rob Leake City Park, 1107 Joyner Ave. Playground, splash pad, half-mile trail
Theron Nichols Park, 1743 Mitchell Road Playground, splash pad, sand volleyball
Gumtree Park, 683 N. Front St. Two playgrounds, outdoor courts, 1-mile trail
Hancock Park, 310 Monument Drive Two playgrounds, pavilion
Dot Cooper Kelly Park, 906 Fillmore Drive Playground, basketball, pickleball
Robins Field Playground, fitness equipment, quarter-mile trail
Fairpark, downtown Free splash pad and playground next to City Hall

Several parks have storm shelters that open when a storm watch is issued, the department says. See our parks and trails guide for more.

Free story times and library programs

The Lee County Library, 219 N. Madison St., 662-841-9027, runs weekly free programs, according to its events calendar:

  • StoryPlay, ages 0 to 2: Wednesdays, 10 to 10:45 a.m. Books, songs, bubbles and free play.
  • Storytime, best for ages 3 to 5: Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Books, crafts and songs.
  • Lego Club, all ages: Mondays, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Legos and Duplos provided.
  • Paws to Read: children read aloud to a certified therapy dog from Love on a Leash on scheduled Saturdays at 10 a.m.
  • Teen Tuesday, ages 12 to 18: crafts, games, movies and snacks, no registration.

Animals and outdoors

  • Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo, 2272 Coley Road, 662-844-8709: a large bison herd plus animals from around the world and interactive animal encounters. Summer hours (April 1 to Oct. 31) are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; winter hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Some animals cannot be seen when it is below 60 degrees.
  • Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, milepost 266: free, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; rangers hand out trail maps.
  • Tombigbee State Park, about six miles south: a lake, trails and a playground, $2 a person, children under 5 free.

Rainy-day picks

  • Oren Dunn City Museum, in Ballard Park: free, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Tupelo history from the Mesozoic sea to Elvis, in a former birthing barn for prize Jersey cattle; 662-841-6438.
  • Tupelo Aquatic Center, 692 N. Veterans Memorial Blvd.: family swim is $5 a person; children 6 and under need an adult within arm’s reach. 662-840-3768.
  • Event Zona and Rebound Trampoline Park, 790 Moncrief Drive: bowling, trampolines, an arcade, rides and go-karts. Text 662-584-4425.
  • Elvis Presley Birthplace, 306 Elvis Presley Drive: the two-room house, museum and church, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday; 662-841-1245.

Sports and camps

Tupelo Parks and Recreation runs youth baseball, softball, soccer, flag football and basketball leagues, Challenger League sports for children with disabilities, and a Summer Day Camp for children who have finished kindergarten through fifth grade. See our summer camps and pools guide for dates and prices.

Free family events through the year

From the city’s 2026 calendar, as a guide to what comes back each year: the Children’s Fishing Rodeo at Veterans Memorial Park in April, a Power Wheels Road Rally for ages 3 to 7 at Ballard Park in April, Touch-a-Truck at Veterans Memorial Park in September and the Ballard Park Christmas lighting with Santa in November. See holiday lights and Christmas events.

Related: free things to do, spring break in Tupelo and walking and biking trails.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best playground in Tupelo?

Ballard Park, 655 Rutherford Road, has the city’s all-inclusive playground, with wheelchair-friendly play structures, plus two other playgrounds, a skate park and a 2.75-mile trail around the lake.

Are there free story times in Tupelo?

Yes. The Lee County Library, 219 N. Madison St., holds Storytime for ages 3 to 5 at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and StoryPlay for ages 0 to 2 at 10 a.m. Wednesdays, plus Lego Club from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Mondays. All are free.

What can kids do in Tupelo when it rains?

Try the Lee County Library’s programs, the free Oren Dunn City Museum (weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), family swim at the Tupelo Aquatic Center, or bowling, trampolines and arcade games at Event Zona on Moncrief Drive.

What are the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo hours?

From April 1 to Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. From Nov. 1 to March 31, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Closed Christmas Day.