How Wall Drug Became A Legendary Stop For Travelers

Let’s get one thing straight: if you haven’t made the pilgrimage to Wall Drug, can you really call yourself a South Dakotan?

Tucked away in the tiny town of Wall, South Dakota, is a legendary roadside stop that isn’t just a store; it’s an institution. A rite of passage. A gloriously quirky monument to good ol’ fashioned American advertising. Every year, more than two million visitors pour through its doors, drawn by the promise of 5-cent coffee, free ice water, and the chance to snap a photo with a giant jackalope.

If you’ve spent any time cruising the highways of the Midwest, odds are you've seen one of the iconic "Miles to Wall Drug" hand-painted billboards that pepper the countryside from here to who-knows-where, guiding road-weary travelers to this legendary wonderland.

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As Dakota News Now reports, the tradition dates back to the 1930s, when Dorothy Hustead, the wife of Wall Drug’s original owner, had a stroke of marketing genius. As travelers zoomed across the scorching prairie during the Dust Bowl era, she figured a little offer of free ice water might just entice them to stop. Spoiler alert: it worked like a champ. Business boomed. And so did the signs.

Today, nearly 300 official Wall Drug billboards are scattered across the region, each one hand-painted and proudly directing you toward the famous drug store in the middle of nowhere.

Now the question becomes, are there Wall Drug signs outside of the U.S.?

Officially? No. But unofficially? Absolutely.

According to Dakota News Now, the global tradition began during World War II, when a family friend of the Husteads, stationed overseas, made his own “How Many Miles to Wall Drug” sign and stuck it near his military post. From there, the legend only grew. Since then, fans have planted homemade billboards across the globe: from India to Africa, the Great Wall of China to Antarctica, and even, allegedly, aboard a submarine.

As for the furthest official Wall Drug sign?

That honor goes to one standing tall near Greybull, Wyoming, a whopping 394 miles away from the Wall Drug mothership.

So, next time you're barreling down I-90, keep your eyes peeled. Follow the signs to free ice water and a 10-cent donut.

Source: Dakota News Now

5 Things South Dakota Gave the World

South Dakota may not get much respect. We get a blizzard and it's a footnote on the national scene, but if Florida gets a bit chilly it's breaking news. But, maybe it's fine to be forgotten about. We kind of like being left alone on our quiet piece of the plains.

South Dakota has given a lot to the world though. Not just giant mountain carvings and settings for HBO shows, but awesome things that the rest of the world should thank us for.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns