Collections & Archives
Collections
The Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute houses a collection of over 100,000 objects and is continuously growing. That’s a pretty amazing number when you consider that most of our collection is made up of donations! We don’t just have Dr Pepper items in our collection but all sorts of different objects that have to do with the history of the soft drink industry and the various brands that represent it. We have a little bit of everything from bottles and cans to paper advertisements and even go-carts.
With such a large collection, there is no way to exhibit everything we have! As with most museums, we only exhibit about five to ten percent of our collection at any given time. This allows us to change items that are on exhibit regularly and you to see something new each time you visit. It also lets the objects to come off exhibit and have a resting period.
In addition to our collection, we also hold Keurig Dr Pepper’s extensive collection on site where we care for and exhibit it. Their collection focuses on the different brands in their portfolio including Dr Pepper, 7UP, Squirt, A&W, etc.
Archives
The J. Conrad Dunagan Archives houses one of the most wide-ranging collections of soft drink industry information in the world. The Museum staff draws from this information regularly to answer research requests and to conduct research for exhibits and on collections objects.
The archives are named after J. Conrad Dunagan, a Coca-Cola bottler from Monahans, Texas, because of his generous donation that added invaluable information about the Coca-Cola bottling industry, as well as the soft drink industry in general. With an extensive collection of photographs, periodicals, legal documents, and historical data in several formats, the archives are a valuable source for anyone who would like to learn more about Dr Pepper or the soft drink industry.
To inquire about research, donations, or ask our collections staff a question, please fill out the form below.
Inquire about research, donations, or ask our collections staff a question. Research fees may apply.
Please note that although we can provide information on many items, we cannot provide authentications or values for objects.