On the Road: Have You Been to Wall Drug?

Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega begins her new “On the Road” series with Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”

For those who have traveled through South Dakota, there is one modern-day landmark that is a must-see. This landmark isn’t Mount Rushmore but a place where, for 93 years, travelers could get something to eat, rest, and buy souvenirs. That landmark is Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota.

Wall Drug Origin Story

In 1931, Dorothy and Ted Hustead bought a drugstore in the small town of Wall, South Dakota. The city of Wall had less than 500 people, and although there were some travelers who drove past on the nearby highway on their way to other places, the store was struggling due to a lack of customers.

In 1936, Dorothy had an idea. “Realizing that all the cars going on Route 16A through the hot, dusty prairie would have thirsty folks inside, she proposed that they put up signs on the highway telling people to come in for free ice water…” (1) While today we are accustomed to bringing ice chests of whatever beverage we want on car trips, Dorothy’s idea was a revolutionary one for the times.

Dorothy also thought that even more signs along the highway would help draw more customers in. In 1947, this newspaper article from the Omaha World-Herald reported that there were 1,000 signs “extending 800 miles eastward through South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. It goes two hundred miles west into Wyoming. There are a few southward into Nebraska.”

The newspaper article goes on to give the reader an idea of what these signs proclaimed. Like Burma Shave signs they included rhymes and images such as:

• Only about Three Hours to Wall Drug
• Take a Picture of Buffalo at Wall Drug Store
• Petrified Wood for Sale by Pound or Ton – Wall Drug Store

And there’s more. As this article reports:

Something else happened to the store during the war [WWII]. Its sign system is now international. Tourist-veterans tell the Husteads about seeing Wall Drug Store signs in Egypt, on Pacific islands and in Europe.

There’s no doubt that those signs continue to drive traffic to Wall Drug. Anyone approaching Wall for at least a few hundred miles will see the signs advertising everything from their hours and ice-cold water to what they sell.

This Grand Rapids Press article reports that by their 30th anniversary in 1966:

Services of the drug store now include a café, soda fountain, dog exercise pen, gas station, children’s playground, and a corral full of burros that can be ridden or bought. The Husteads sell clothing, jewelry, food, and every imaginable tourist souvenir. Petrified wood is sold by the pound or by the ton. Topping off the inventory is, unexpectedly, medicine.

This article also reports:

A free glass of ice water, strangely enough, is the formula for a million-dollar business now operating in the middle of South Dakota’s rolling prairie land.

Celebrating their 30th anniversary of tourism ingenuity are Ted and Dorothy Hustead, owners of the now world-famous Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota. And the original drawing card to their store still is available: A free glass of ice water.

Signs advertising Wall Drug are now scattered across the U.S. They are also standing in such remote places as Antarctica, near the Egyptian pyramids, within sight of the Taj Mahal, and on London’s subways. Free Wall Drug signs are given to anyone who promises to put them up.

Today Wall Drug continues to be a destination. Over two million people stop there each year. (2) You can go there to take a break from driving or spend the afternoon eating, playing arcade games, or more. Prior to arriving you can check with their website to plan your visit.

The day I was there, the crowded building offered a bookstore, western wear, rock shop, ice cream, jewelry, souvenirs, a traveler’s chapel, and the Western Art Gallery restaurant – where I tried their “legendary” hot beef sandwich (a sliced beef sandwich on white bread smothered in brown gravy, served with mashed potatoes).

The Western Art Gallery Dining Room features the Hustead family’s art collection, said to be “The largest collection of Western Art in the country with over 300 original paintings.” The walls were also filled with wooden plaques with brands and the owner’s name. The actual store and backyard are so large that I wasn’t able to see everything. I highly recommend taking one of the maps they provide so you can find your way.

Yes, the free ice water and 5-cent coffee that Wall Drug is known for are still available.

Have You or Your Relatives Been to Wall Drug?

Wall Drug has been around since 1931, and if your family once drove to places like Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, or the Dakota Badlands, it’s possible they took a break here. Clues to such a stop would include souvenirs, postcards, or photos. Consider using some of the information found online and historical newspaper articles about Wall Drug to write about your family’s experience. If you’ve been to Wall Drug, write up your observations. Wall Drug might be something your descendants visit, and they’ll enjoy learning more about your experience.

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Note on the header image: Wall Drug Store, Wall, South Dakota. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.

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(1) “The Story of Wall Drug Store. Wall and Water,” Wall Drug (brochure).
(2) Wall Drug < https://www.walldrug.com/: accessed August 16. 2024).