This Iconic Drug Store Survived the Great Depression by Giving Away Free Ice Water in 1930s South Dakota

South Dakota’s Legendary Drug Store

Wall, South Dakota sits in Pennington County, home to around 700 people.

The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad built a station there in 1907, and Wall became an official city on January 25, 1908.

Soon after, the town got a post route, schools, phone lines, and the Cheyenne Valley Electric Company.

The town’s biggest claim to fame? The 76,000-square-foot Wall Drug Store. Here’s why it’s a must-visit if you’re ever in South Dakota.

Founded in 1931 During Great Depression

Wall Drug Store was founded by Ted and Dorothy Hustead.

Using Ted’s $3,000 inheritance, they bought the town’s only pharmacy.

It didn’t seem like a good idea at the time. Wall was a poor, isolated town on South Dakota’s Badlands edge during the Great Depression.

Free Ice Water Campaign Saved Business During Dust Bowl Era

One quiet afternoon, Dorothy lay down for a nap with her newborn daughter and son Billy.

The noise from route 16A’s traffic kept her awake. Then it hit her. They needed to bring those hot, tired drivers into the store.

The Husteads posted a series of hand-painted highway signs with catchy slogans to advertise their free ice water offer.

One of the first signs read: ‘Get a soda…Get a root beer…Turn next corner…Just as near…To Highway 14…Free Ice Water…Wall Drug.’

There Are Wall Drug Billboards Are All Over the Planet

Wall Drug’s ads have become quite legendary as well. You can find their billboards everywhere from Paris to London, India, and all the way to Africa.

They also gave out free bumper stickers with slogans like ‘Where the heck is Wall Drug?’ and ‘Have You Dug Wall Drug?’ On I-90, Wall Drug billboards are posted every few miles with messages like ‘Only Five Minutes,’ ‘One Mile,’ and ‘One-Half Mile.’

By 1981, Wall Drug claimed to be giving away 20,000 cups of water per day during peak tourist season.

Still Serves Coffee for 5 Cents, Like in the 1930s

During the Depression Era, Wall Drug sold its coffee for five cents and never raised the price.

It runs on an honor system, where you can get a coffee, then deposit a nickel in a wooden box. People say it tastes like Folgers.

Features 8-Ft Mechanical T-Rex

You know you’ve found Wall Drug Store when you see their gigantic green T-rex.

Every 12 minutes, the mechanical T-Rex roars, blows smoke, and flashes warning lights.

Sells Over 1 Million Donuts Every Year

Wall Drug’s donuts are homemade and hand-cranked by staff every single day.

They’re made in small batches and go straight into the fryer before getting frosted by hand.

If you’re a veteran or on your honeymoon, they’ll give you a donut and coffee for free.

Displays 1,400 Historic Photos of Frontier Life

The Wall Drug Store Backyard holds over 1,400 photos showing South Dakota and nearby areas from the 1870s through the 1930s.

These simple wall-mounted images capture frontier life: skinny cowboys roping cattle, parades moving through dusty towns like Wall, Belle Fourche, and Newell, Civil War soldiers at their posts, and Native Americans in their daily lives.

Has Its Own Western-Themed Shopping Mall

Bill Hustead, Ted’s son and fellow pharmacist, joined in 1951 and grew Wall Drug into a cowboy-themed mall.

Beyond typical South Dakota souvenirs like shirts and magnets, they sell unique local items: handmade cowboy boots, hats, and Native American jewelry.

Boasts a Collection of 320 original western oil paintings

The Hustead family started collecting Western art early on. Now their Western Art Gallery Restaurant shows over 300 original paintings by NC Wyeth, Harvey Dunn, Gutzom Borglum, Oscar Howe and others, making it America’s largest private Western and illustration art collection.

520-Seat Cafe Serves Buffalo Burgers, Homemade Pies, and More

Wall Drug’s quirky Western Art Gallery Restaurant seats 530 people where you can get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even wine.

Their most popular items? Buffalo burgers, homemade donuts, and hot beef sandwiches.

The seasonal Soda Fountain Ice Cream Shop carries on its 1930s tradition with homemade ice cream, floats, sundaes, shakes and malts.

And Yes, the Ice Water is Still Free

They give out cups, which you can fill up with ice water at different spots throughout the Wall Drug Store.

There’s also picnic tables outside where you can rest with your drink.