Wall (South Dakota)

Wall, South Dakota, "the geographic center of nowhere," is known best to cross-country travellers for its main attraction, Wall Drug. Advertised on gigantic billboards for hundred of miles to the west and east on Interstate 90, the gargantuan drug store has put Wall on the nation's map. There are signs all over the world telling how many miles you are to Wall Drug. == Understand == The town is named for the natural cliffs of the South Dakota Badlands that fall from the prairie a few miles to the south. It offers some of the nearest dining and lodging options to Badlands National Park. == Get in == Wall is on Interstate 90, about 55 mi (89 km) east of Rapid City. It is served by Jefferson Lines buses. == Get around == == See == 1 Wounded Knee Museum, 207 10th Ave (two blocks south from Wall Drug), ☏ +1 605 279-2573. 9AM to 5PM daily from May to October. Informative displays feature photos, text, graphics, music, models, and an audio tour describing the exhibits. This narrative museum tells the unforgettable stories of the 1890 massacre of up to 300 Lakota men, women, and children at Wounded Knee Creek. The museum's gift shop features books, Indian gifts, and self-guided tour maps to the massacre site. 2 National Grasslands Visitor Center, 708 Main St., ☏ +1 605-279-2125. (updated Mar 2024) == Do == == Buy == 1 Wall Drug, 510 Main St (main exit off the interstate), ☏ +1 605 279-2175. Main store 8AM-6PM daily; Mall shops 8:30-5:30PM; Cafe 8AM-5PM. In 1931 the store's entrepreneurial owners, Ted and Dorothy Hustead, had the idea to give away free ice water for passing motorists. They started to put up signs and billboards along the highway showing the distance to Wall Drug. These signs have since been spread around the world. It is joked that based solely on the billboards, future archaeologists will probably consider Wall Drug to be the most important building on the North American continent. From this seed of signs and billboards grew the tourist attraction that Wall Drug is today: giftshops, museums, restaurants, and of course the original drug store. Get a bumper sticker while you're there; it's the mark of a true cross-country traveler. Free (includes ice water and bumper sticker). 2 Dahl's Chainsaw Art, 518 Glenn St. This branch of the touristy local chain marks its presence with the Giant Jackalope Sculpture, a towering 42 ft (13 m) wooden cryptid complete with a staircase to an observation deck. (updated Jul 2025) == Eat == 1 Cactus Café & Lounge, 519 Main St, ☏ +1 605 279-2561. 2 Red Rock Restaurant, 506 Glenn St, ☏ +1 605 279-2388. == Drink == There is free ice water available at Wall Drug. == Sleep == 1 Best Western Plains Motel, 712 Glenn St, ☏ +1 605 279-2145, toll-free: +1-800-528-1234. Check-in: 1 PM, check-out: 11 AM. 2 America`s Best Value Inn - Wall, 201 South Boulevard, ☏ +1 605-279-2127. Check-in: 3 PM, check-out: 11 AM. (updated Nov 2016) === Camping === 3 Sleepy Hollow Campground, 118 W. 4th Ave., ☏ +1 605 279-2100. (updated Mar 2017) == Go next == Minuteman Missile National Historic Site - This ICBM launch site could rain down nuclear devastation six thousand miles away within 30 minutes. Black Hills National Forest Deadwood is possibly America's most storied small town from the wild frontier days. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a short drive away, and so is the even larger Crazy Horse Memorial. Rapid City is a transportation hub for the region. It has a few museums, and plenty of cheap hotels and restaurants (chain and local). Sturgis, roughly 12 miles to the East of Deadwood, is the home of the famed Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August.