Wall Drug: Historic South Dakota stop founded in 1931
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ย. 2022
- Jeff visits the world-famous Wall Drug Store in the tiny hamlet of Wall, South Dakota which is a fascinating place outside of the Badlands.
Jeff will also visit the nearby graves of Ted and Dorothy Hustead who founded the tourist attraction during the dark days of the Great Depression.
#walldrug #southdakota #historyhunters
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I've been to wall drug twice, once in 1980 when I was 12 with my parents and once in 2017 with my children 13 and 15. Things had changed in the 37 years between visits. However both were enjoyable for different reasons. Thank you for your visit and great video.
What a wonderful mini empire Ted and Dorothy built! Thanks for taking us along!
Thank you, Jeff! That was very interesting. My wife and I drove past the exit for Wall Drug back in 2006 on our way to Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park. We were in a rush so we didn't stop. As I look back upon that trip, I wish we would have stopped there. Wall Drug is a great American historic attraction. Just think, back in the 30's travelers didn't have bottled water, so an offer of free ice water was a big draw for Wall Drug. Thanks Jeff and Sarah! 🇺🇲🚜👍
Yeah and I’m sure that those travelers who were riding on the bumpy Dusty Rhodes of South Dakota appreciated the idea of a nice glass of ice cold water at no charge. A very friendly and neighborly thing to do wouldn’t you say?
@@davidniehaus202 o
Everybody should visit Wall Drug! Such a cool place! Thank you for this nostalgic video☺️
My mother grew up on a farm north of Mitchell, SD, home of the Corn Palace. Oddly enough, Mitchell is now the #1 crime city in the state. She helped change the design on the Corn Palace each year.
Is it really covered in corn? How often does it have to be replaced?
@@jbenziggy Murals made of corn, some of it colored, and grains are changed once a year, I believe. That's the way it was done for years and years. I assume it's still once a year. My grandparents would grow corn one year and wheat the next on their farm north of town.
Based on some videos I've seen, a lot of creepy shit seems to happen on a daily in Mitchell, so I'm not surprised to learn this.
Thank You Again Jeff & Sarah. Brought back some good memories for me as my youngest son and I stopped there in July of 2019 on our way to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana.
One memory for me…seemed like every other person visiting had the family dog with them. Made perfect sense on a blazing hot day to not leave the pup in the vehicle. So unique and an amazing slice of Americana! Thanks For Sharing 🤲
50 years ago in the summer of 1972 my wife number 1 and I drove west in a new single cab, non air-conditioned 2 wheel drive pickup truck. I'll never forget all the road signs advertising "Wall Drug". We most assuredly stopped for free ice water but we had some of the very best fountain soft ice cream I've ever had. I bought a "tin star" sheriff's badge as a souvenir. I've never been back but Wall Drug is etched deeply in my memory. Thanks for posting and bringing back good memories!
As a truck driver, I've probably passed over a million signs for Wall Drug, yet this is my first visit!
Really? You passed by that much and didn’t stop? Glad we helped you see it virtually! Thanks so much!
Such a great place to visit and ever better to work at. I miss living in Wall and I really miss working at the Wall Drug
Wow you actually worked there?! What was your job and did you meet any famous people while working there?
@@jbenziggy I worked in the cafe. It was a great experience. I saw quite a few famous people. Taylor Hawkins, Brooks and Dunn and Evil Knievel. I was bummed I didnt work there when Ozzy Osbourne or Tony Hawk stopped in
Thanks for talking us to Wall's, It looks like a heritage site for sure. This is great history content.
I’m glad that you could join us, Phillip. Thank you so much.
@@jbenziggy Your welcome.
Great memory for me. I've been there once. In summer of 1980, I rode my BMW r750/7 motorcycle cross country from California to Newport News, VA (and back) and stopped into Wall, with many "free water" signs before it. Back then, as you know, water was not that easily accessible as it is today. I still have a 6"×6" cardboard sign that says, "WALL DRUG". I also stopped at Mt. Rushmore, and that Chief monument, and the Corn Palace among many other sites along the way. What a memory and an accomplishment for a young me at that time with hardly any money.
What a great memory, Steve! There will be a few more videos I shot in that part of the country so stay tuned! Thanks my friend and be safe!
Interesting place for sure. The Badlands just south of there is one of my favorite national parks.
I visited South Dakota from the UK in May 2018, during that time we went to Wall Drug and very much enjoyed it. Thank you Jeff for this video as it bought back many happy memories.
Wonderful, Chris! Glad to hear someone from the UK visited and enjoyed Wall Drug! Thanks for sharing!
Wow Jeff that was so cool. If I remember, my grandparents took us there when we traveled west to California. My little brother was eleven & I was 14. The year was 1976. Walls drugstore was neet to see & the whole part of the Dakotas to Montana. Thank you for fond memories as a young boy.
👍👍👍👍👍🤠🇺🇸
Really enjoyed this one. What a historical gem of classic Americana. I would like to visit South Dakota someday.
I've been there, SD is a good state to visit.
Everyone needs to visit Wall drugs at least once in their lives, We loaded up our 3 young children back around 1997 or 98 and headed for Mt Rushmore, we stopped at Wall drugs, what I remember most about the trip is, " Are we there yet? " LOL! it had to be one of the Longest drives of our lives. also, the place still looks much like it did as I remember it. Thank you for taking me on another great vacation. For some reason, we did not take any family pictures there.
It’s a flea market shopping centre. It’s not a drug store. It’s tacky. Honestly. Trading on a past name.
Thanks for another history lesson. Ten years I bought a bunch of old postcards telling/showing the history of the City of Newark, Delaware to my cousins as a memorial to our grandparents. I'm 3 0 yrs older than they are and am amazed by how much has changed as well what hasn't changed since my grandparents started their lives together as one & the same goes for me. I'm grateful for videos, the time it takes to produce them, and keeping history alive💞😀
Thanks, Maureen. I am sure videos will be interesting to watch in the future as a documentation of how things change! Bless you for watching and commenting!
I was there about 1970 as a kid traveling with my parents to Montana, then back to Minnesota. It was fun, I remember the chapel and the drug store itself. If you ever get through northern Minnesota stop in Grand Rapids. Birthplace of Judy Garland. There is a museum and even a yellow brick road. Thanks for sharing this video.
That sounds really like a fun visit. Sarah and I just watched the Renée Zellweger film on Judy Garland and enjoyed it. But I think I would be driven to see the Gerald Ford library.
@@jbenziggy The Gerald Ford library is in Michigan, the Judy Garland museum is in Grand Rapids Minnesota. Not Michigan.
@@danpatch4751 oh thanks for the clarification.
Thanks for the video. It brings back many memories. My family was from there. My grandmother remembered when the Husteads came to town. She worked there as well as my mother, aunt and numerous of my cousins. I went back there a few years as a teenager and worked for Ted, Dorothy, Bill and Rick as well. The reason many things were closed when you were there was that college was back in session. The Husteads hire a bunch of college kids from all over the US so the have summer jobs to help get them through college. They have dorms for them to live in all over town. The pay wasn’t amazing but wasn’t bad either. At winter break you usually got a really nice bonus, just in time to help with Spring semester of college.
To answer your question Bill was a Pharmacist as well as Ted. The cowboy engraved on his stone is because it he was one. He belonged to a cowboy group called the Buckaroos with a couple of my uncles. In the boot store at the Wall Drug there used to be all of Bill’s old worn out boots.
What a cool legacy posting those signs. We were on a motorcycle trip several years ago and we passed by many of those signs but unfortunately we didn’t stop. I wish we had now! Thanks for the great video.
Thanks for sharing! Next time you are up there (if you are) go check it out!
Nice visit to their graves. They built an enduring and enjoyable slice of Americana. Great video Jeff!
I appreciate your nice words! The Husteads certainly were hard workers!
Been there! Can’t wait to see the video! Look forward to it every week! Thanks Jeff!
Awesome! How long ago has it been since you visited?
@@jbenziggy I was there in 2018. Probably in June/July. It looks the same.
Glad to see the T Rex still live and well lol. Been 1996 since my wife and I and several family members went to Pukwana from Oregon for a family reunion and stopped at Wall drugs.Thanks for the tour it brings back memories.
Thanks for the tour! I’m 67 and live in NJ but was there in 1969 as a 13 year old on a trip to visit a friend I had met at camp the year before. We drove across the state, from their home in Sioux Falls to visit Rapid City for a few days and stopped at Wall Drugs. I really had no memory of the place until you walked in and I recognized the hallway with shops on either side! I look forward to June 2024 when my hubby and I will be taking a tour of some of those sights I recall as a 13 year old. It will be interesting to see how my perspective and the scenery has changed in the past 50 plus years.
I did not expect so many shops and displays inside. Pretty unique. 👍☺
Very unique! Thanks for your time spent watching!
That is an amazing place. I visited it when my Dad and I moved to Montana from South Carolina. My Dad had been stationed in Rapid City at Ellsworth AFB, where he met my mother, who had been widowed when her husband was killed in a plane crash. Both my brothers were born in Rapid City. This was my first time to visit South Dakota. I loved Wall Drug. My parents had both talked about Wall Drug while I was growing up, so it was fun to get a chance to go there.
We stopped there back in '01 while driving a new fire engine from Appleton, WI to Auburn, WA. I wish we could have spent more time there. It's one of those legendary places that I was always curious about. Thanks for taking us along...
You are most welcome! Thanks for watching our short visit!
Entertaining video, I’ve been there several times, the first when I was a little kid in about 1946. I don’t remember the free ice water but what a great idea before air conditioning.
⏩ *I generally appreciate your dry humor!* What a wild place to explore!
Going to the cemetery afterward was a nice touch.
Great vlog. Thank you for this middle of the week episode. This episode was very inspirational. Now to the coffee
I smell the coffee brewing. Lol
Great Stuff Jeff, I was waiting for Doris Day to appear and start singing “the black hills of Dakota” in the old stagecoach. 😂👍
We tried to find Doris but believe she has passed on sadly. LOL. Thanks for leaving us your imaginative comment!
Me and my family wanted to go there but we broke down in our $1250 rv before making it. Thanks for making the video so I got to see it.
My parents and I stopped here in 1958!! They were driving across the US from Boston to San Francisco with me in the back aged about 6! I still have the slides of us sitting in a covered wagon and me on a painted horse!!! Changed a lot in the passing years!!
What a cool story. Thank you so much for sharing that. I bet since you were only six years old that you probably don’t have a lot of memories of that trip. When I was in my teen years my parents, and I and my brothers took a cross-country trip from California to Washington DC and back, and it was the most memorable experience of my life probably. I think every family should take a road trip because they are so educational. You learn about geography, you learn about history, and you learn about how to get along with others in a cramped car. Lol
I can't believe I never heard of this place. Thank you for video. Take care.
I live about 30 miles east of Wall. I like going there and just walking around.
Hi Jeff! We missed you last weekend! Coffee just wasn't the same without HH. This explains why! Great video as usual. Safe travels my friend!
I did have a video last Sunday. Did you not see it?
@@jbenziggy We saw Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, and Judge Shot over a slap. Did we miss one in between? Can't tell you how much we enjoy your content. We'd hate to miss one!!!
That was a great video, I have never been there, but my Wife has many times as a child on family vacation.
Plan to visit there when the gas prices go down or I inherit an oil well. We always have a preconceived notion that places we visit as a child or young adult will always remain the same, but only in our memories. Jeff and Sarah you do a wonderful job restoring precious memories for your viewers and new ones for those of us that will probably not be able to visit these historical sites.
Thank You
Ron and Cindra
Hi Ron and Cindra, yes sometimes we have romanticized memories of things from our childhood. For example, Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland hold some fantastic memories for me but going now seems a lot less fun, mostly because of cost and crowds. When I've tried to reproduce the joy of visiting a place the second time sometimes it falls a bit flat. I guess that's what happens when you reach your 60's. LOL
Thanks and blessings to you both! And happy travels if you ever get that oil well. FYI the gas prices in SD are a lot nicer than California!
I was there in July of this year. I thought it was very neat. I admire the thought and effort put forth by the founders and whomever is guiding the ship now. It's a must stop for the quirky folks.
Enjoyed the vid. We drove past Walls Drug Store on our way to Mt. Rushmore. We saw all the advertisements about Walls before we headed that way. I figured it would be like a super duper size "Stuckeys", which had hundreds of road side stores, primarily in the South and Southeast US.
Looking forward to this, Jeff.
God Bless
Thanks 👍
My wife and I were at Wall Drug in 1999 as we drove from Tennessee to Montana. I was surprised by the size of the complex once inside, thought it was cozy and creative for sure.
Awesome! A video in the middle of the week! That place looks huge. Thanks for sharing Jeff!
I visited Wall Drugs with a church group in 2013, and we picked up several souvenirs. Thanks for the tour.
Glad you liked it! I wish I could have spent more time there but I would have spent more money! LOL
I was at Wall Drugs in 1991, I think. I was bass player for Jeannie C. Riley. (Harper Valley PTA) She was in a parade. We had a good time there.
So Jeannie played inside the drug store or somewhere else in Wall?
Hello Jeff, Thanks for sharing your vacation video to South Dakota and story on Wall Drugs Store. Safe Travels
Appreciate that, Charles! Thanks!
Great video thank you !
So cool! I was pleasantly surprised to see a new episode! Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
I have heard of Wall Drugs, but I didn't know much about it. Thanks for the information.
Just been through there, we have to park at the 80ft dinosaur with the truck and walk, we really like 1880 town up the road, we were there in 1995 when they were bringing new old buildings in. Great video you always make it interesting. thanks for sharing.
Retired trucker here.
I had a co driver tell me he got into their truck parking on a very windy night. The building protected him from the high winds.
He was at the dinosaur parking lot and thought his rig was going to blow over.
Thanks for the tour! Always wondered of what it looked like! Interesting story, good information.
I visited Sturgis in South Dakota in 2007 and went to devils tower, Mount Rushmore, crazy horse, Deadwood, the Badlands, and Wall Drug Store. It was actually packed. You could barely get around. I guess from the people leaving Sturgis and so forth and so on, but it was really an awesome visit there at the drugstore. It was massive and it had a lot of cool stuff there. In fact, I still have a little bag of the colored rocks that you could get. I gave them to my mother, and I found them in her jewelry box still in the little bag when she passed 09..
Thank you so much for this video .
Wow, you just made me want to snap my fingers and be there! I really enjoy that place! Thanks for sharing!
I had never heard of Wall Drug. Thanks for telling the story.
Thanks for watching Bart!
Nice folks! Thanks for sharing!
Totally Awesome!! Great Show
History Hunters. I always enjoy what you guys Dish Up to us History-aholics😉
I am working to put out another video this weekend but we did film quite a few places on our trip that will be coming in the next weeks.
@@jbenziggy Thank You Very Much
Jeff, great content. Keep up the great work!!!
I love this. Well done !.
Great video Jeff. Looks like a fun place to visit. Thanks.
Thanks for taking me along. Really cool ! Good job! Thanks I Bob
Was there about 20 years ago. I loved it. Made some excellent purchases. See on the next video, Jeff. Thanks for sharing.
Jeff, this was so interesting.👏Thank you for the legwork, the research, and the terrific visuals.
great job, as always 👏🤗
Thank you, Jeff, for another great episode.
You are welcome but also thank you for watching! If you are a vet, thank you for your service!
Thank you for sharing the Husteads story. Going to have to add it to my bucket list. Been to Mt. Rushmore. Missed this. Jeff Thank you for sharing!
Jeff and Sarah, every time I would go to Sturgis for the motorcycle rally I would stop. A welcomed relief after many miles of nothingness. Last time I was there was in 2004. TY both.
Yeah we saw a ton of motorcycles up there! It is a motorcyclists’ haven!
That was awesome thanks 💕🙏
Thank you for taking us to Wall’s; enjoyed the tour and much appreciated! ….🌝
I was there recently Aug 16th. My 82 yr old dad called it a tourist trap. We ate bison burgers but I’m not sure it was bison. It filled the gut. My favorite stop in there was the drug store.
We then went to another site called the corn palace after driving though badlands. You should check that one out.
I have been to South Dakota about three or four times and have yet to see the corn palace in Mitchell, sad to say.
@@jbenziggy If you get to the corn palace in Mitchell, Letcher is about 7 miles from Mitchell. Hansen's wheel and wagon shop is located in Letcher, lots of historic vehicles there, Stagecoaches, covered wagons and the list goes on. They restore and even build horse drawn vehicles that have been used in movies. Very interesting place, the owners would love to show you there inventory and share info on the vehicles.
It is. A tourist trap.
It’s a tacky flea market. Nothing to do with being a drug store or fountain. It’s trading on a past name.
I love this video. We are adding this place to our bucket list. Cheers y’all.
You should visit! Hope you can, Eric! Thanks for your time watching and commenting!
Thank you, Jeff!
I've not been to Wall Drug, Wall, South Dakota. Loved the video!
Thanks Jeff
Another great video, thanks! 👍
Awesome Diane! Thanks!
Thank you for this interesting video. I'm sure you guys had a good time there filming this. Looks like a fun romp is to be had in South Dakota! Take care!
Lovely story. Thank you for sharing and well done.
Thank you very much. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Great show. Love all the history.
Thank you Jeff
Ive never been there, (Ive never been anywhere lol) but I would like to go one day.Thanks for the tour!
This was very special. cried when you went to their graves. Another excellent episode. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Very touching. Thank you for your words and the tender heart.
i go every single time i pass by the area. been on a cross-country trip through the area 6 times now. hoping for a 7th soon enough. great visit, thanks for this.
We were there in 2015. A real neat place. Thanks for the memories.
It has been many years since I stopped there. I always got a kick out of the signs. Thanks.
Interesting. Thanks.
I have never heard of this place. Very cool! Thanks for taking us along. Hope you have a great upcoming weekend! God bless!
Thanks for visiting! We will also have a video this Sunday!
What a great field trip! I’ve always wanted to go there. Thanks for the tour!
It was fun to see you do a video out of California! Looks like a fun road trip. We enjoyed your stop in South Dakota. Cant wait to see your next stop. :) Enjoy your trip!.
Thank you. We did have fun on our trip which ended last Saturday but now I have so much video to process and edit. Thanks so much for being a part of the family of this channel!
Thanks for this video! I never heard of this place! Very interesting!
I think that looks to be a wonderful place to visit as an Australian I would be so happy to see all the Americana. Great Video Jeff.
Thanks for watching! I appreciate it! JEFF
I was there in 1972 & then again in 2006. After driving mile after mile of nothing but prairie grass & old buffalo wallows, I was sucked in by the billboards advertising Wall Drug practically every mile or so advertising 5¢ coffee, fudge, moccasins, food, cowboy hats, etc. After seeing the billboards for what seemed like hours, I felt like I just had to stop. Was not disappointed & it was a refreshing break from driving on a hot, sticky day. The place hadn't changed much 34 years later either.
As always Great video Jeff. Didn't know about this place at all. Cheers!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Moshe!
Thank You Jeff and Sarah for showing us this FUN place!
Thank you. Good to see Wall Drug again.
We appreciate that, Phil! Thanks for watching!
Awesome video Jeff, thank you Sir.
Looks as of its on our Bucket List now for an RV road trip.
Yeah do it! South Dakota is a lovely place!!!
great job love your videos
We started to see signs for Wall Drug and free ice water up in Minnesota when we were traveling across country in the summer of 1972 and my mom decided we should go there and see it I remember the chickens playing a piano to get food it was funny great days for a 14 year old we ended up moving to Hill City So Dak that same year
Wow! Sarah and I spent some time dining in Hill City! Nice little community.!
Thanks for posting! This brought back memories for me from my childhood road trip. Happy to see the T-Rex is still there. lol
Very interesting, thank you Jeff!!👍
Awesome! Thank you Robert! That’s an interesting place!
Another great trip.. Fun information and history !
Thank you for taking us along ! 🇺🇲
Glad you enjoyed it, Tony! Thanks so much!
Great video! I enjoy the premieres when ever I can catch one.
This was our first one and didn’t know what to expect but it was fun. Thank you so much.
Very interesting, thanks for the story
My Grandma lived East of Wall Drug So every year we would drive from LA California to South Dakota and visit her We always stopped at Wall Drug I loved it and still do I was there 5 yrs ago
Wow, what nice memories you have. As I get older the memories are what I hang onto! Thanks for sharing about your childhood visits there, Tom!
@@jbenziggy
All those memories are priceless
I remember all the old time motels tourist spots love it all it’s too bad today’s kids won’t ever get to see things like that
Thank you for all your videos I love them
@@tomr5021 One of my favorite parts of traveling as a kid was getting to stay at a motel and swimming in the swimming pools because we didn’t have one at our house. Great memories. In fact when I smell chlorine today I think about swimming in the motel pools on our trips to Disneyland. Lol
This was fun and interesting. A huge operation. I have never been there but wish I could. Thanks Jeff
We truly enjoyed the video very interesting