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The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Welcome To Wall Drug

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.61.6K Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2024

⏱️ 18 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the South Dakota badlands, a small pharmacy employed an ingenious marketing gimmick, and boomed into a business that draws millions of visitors every year. It’s a story that involves giant dinosaurs, a mythological jack rabbit, and lots and lots of donuts.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This episode is brought to you by Travel South Dakota.

0:04.0

Every year on June 5th, South Dakotans celebrate 605 day in 605 style.

0:11.0

That is because that is the state's only area code. 605. And 605 day is all about

0:16.8

celebrating everything that South Dakota has to offer to both locals and travelers. It's obviously famous for Mount Rushmore, but South Dakota

0:26.4

is beautiful. It is rich with incredible travel opportunities and just a ton of amazing places. It's got things like

0:35.7

the Dinosaur Park, Cocomo Inn, the Porter Sculpture Gardens and way more. It is so much more than Mount Rushmore. I cannot even tell you. It is a place

0:46.6

rich in spirit and freedom and optimism. I really love South Dakota. And through Forever 605 you can learn how impactful your travel can be and sign the pledge to travel passionately but also respectfully.

1:01.0

Find more at Forever 605.com. There's so much South Dakota. So little time.

1:08.0

In the town of Wall, South Dakota, population 700, there is a store called Wall Drug.

1:19.3

Wall Drug is, well, it's a drugstore, kind of. It has a drugstore kind of it has a drug store and sells pretty much anything

1:26.1

you'd find in a pharmacy but it is also a collection of lots of other stores too

1:31.6

there's a camping and outdoor gear store. There is a hole in the

1:37.2

wall bookstore. We have Western clothing. We have 6,000 pairs of cowboy boots on display.

1:45.0

Not to mention Klamity Jane's Dury Emporium.

1:48.0

We have a rock shop that is also very popular.

1:52.0

People like Racks.

1:54.2

Okay, so maybe Wall Drug is more like,

1:56.5

maybe it's more like a mall.

1:58.7

But then again, it's also quite a bit more than a mall.

2:03.0

There's a chapel.

2:05.0

There's a spot out back where you can pan for gold.

2:08.0

There is a miniature replica of Mount Rushmore.

...

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