Welcome to Wall, South Dakota
Head west across the western half of South Dakota on either U.S. Highway 14 or Interstate 90 and you will hit a wall ... Wall, SD, that is. You will know of Wall's existence by now thanks to billboards that stand along U.S. 14 and I-90. Like carnival barkers promoting an act, these billboards tout Wall Drug.
A drug store that opened in 1931 and gave out free ice water has since grown to become a mini mall-type establishment. It includes a book store, art gallery, cafe, souvenir shop, animatronic cowboy orchestra, and a back yard full of attractions ranging from a jackalope sculpture to an animatronic T-Rex. Here you can have a good meal, get an ice cream cone and buy everything from ball caps to cowboy hats, T-shirts to postcards, toys to all manner of other merchandise.
But what about the "drug" part of "Wall Drug?" Don't worry, you can still buy medicines, bandages and other medical needs in the drug store part of the block-long complex. And that ice water is still free! Be warned that Wall Drug's popularity is practically year round. I last went in late September of 2011 and the retirement-age tour groups were out in force along with some families. Amazing to relate: Pets can go inside most of Wall Drug save for the cafe area, so it is a pet-friendly tourist attraction.
What else is there to see and do in Wall? There is a museum in town that, while temporarily closed due to fire damage, is worth a visit when it re-opens. That is the Wounded Knee Museum, dedicated to telling the story of the unjust December 1890 and the massacre of a band of Lakota led by Chief Big Foot by the U.S. Seventh Cavalry on the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
The exhibits are detailed and engrossing. The museum even has folding chairs that hand visitors can take and sit to view at their leisure. Just remember to leave your cell phone off if you visit after they re-open; no calls are allowed. Only fitting, given the subject matter. The only sound you hear as you peruse is Native American music. The Badlands National Park is a hop, skip and a jump south of Wall, providing another local attraction.
Lodging-wise, there are many to choose from. A pet friendly one is the Best Western. Other hotels include EconoLodge, Days Inn, Super 8 and several others. There are a few restaurants and eateries besides those at Wall Drug, along with a few gas stations and a small grocery store.
If you ever visit South Dakota, your experience is incomplete without a visit to Wall. You will be glad you did. As the bumper sticker says: "Have you dug Wall Drug?"
Image by Richard H.