Due to the fact that it was previously not found anywhere outside of Waco’s city limits, the infamous Dr Pepper product was first christened “Waco.” Also, the location of its first bottling plant, Waco is now the home of the wonderful Dr Pepper Museum.
Things to Do
Dr Pepper Museum in Waco has the Cure for What Ails You if it’s a Case of Spring Fever
By |
Photo: Facebook/Twenty Toes Photography
Complete with the original drug store where the product was first served and touted as a brain tonic, the Dr Pepper Museum opened its doors in May of 1991. Along with the original drug store facade, it also features a replica bottling assembly line and a vintage soda fountain, surrounded of course by the requisite Dr Pepper memorabilia, which is conveniently located everywhere. Retired vending machines, packaging, advertising, bottle designs, and knickknacks enthrall visitors as they learn the history, marketing examples, and juicy details of all the components that worked together to jettison Dr Pepper to huge sales in the 1920s and help it grow and maintain popularity well past the 1970s (its heydays) to become what it is today.
Photo: Facebook/Texas Back Roads
And for those who are wondering, the product was officially trademarked and labeled sans period after the “Dr” due to its funny appearance on the bottles resulting from the typeface. But this isn’t the most interesting trivia about this Texas tidal wave of deliciousness. One of the more popular exhibits in the museum is a loop set to continuously play old Dr Pepper commercials, which many a fan over the years could relate to, and possibly even remember one or two of.
Photo: Facebook/Dr Pepper
There’s quite an array of educational factoids, tidbits, and even political pieces of information regarding Dr Pepper, after the digestion of which you might want to quench your thirst for something else besides knowledge and grab a drink of that very favorite product. At the Dr Pepper Museum, you can enjoy a drink at the old-time soda fountain, or purchase an old fashioned 6-pack of bottles in the gift shop. Admission prices and guided tour information (for groups of 10 or larger) are available with handy directions and a map to the facility on their website link provided here. So maybe “be a Pepper” for a day and drive on out to Waco to experience the nostalgia, the marketing machine, and the Texas mogul that is Dr Pepper.
Sources:
