Wall Drug Store, is a tourist attraction located in the small town of Wall, SD, right off of Route 90. Notice all of the motorcycles in the photos below - they've probably stopped off on their way to the Sturgis SD annual motorcycle rally.
There are billboards and signs advertising the store for many, many miles in either direction. We've been reading about it for over five years - "you gotta go, you gotta go". It is a sprawling shopping mall consisting of a drug store, gift shop, restaurants and various other stores - about a city-block square. Unlike a traditional shopping mall, all the stores at Wall Drug operate under a single entity instead of being individually run stores. --- It started as a small town drugstore when it was purchased by Ted Hustead in 1931. Hustead was a Nebraska native and pharmacist who was looking for a small town with a Catholic church in which to establish his business.
--- He bought Wall Drug, located in a 231-person town in what he referred to as "the middle of nowhere", and strove to make a living. Business was very slow until his wife, Dorothy, got the idea to advertise "FREE ICE WATER" to parched travellers along the road. From that time on business was brisk. Wall Drug grew into an enormous cowboy-themed shopping mall/department store. To date, Wall Drug still offers free iced water, but as they have become more popular, they have started to offer free bumper stickers, signs to aid in promotion, and coffee for 5 cents. One popular free bumper sticker reads "Where the heck is Wall Drug?" --- Well, all we bought was lunch and we drank the free ice water. We didn't buy a thing - borrrring!
--- He bought Wall Drug, located in a 231-person town in what he referred to as "the middle of nowhere", and strove to make a living. Business was very slow until his wife, Dorothy, got the idea to advertise "FREE ICE WATER" to parched travellers along the road. From that time on business was brisk. Wall Drug grew into an enormous cowboy-themed shopping mall/department store. To date, Wall Drug still offers free iced water, but as they have become more popular, they have started to offer free bumper stickers, signs to aid in promotion, and coffee for 5 cents. One popular free bumper sticker reads "Where the heck is Wall Drug?" --- Well, all we bought was lunch and we drank the free ice water. We didn't buy a thing - borrrring!
