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Wall Drug

Wall Drug is a large roadside tourist attraction in the town of Wall in South Dakota. It began as a small pharmacy during the Depression but eventually developed into a sprawling shopping mall consisting of a gift shop, restaurants, and a drug store. Popularly known as the “Free Ice Water Store”, Wall Drug attracts nearly 20,000 people to the city every year. Unlike other traditional shopping malls, the stores in Wall Drug function as one single entity. This internationally acclaimed department store has earned mush of its fame from self-promotion.

Ted Hustead, a Nebraska native and pharmacist, purchased the wall drug store in 1931 in order to make a living. The business became brisk after his wife, Dorothy, began to offer free ice water to the weary travelers along the road. Hustead also started to offer free bumper stickers, coffee, and a donut to veterans, travelers, honeymooners, priests, truck drivers, and hunters. Over the years, Wall Drug Store became very popular among the tourists and grew into an extensive cowboy-themed shopping mall.

At present, the main features of the Store include a 2-block Emporium, a Western Art Gallery, and an enormous anima-tronic Tyrannosaurus Rex, put on display in the newly remodeled backyard. The spectacular 80-foot (24-m) Apatosaurus, designed by Emmet Sullivan, can be viewed right off Interstate 90. The mall also houses an elegant restaurant, which is best known for its five-cent coffee. The magnificent Chapel in Wall Drug is based on the one found at New Melleray Abbey near Dubuque, Iowa. Wall Drug is one of the largest tourist attractions in the north and is definitely worth a visit.

• Address: 510 Main Street, Wall, SD 57790
  
• Telephone: (605) 279-2175
• Hours: Summer: 6:30 AM - 10 PM daily; Winter: 6:30 AM - 6 PM daily. Frontier Town Mall & Cafe Close at 5 PM.
• Website: http://www.walldrug.com

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