A Road Trip to Waco’s Dr Pepper Museum Is a Must for Loyalist

At the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, a Waco pharmacist named Charles Alderton unveiled a new drink to the masses. Alderton coined this drink the “King of Beverages,” “Liquid Sunshine,” and claimed it aided digestion and “restored vim, vigor, and vitality.”

It’s a soda we’re well acquainted with around these parts. Does it even need an introduction?

We’re, of course, talking about Dr Pepper. It’s as Texas as Shiner beer, The Alamo, Pantera and Matthew McConaughey. And in 2023, Dr Pepper leapfrogged Pepsi, becoming the second highest-selling soft drink in the country.

Not bad for a once-humble soda company that was born in little ol' Waco (the population of Waco was around 14,000 at the time).

The Dr Pepper Museum in Waco (about a 90-minute drive from Dallas) is the holy grail of this legendary Texas-born soda. The museum, which takes around two hours to tour, gives visitors a comprehensive look into Dr Pepper's storied history (and the soft drink industry in general).

The museum's home is the historic Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Co. building, which bottled and sold Dr Pepper and other soft drinks starting in 1891. There are three levels of exhibits (many interactive), a treasure trove of vintage memorabilia and a soda fountain offering handmade sodas (each museum ticket gets you one soda).

Visitors also get a deep dive into Seven Up’s history (the two soft drink companies merged in the 1980s) and learn how Coca-Cola attempted to acquire Dr Pepper in 1995, but the Federal Trade Commission blocked the merger.

Something we learned that we never would’ve guessed: How many of you knew that the Roanoke Valley of Virginia is considered the “Dr Pepper Capital of the World?” This region apparently sells more Dr Pepper than any metro area east of the Mississippi River. Who knew? Roanoke even has its own Dr Pepper holiday (October 24).

General admission is 12 bucks, and kids 4 and younger get in free. Here are some pics from our field trip.
Dr Pepper Museum, 300 S 5th Street, Waco. Monday – Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.