Before Tom Petty became a rock legend, he was just another kid roaming the streets of Gainesville and dreaming of making it big.
Petty’s roots still run deep in the city, and now, thanks to Shawn Murphy, a longtime fan of Petty, fellow fans can trace those roots through the Tom Petty Trail, a digital guide mapping out key locations tied to the musician’s early years in his hometown.
The Tom Petty Trail launched in late September and is an interactive experience featuring 129 stops throughout Gainesville and the surrounding areas, including Petty’s childhood home, Gainesville High School and spots that inspired some of his earliest music.
Photos Courtesy of Keith Harben
Murphy, a former journalist and now retired professor who lives in Plattsburgh, New York, launched the website as a passion project to honor Petty’s connection to his hometown.
Since retiring, Murphy has had plenty of free time to compile and research the musician’s early life. In doing so, he has made several trips to Gainesville and conducted interviews during his visits to make the trail the ultimate experience for those who want to see the city through the lens of Petty’s life.
Murphy’s love for Tom Petty and his music inspired the trail’s concept. Beyond his passion for Tom Petty, Murphy also had overlapping interests like traveling and history. These, combined with his natural curiosity, love for meeting people, research and his past in journalism, made his pursuit of this passion project enjoyable and worthwhile.
Murphy originally planned to post online the list of Gainesville addresses he compiled.
“It started with me just going to post it on Facebook as a one-time thing saying, ‘Hey, here’s my typed list of addresses, and you can go check it out on your own. Have fun,’” Murphy said.
He credits his wife, Elaine, who encouraged him to post all his research on a website so anyone interested could see them.
“She’s like, ‘No, no, because it’s a private group, and it’s essentially gone once you post it on Facebook. No one else will see it again.’ She said I should design a website,” he said.
Murphy used a site builder to create a detailed website to properly display his research and photographs.
Photo Courtesy of Keith Harben
While the entire trail is digital, including an immersive Google Map compilation for the different stops, Murphy said he is not the most technologically savvy.
He explained that the most challenging part of this whole process was building a website from scratch and navigating Google Maps with minimal experience and technology.
“I don’t know anything about websites. I’ve never designed a website, and I’m not a technology person. I don’t even own a smartphone,” Murphy shared with a laugh. He mentioned how he even used a paper map of Gainesville during one of his trips there to map out the different trail stops.
Murphy’s passion for this project is a labor of love. He puts much thought and hard work into the trail and constantly adds to and researches additional spots. Murphy even plans to add a section to the site titled “Tom Petty’s California,” which will include additional trail spots from Petty’s life out west after he moved away from the Sunshine State to pursue his music career.
While Murphy enjoys sharing his knowledge and research with other Petty fans, Murphy’s motivation goes beyond just being the average fan.
Murphy shared that Petty’s music has been “the soundtrack through the arc of [his] life” and has helped him get through some of his most challenging times.
He was diagnosed with cancer last year. Murphy shared how much Petty’s music and building the trail were distractions he didn’t know he needed, but he is extremely grateful to have had them during that time.
“With cancer weighing heavily on my mind, it was Tom’s words in my ear while trying to retrace his Dreamville steps that gave me a focus that proved to be therapeutic. Post-surgery back home, working on this website has helped get me through the healing process,” Murphy said.
His dedication to the site underscores the deeper significance of the Tom Petty Trail — not just as a tribute to Petty’s legacy but as a source of healing, reflection and inspiration for those who walk it.
Those who knew Petty personally echo this sentiment, including Keith Harben, a longtime friend of Tom Petty.
“Tom and I were friends from approximately 5 or 6 years old,” Harben said. “I happened to live down the street where he also lived, and we were nine days apart in age, so it was just natural for us to be buddies.”
Harben believes the trail does more than map out Petty’s early stomping grounds – it brings fans closer to the person behind the music.
“People really only think about Tom’s musical side. They don’t think about his childhood side, so I credit Gainesville with being a real strong building block for him,” Harben said.
Harben has met and spoken with Murphy several times to offer further insight into Petty’s early life. Through their conversations, Harben has helped shape the trail by providing childhood stories and photos, offering a glimpse into Petty’s formative years.
“I hope that in working with Shawn, I can help him share what kind of person Tom was,” Harben said. “Just a normal, happy-go-lucky kid growing up in Gainesville.”
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