Where the heck is Wall Drug in South Dakota?

I knew about Wall Drug in South Dakota long before I knew what Wall Drug Store was. My ten-year-older-than-me sister had taken a road trip in college and brought back for me “Where the heck is the Wall Drug?” bumper sticker.

I was confused about what this slogan meant, never mind the fact that I was years from being able to drive, still I kept it in a box of souvenirs tucked away under my twin bed.

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It wasn’t until many years later, when I took a South Dakota road trip of my own, that I discovered what Wall Drug is…and where the heck it is.

Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — “Wallcome to Wall Drug” sign

What is Wall Drug in South Dakota?

Today, Wall Drug Store is a popular South Dakota roadside attraction and tourist trap in Wall, SD visited by two million tourists annually. But it wasn’t always so.

Ted Hustead, a pharmacist from Nebraska, purchased the property in 1931. He was looking for a small town with a Catholic Church and small Wall, with a population of 231 to 326, hit the spot. Unfortunately, the small population didn’t bring big business.

It was his wife Dorothy who came up with a brilliant plan: advertise free ice water to parched passersby. It was that simple idea that brought travelers to the sleepy town and made Wall Drug Store into the tourist attraction it is today.

Wall Drug South Dakota is a Western-themed shopping mall with a drug store, gift shop, restaurants, travelers church, taxidermy, a giant Jackalope, and an 80-foot brontosaurus.

And yes, they still offer free ice water to travelers road tripping to Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and Rapid City (home of the Rapid City Dinosaur Park).

So where the heck is the Wall Drug?

Wall is located off Interstate 90 at mile markers 109 & 110 in Western South Dakota. It’s 8 miles north of Badlands National Park, 55 miles east of Rapid City, 70 miles east of the Black Hills National Forest, and 77 miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Really, if you’re taking a South Dakota road trip, it’s hard to miss. Billboards advertising Wall Drug (and free ice water) permeate the side of the highway and can be seen for hundreds of miles throughout South Dakota and beyond. How many Wall Drug signs are there? According to the Chicago Tribune, there were about 3,000 Wall Drugs signs in 50 states by the 1960s…but today only about 250 remain. Most are found on a 650-mile-long stretch of Interstate 90 from Minnesota to Billings, Montana.

The Traveler's Chapel at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — The Traveler’s Chapel

Backyard at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Backyard

Old Time Poker Game Wax Museum at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Old Time Poker Game Wax Museum

Egg Machine at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Lucky Eggs Egg Machine

Dinosaur at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Dinosaur

TeePee at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — TeePee

Ride the Jackalope at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Ride the Jackalope in Wall, South Dakota

Buffalo at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Buffalo

Mount Rushmore Replica at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Mount Rushmore Replica

Horse and Carriage Replica at Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Horse and Carriage Replica

Wax Museum inside Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota — Wax Museum

Wall Drug Store

Location: 510 Main St, Wall, SD 57790
Hours: 7am to 9pm daily
Cost: Free to See, Free Ice Water, food and souvenirs vary
Photos: September 2008

Pin This South Dakota Roadside Attraction:

Since 1931 road signs for Wall Drug in South Dakota have lured travelers to the tourist attraction and general store for a pit stop and free ice water. This is a bucket list worthy roadside attraction and a must-see thing to do in South Dakota on an awesome summer road trip. Add it to your travel itinerary (and watch for the signs!)
#SouthDakotaRoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttractions #RoadTrip #SouthDakotaRoadTrip #ThingsToDoInSouthDakota
#WeirdRoadsideAttractions #RoadTripStops — Since 1931 road signs for Wall Drug in South Dakota have lured travelers to the tourist attraction and general store for a pit stop and free ice water. This is a bucket list worthy roadside attraction and a must-see thing to do in South Dakota on an awesome summer road trip. Add it to your travel itinerary (and watch for the signs!)

Valerie Bromann

Founder & ROad Trip Expert

Valerie Bromann is a a website manager, content creator, and writer from Chicago, Illinois (currently living in Dallas, Texas). As an avid road tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, Val always pull over for a world’s largest thing. Founder of Silly America and author of The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book, she visits, photographs, and writes about all the weird tourist destinations she visits and offers road trip planning advice and inspiration based on her own travels so you can hit the road for yourself.