So how great does Dr Pepper taste? Great enough that Dr Pepper shares second spot with Pepsi in the pop wars! Visiting the Dr Pepper Museum gives you an idea of what goes into making this popular soft drink and its history.
Older than its top competitor, Coca-Cola, by a year, Dr Pepper was originally named Waco, for the city where it was created.
Linda’s Pick of the Displays
My favorite dislay at the Dr Pepper Museum was the story of Artesian wells and the Healing Waters Exhibit. You can even look down the original Artesian well used to provide the water for Dr Pepper bottling!
The well water came from an underground aquifer. While the well was filled with broken bottles and abandoned in the 1920s, it was restored along with the building in the 1980s. Today, the well you see goes down 27.5 feet, although even with lighting you don’t see to the bottom.
Artesian well water isn’t typically much different than regular well water. The main difference is that water comes to the surface under pressure – so it doesn’t need to be pumped out.
The well was particularly interesting to me because David had been a water well driller for twenty years.
Fast Fact: Artesian well water was used in the early production of Dr Pepper as it had higher quality and consistency. This helped ensure the product was always the same.
What’s in the Dr Pepper Museum
The Dr Pepper Museum is situated in the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Co. three-story brick building. With 18 inch thick brick walls and timber underpinnings, it has withstood the test of time including a 1954 F5 tornado.
Your visit to Dr Pepper starts in the spacious courtyard, where you can relax and sip a drink in the sunshine. Or you can see the Dr Pepper truck. From there, you have lots of options!
Indeed, the first two floors of the museum have a selection of over 100,000 items of Dr Pepper memorabilia.
- Bottling Room and Bottling Line
- Old Corner Drug Store
- Dr Pepper truck, commercials, and posters
- Gift shop
- Soda Fountain
- Gallery & Train set
Who invented Dr Pepper?
Charles Alderton, a pharmacist, invented Dr Pepper by mixing various fruit flavors together. It shot to popularity at soda fountains from 1885 to 1891, where the syrup was mixed with carbonated water and served. Bottling began in 1891 by the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Co., with a 1906 move to the building housing the museum now.
Interactive Displays
Feeling creative? Watch a demonstration (included with general admission) at The Liquid Lab at the Dr Pepper Museum, then create your own (additional ticket).
The Make-A-Soda experience lets you become an inventor and mix your own drinks. You’ll find it in the Kellum Rotan Building that has the red neon Dr Pepper sign on the side.
Superfans who’ve tried to crack the code think Dr Pepper includes flavors from amaretto and almond to rum and raspberry. What do you think?
Fast Fact: Dr Pepper is made from 23 natural and artificial flavors.
On the third floor, the Free Enterprise Institute teaches students about the principles of economics along with brands and business.
Why were soda fountain operators, like those who first sold Dr Pepper, called soda jerks?
Soda fountain operators were called soda jerks because of the motion they made to mix the carbonated water with the flavored syrup. The moves were forceful to make sure the syrup didn’t settle to the bottom, but produced a nice bubbly drink for the customer.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
Waco is a must-stop destination on a Texas road trip. If you’re on a budget, I’d recommend not planning to spend the night there as the hotels are pretty pricey. We ended up at America’s Best Value Inn Waco, which was comfortable. It also had the advantage of being close to the two museums we wanted to visit: Dr Pepper and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.
Who Should Visit the Dr Pepper Museum?
The long history of Dr Pepper and its popularity across three centuries make it a true piece of Americana. Of course anyone who’s been enjoying Dr Pepper over the years will find its story fascinating.
As well, foodies and history buffs will enjoy exploring the museum to learn more about it. Likewise, judging by the families we saw during our visit, kids love it — especially if they get to mix their own drink at the Make-A-Soda experience.
Information panels explain the history and bottling process in detail, so anyone interested in the “how to” end of things will get their questions answered.
The museum is fully accessible from elevators and wheelchairs to borrow, to scripts for the animatronics for those with hearing problems.
How Do You Visit the Dr Pepper Museum?
The Dr Pepper Museum is situated at 300 South 5th Street in Waco, Texas.
Waco is on I-35, between Ft. Worth and Austin.
There’s a parking lot (we paid $10 for day parking) directly across from the museum, but it’s small so may be full later in the day during tourist season.
Check out days, hours, and admission costs on the Dr Pepper website.
Take a virtual YouTube tour of the Dr Pepper Museum.
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening with the Dr Pepper Facebook page.
Plan your visit to the Dr Pepper Museum with Google maps.
More Texas Museum Reviews
Check out more of our reviews for museums in Texas.
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References
Bellis, M. (2019). The history of the soda fountain. Thought Co. https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-soda-fountain-1992432
Stingley, J. (n.d.). Dr Pepper Museum. Waco History. https://wacohistory.org/items/show/36
guide2museums.com 