Why Wall Drug Store Is a Tourist Trap You Won’t Want to Miss?

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Who would have thought that a drug store in the middle of nowhere could become such a popular tourist attraction for millions of visitors every year? That’s exactly what has happened to the wonderfully acclaimed Wall Drug Store in the heart of South Dakota.

Let’s start with the facts. Neither of us had ever heard of Wall Drug Store before visiting South Dakota but from the moment we hit I-90 driving west from Sioux Falls, we were immediately introduced to this tourist trap.

wall drug billboards

For over 250 miles, travelers along I-90 are reminded of Wall Drug Store and the apparent need to visit here with large signs on the side of the road advertising everything this place has to offer.

Is it really worth the time and effort to visit? Well, we were certainly drawn in by the huge marketing stunts that have taken place in South Dakota and we had to find out for ourselves exactly what Wall Drug Store was all about.

Location

WHERE THE HECK IS WALL DRUG STORE??? It’s a legitimate question because we honestly had ZERO clue about this before our epic road trip through South Dakota.

interstate 90 south dakota

Ok, so we have established that Wall Drug Store is located along I-90, but for those of you geographically challenged, let’s take a look at exactly where it is located. In terms of convenience…well it’s not very convenient at all unless you are in the western half of South Dakota. But there are a couple of iconic reasons why you would be heading over to this side of the state – Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park.

where is wall drug store

If you plan to visit Mount Rushmore, the likelihood is that you will be driving along I-90 and past the town of Wall to reach Rapid City before heading up into the Black Hills of South Dakota to see this iconic monument.

Meanwhile, the entrance to the iconic Badlands scenic drive is at the same exit as Wall Drug Store, so it’s a perfect reason to kill two birds with one stone!

Exit 110 is the exit along I-90 that you need to be on the lookout for, but don’t worry if you forget there will be plenty of reminders in all directions. Rumors suggest that Wall Drug spends over $400,000 every year in billboard advertisements and they run all the way from Minneapolis to Billings, Montana.

wall drug store

History of Wall Drug Store

So you now know where Wall Drug Store is located but what is it all about? The history of this ‘drugstore’ is what makes this such an iconic location today.

wall drug store in south dakota

It all started in December 1931 with something that none of us today would even turn our heads at…the promise of free ice water! Seriously, who would have thought that a glass of ice water would create such a huge tourist attraction in South Dakota.

No matter where you live, you can succeed, because wherever you are, you can reach out to other people with something that they need! (Ted Hustead)

Ted and Dorothy Hustead purchased the only drugstore in the quiet town of Wall on the edge of South Dakota’s Badlands National Park. They were trying to figure out a unique way of generating income and eventually had the crazy idea of giving away free ice water.

wall south dakota

It wasn’t rocket science but what it did was create a revenue stream from visitors heading into the town of Wall to grab the free ice water and subsequently purchase an ice cream cone or other refreshments.

The Experience

When Bill Bryson wrote in his infamous novel, The Lost Continent, that Wall Drug was one of the world’s worst tourist traps, he was so right!

It’s an awful place, one of the world’s worst tourist traps, but I loved it and I won’t have a word said against it. (Bill Bryson)

Bryson loved Wall Drug and what epitomizes our experience because it really is a cool location that is uniquely different from anything we have visited before.

wall drug store

Imagine a modern day shopping mall but now consider what that would have been like 50 years ago. Wall Drug Store still offers free ice water today along with coffee for just 5 cents, but it is of course much more than that.

wall drug store south dakota

From delicious donuts to homemade fudge and a plethora of souvenirs, Wall Drug Store is a great shopping and dining experience for visitors. A drugstore wouldn’t be the same without a pharmacy and despite its size, it’s the only one within a 50-mile radius.

wall drug store

The peripheral amusements inside Wall Drug Store have taken over and now extend across a series of connected buildings.

wall drug store

Grab A Bite To Eat

We decided to spend some time wandering around before heading over to the restaurant for lunch. A wide variety of options are available on the menu, many of which are home cooked such as the iconic fresh pies that are a popular choice. We opted for a cheeseburger each and a maple donut which we ate later on our scenic drive around Badlands.

wall drug store dining

The food wasn’t the best and the prices were a little high, but they don’t pretend to offer luxury cuisine and it’s better to sample this than just dine at the local Dairy Queen.

wall drug store restaurant

We both couldn’t resist experiencing the free ice water in a souvenir plastic cup and just contemplating the simplest of offerings and how this created such an amazing experience in this small town is worth the visit. It certainly put both Wall and South Dakota on the global map!

wall drug store 5 cent coffee

Be sure to sample some of the fine local ice cream before heading out.

wall drug of south dakota

Summary

As the great Bill Bryson indicated, Wall Drug Store is the ultimate tourist trap but once you have visited here you will realize it is a great place worth all the hype. I love how the history of Wall Drug and how a local couple took this from a tiny drugstore to such an iconic tourist attraction.

The use of billboard marketing is also epitomized throughout South Dakota and regardless of your stance on how this impacts the landscape, it certainly works!

When you look at an attraction like Wall Drug Store, yes it is the ultimate tourist trap, but that doesn’t mean that the negative stereotype should apply here. In fact, on the contrary, this is a tourist attraction that has a rich history and one that I think we could all learn something from.

Have you visited Wall Drug Store in South Dakota? What was your experience? Do you believe in the term ‘tourist trap’ and do you generally agree with this stereotype?

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Chris Boothmanhttps://abritandasoutherner.com
Chris Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born near Manchester, England, Chris moved to USA in 2006 where he soon after met his wife and travel partner in crime, Heather. They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Chris at [email protected]

8 COMMENTS

  1. It’s a good ole spot. I always chuckle when people ask me where to visit in South Dakota and I suggest visiting Wall Drug on the way to the Badlands. I actually had the “misfortune” of holing up in Wall Drug several years ago when I got caught in a two day blizzard. The Interstate was shut down but there was still room at the hotel. It gave me a chance to stomp through the snow to Wall Drug and stock up on food. From the looks of the pictures, they have renovated since I was there. I often wonder if I would ever pass that way again. Who knows? But one thing is for sure, it’s worth the free ice water. Even in a blizzard. Glad you had a chance to check it out.

    • Cheers Mark, yeah I am glad we took the time to experience it! As I mentioned, with the amount of advertising along the interstate, you can’t help but be a little intrigued as to what it is all about. And then you hear the story about how it all started with free ice water…crazy simple but such a cool story! You were pretty fortunate to find a hotel there in Wall during a blizzard because aside from the Drug Store, there isn’t much else going on in that part of South Dakota! Thanks for taking time to read this post and comment, we appreciate it 🙂

  2. I wish there were some older pics of Wall Drug. I was there in 1957 and back then the parking lot was just a dirt lot. The store then was a stand-alone. I don’t remember if other stores were there. I recall there was some stuff on the wall held in by chicken fencing. I don’t recall much more than that. I was 12 years old then. Before the days of interstates. Went back a few years ago and was amazed by it then. Wow. It was a great trip back then.

  3. I thought, too, that it would be horrible, but it really is a very interesting place to visit. The last time I was there, I wondered through the various stores after dark and encountered virtually no one else, not even a sales clerk! I don’t believe I bought anything, nor did I steal anything although I couldn’t help but think there must be quite a bit of stuff that walks out of there for free.
    One other thing: I recommend taking any other route to get there but I-90. That has to be the most boring stretch of nothingness in the United States. Between Sioux Falls and Wall, the only scenery is the Missouri River valley at Chamberlain, which also isn’t a bad stop to make, but that only lasts for maybe three miles. Then it’s back to a scenic view of flat dirt.

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