Originally opened way back in 1931, Wall Drug has long been a storied stop for travelers to the Badlands for many, many years.

Wall Drug is crazy! It's hard to explain if you haven't been there before, but it's a big, giant (70,000 square foot) shopping stop, full of the most kitsch I've ever seen in one place. Seriously, this is some serious kitsch. We don't normally shop a ton while we're traveling, but I was told that Wall Drug is too famous to pass by. Inside these 70,000 square feet, you'll find restaurants, gifts, souvenirs, activities, and a bookstore. You'll even find a small chapel for travelers housed inside Wall Drug. You'll also, of course, find their famous free ice water. Ice water is what made Wall Drug famous back in the day, as weary, hot travelers were lured by the promise of fresh ice water to drink. If you think this is silly, then you've probably never been to the desert!

The kids were, as you can imagine, totally enchanted by Wall Drug. It's a bit of a super stimulation thing, but all the better to then find some balance by getting outdoors in the gorgeous Badlands after stopping here. The kids were excited with all the kitschy shopping here....all sorts of tiny, random kids' toys to choose from. Some of the souvenirs were ordinary and some were more extraordinary. The kids were also enchanted by the famed Zoltar machine, that "grants your wishes." Of course, for any of us adults who grew up watching the Tom Hanks movie Big, the Zoltar machine is pretty magical and definitely brings back some childhood memories. Both the kids made a wish with Zoltar and then received their magic ticket from the machine. The other fun little thing that the kids couldn't stop talking about was this little candy/toy machine. It was essentially a gumball machine, but it gave out tiny surprise toys instead of gumballs, for a quarter each. The kids thought this was seriously the most fun thing they'd done all day (next to Zoltar, of course!). Our youngest got a tiny plastic toilet with a gumball inside, and our oldest got a really pretty bracelet. They were both thrilled with their prizes, especially for just a quarter.

Wall Drug also features a huge portrait wall of famous Native Americans, and the girls were fascinated by this. The rich Native American history of this area just serves to make it an even more wonderful place for family travel. Along with a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial, and other sacred spots in the Black Hills, seeing portraits of these brave people was really amazing. In fact, the purchase we made at Wall Drug, aside from indulging in the awesome Zoltar machine and the toy gumball machine, was purchasing books about the lives of Sacagawea and Sitting Bull.

Overall, we had a really good time during our stop at Wall Drug. Be prepared to drag your kids out of here! There are toys and prizes and odd finds galore. But, for a quick stop at a famous landmark, it's definitely worth the trip. After heading out from Wall Drug, I highly recommend heading over to Badlands National Park and enjoying the fabulous scenery.

Black Hills, SD

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