Hi there!
To be clear, Wall Drug is a complete tourist attraction.
It’s a visit to the Wall Drug Store.
Which, as you can imagine, is more than just a store that sells medicine!
It’s located in Wall SD.
The Wall Drug Store says that 2 million people were going to the Wall Drug Store every year.
If you’re planning a road trip through South Dakota, at some point you will read a mention about Wall Drug.
I saw many mentions as I was looking into places to visit in South Dakota.
But I didn’t get it. And I had no interest in stopping by Wall Drug. So I didn’t.
Even driving through Wall SD to get to a grocery store, I saw a sign pointing to Wall Drug indicating that it was like a few blocks away but I didn’t go. That is how little interest I had in it.
BUT THEN…
My second trip to South Dakota happened.
I still wasn’t planning on going to Wall Drug. And that’s even though I was staying at a hotel in Wall SD.
But well, driving towards Wall SD from North Dakota (first trip) is a bit of a different experience compared to driving towards Wall SD from southern Minnesota (second trip).
For my first trip to South Dakota, I drove into South Dakota from North Dakota.
For my second trip to South Dakota, I drove into South Dakota from southern Minnesota.
It was a drive across South Dakota to get to Wyoming
And in order to get to Wyoming from southern Minnesota, you are driving through South Dakota along I-90 for a LONG time.
It’s 300 miles in South Dakota across I-90 to get to Wall Drug. (map)
And along I-90 going west, there were literally a million and one billboards for Wall Drug.
Okay, not literally a million billboards.
One of the google reviews for the Wall Drug Store said he counted over 90 Wall Drug billboards. Yes, 90…!
I am not sure exactly how many there are, but there are A LOT.
There are other reports that there are actually over 200 Wall Drug billboard signs today. There apparently used to be a lot more.
It wasn’t until around 150 miles of driving on I-90 in South Dakota, a little past the Lewis and Clark Welcome Center + Lakota statue rest area that I saw yet ANOTHER Wall Drug billboard and I started to actually be like… what is this thing about Wall Drug?!
And… I ended up going to the Wall Drug Store.
When driving from North Dakota to South Dakota, I wouldn’t be surprised if I did see a sign or 2 for Wall Drug.
But if I did, it wasn’t a memorable experience since at that time I wasn’t seeing a Wall Drug billboard over and over (and over!), it would have been just another billboard and I didn’t think anything of it!
South Dakota road trip challenge
If you’re driving west through South Dakota from Minnesota along I-90 west, see how many Wall Drug signs you can take a picture of!
I got pictures of 30 Wall Drug billboard signs.
If you start looking for the Wall Drug signs as soon as you enter South Dakota, you should be able to beat this, probably easily! (That thing where I missed out on the first 150 miles!)
I am not sure if there are any Wall Drug signs on I-90 even before you enter South Dakota. So maybe start paying attention even before!
More below about things to do at the Wall Drug Store!
🌞
Now…
THE top things to do at the Wall Drug Store
What you must do at Wall Drug is to go for what made Wall Drug the famous tourist attraction that it is today.
What is Wall Drug known for?
Wall Drug is best known for free water, 5 cent coffee, and the Wall Drug signs.
You will see the Wall Drug signs before you get to Wall Drug.
When you get to Wall Drug, you should absolutely do what made Wall Drug so famous!
The water, coffee, and signs are what made Wall Drug famous!
You’ll see the signs as you are driving to Wall Drug, so that leaves the water and coffee when you arrive at the Wall Drug Store!
1. Drink the free water.
Yes really.
You’ll probably see Wall Drug billboard signs for the free water at Wall Drug. So, get the free water!
As the story goes, the way Wall Drug became a must-stop is by giving out free water to road trippers that were driving across South Dakota
Back in the day, the owner of what is now called Wall Drug wanted a way to make money off all of these drivers. He lured them in by offering free water. (It’s been around since 1931.)
He advertised the crap out of his store, enticing people to make a stop at his store by offering them free water.
This idea worked.
Tons of people started stopping for that free water. And presumably they bought other stuff while they were at the store.
So I went in search of the free water. And I did drink the Wall Drug water. And yes it was still free all these years later!
You will find the free water at the Wall Drug “backyard.” It’s self-serve.
👆 This is the ice water well that Ted Hustead found in 1931 around which he built his business advertising free ice water.
2. Drink the 5 cent coffee.
Yes really.
Well, I’m not a coffee drinker so I didn’t get the coffee.
But if you are a coffee drinker, you should get the Wall Drug coffee.
Similarly, the owner of what is now called Wall Drug enticed people to make a stop at his store by offering them 5 cent coffee. Presumably these coffee drinkers bought other stuff while they were at the store.
You will find the 5 cent coffee at the Wall Drug cafe. It’s self-serve.
And those are the top things to do at Wall Drug!
Yes really!
There is more to do around Wall Drug Store I guess.
Notably you can walk around and see a western style town.
There’s also a T-rex dinosaur located somewhere around Wall Drug, so you can have a walk around for that.
👆 T-rex: Wall Drug backyard
👆 Wall Drug dinosaur: Do lunch or be lunch
There is also the cafe so you can make Wall Drug a food stop.
And then you can also ask for a Wall Drug bumper sticker.
But basically I just went in for the free water just because I had to do something at Wall Drug.
And then I did a little walk around, and then I was done.
If you want to know about more things to do at the Wall Drug Store, you can read all of those Wall Drug signs as you are driving to Wall Drug! Some of the signs also list what you can find at Wall Drug.
See more things to do at Wall Drug: Wall Drug signs
The Wall Drug signs are also what made Wall Drug famous!
Is Wall Drug a real pharmacy?
Wall Drug does have a small area that sells over-the-counter drugs.
So sure, you can walk into the convenience store area that sells drugs too.
Is Wall Drug worth it?!
👆 Wall Drug: An American icon
Well of course it depends on what you’re looking for in stops you want to make during your South Dakota road trip.
But I surely have no regrets that I skipped Wall Drug the first time I was in South Dakota.
Still, it’s a bit entertaining how Wall Drug became so famous.
So in that sense, I guess that you really do have to keep it going and make a stop at Wall Drug. 😜
Keep the all-American road trip story going!
Seriously, just go to Wall Drug for the free water or 5 cent coffee!
You may not want to go out of your way to go to Wall Drug, but if Wall SD is along your route when you’re driving through South Dakota, well then sure why not make an excuse to stop at Wall Drug?! 😜
Side note!
And for an all-American road trip restaurant, you can stop by Cracker Barrel! The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store also similarly got its start with a desire to provide a rest stop (with food!) to drivers! There are many locations all across America!
So…
Is Wall Drug along the way on your driving route through South Dakota?
If you’re going to Badlands National Park, then Wall Drug very well might be along the way, depending on where you’re coming from and where you’re headed to next! Wall is basically right there if you’re going to Badlands National Park.
If you are driving between Badlands National Park and one of these other popular national park destinations, you’ll want to check your driving route to make it go through Wall SD!
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Devils Tower National Monument
- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
If you are going to Badlands National Park, Wall SD is basically right there. So it can make for an easy stop alongside the drive of the Badlands Loop Road.
The Pinnacles entrance is one of the Badlands National Park entry stations that’s located along Badlands Loop Road. If you are visiting Badlands National Park, there’s a very good chance you will be driving in this area of the park.
From the Pinnacles Overlook to Wall Drug is around a 15 minute drive. (map)
The Yellow Mounds Overlook is near Pinnacles Overlook! There are also a number of shorter hikes in Badlands National Park located right off of Badlands Loop Road. See more about quick things to do in Badlands National Park for VIEWS!
Getting to Wall Drug
You really won’t have any trouble finding Wall Drug.
You will see so many signs. You will know when the Wall Drug exit is coming up.
Once you have gotten off I-90, you will then see more signs. And then more signs.
But if you want to have a destination, then Wall Drug Store is on google maps. (map)
And that’s a bit about making a stop in Wall South Dakota!
If you are interested in the Wall Drug Store, you may also be interested in these road trip activities:
- Things to do in Badlands National Park
- Things to do for views in Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Can you see Crazy Horse Memorial from the road
- Things to do in Wind Cave National Park
- Things to do in Devils Tower National Monument
- Things to do in Jewel Cave National Monument
- Things to do in the Black Hills for VIEWS
- The Mammoth Site
- Things to do in Custer State Park
- Sage Creek campground
- Sylvan Lake
HAPPY DRINKING THE FREE WATER AT WALL DRUG!
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