Bottoms Up at Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, TX

During our maiden voyage from Austin, TX to the Dallas area, we stopped over in Waco for lunch. (By the way, we ate at Bangkok Royal, purportedly the only Thai restaurant in town!)

As we followed directions to get to lunch, we passed a small street sign for the Dr. Pepper Museum. My favorite coke and one of my very favorite drinks – how could we resist?!

This three-story museum will entertain for a couple of hours. Add in a stop at the soda fountain for a Dr. Pepper float or milkshake, and you’re in for an enjoyable morning or afternoon.

Museum admission is $8 for adults, or $6 with a military ID. We thought the price was a bit on the steep side, but I don’t regret making the investment.

Dr. Pepper Museum Photo Tour

Dr. Pepper was invented at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store in the late 1800’s in Waco, TX. That building no longer stands. The Dr. Pepper Museum marks the site of the original factory where the drink was originally manufactured and sold.

Dr. Pepper is the oldest major soda brand in the United States. Its patent was filed for December 1, 1885, beating out Coca-Cola by a year!

In addition to seeing original equipment, I loved looking into the old Dr. Pepper water well. The vast majority of soda is made up of water, so pure-tasting water is essential! The well at the Museum is still living, and during the wetter times of year (like now), you can see water at the bottom.

I loved how the Museum chronicled the many marketing campaigns that Dr. Pepper has used over time. A scientific study showing that people’s energy dropped at 10:30, 2:30 and 4:30 every day led to Dr. Pepper’s “10-2-4” campaign. You better believe that three a day will keep your energy up!

On the second floor, a TV is set up to show Dr. Pepper commercials by era. This was probably one of my favorite parts of our time there. It was fascinating to see the evolution of the brand and how different strategies speak to different generations!

Complete your visit with a trip to the soda fountain. A token you receive at admission will get you a tiny sample of Dr. Pepper, special because it’s made on the spot with syrup and a jet of water. If that’s not enough to satisfy (seriously, it’s a dentist-office-sized-Dixie-cup), the fountain menu is full of delicious treats like Dr. Pepper shakes and floats. We tried a float and enjoyed the mixture of Blue Bell ice cream and syrupy Dr. Pepper.

If you’re journeying down the I-35 corridor and want to do something more fun than dodge construction workers, we highly recommend the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco!