Virtual Tour
Welcome to the Dr Pepper Museum!
The main Museum building is the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company Building (AMBC) headquarters and manufacturing facility.
Built in 1906, this was first place Dr Pepper was bottled on a large scale and the first company headquarters for Dr Pepper.
Pop Quiz! Which of these other beverages do you think also used to be bottled here?
Dr Pepper was not the only beverage that used to be bottled in this building!
Chocolate Soda
Nope! Try again.
Celery Soda
Correct! The Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company bottled a beverage called Celery Champagne along with Dr Pepper in this building.
Tomato Soda
Nope! Try again.
Lavender Soda
Nope! Try again.
Healing Waters
The story of soft drinks begins with carbonated water.
The Healing Waters exhibit explores the history of water for medicinal purposes.
This bubbly water would eventually be sold in pharmacies with sweetened flavored syrup—thus soft drinks were born.
The 1953 Tornado
On May 11th, 1953, a category F5 tornado tore through downtown Waco, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
The effects of the tornado lead to the creation and implementation of better warning systems for severe weather in the United States.
Old Corner Drug Store
Dr Pepper was invented in 1885 in the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas.
This pharmacy was a popular spot for the many people traveling through Waco and locals alike.
The pharmacist, Dr. Alderton, combined 23 flavors to create the infamous soft drink at the soda fountain.
Brain Pop: Dr Pepper’s unique taste comes from its 23 different flavors. How would you describe the taste of Dr Pepper?
It’s hard to do since the exact flavor recipe has been kept a secret!
Read More
Other sodas usually have a lot less than 23 flavors in their recipe. 7UP, for example, only uses 2 – lemon and lime. Try describing the taste of 7UP to someone without using the words “lemon” or “lime”. Then try the same thing with the beverages listed below!
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Describe the taste of Orange Sunkist without using the word “orange”.
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Describe the taste of Canada Dry Ginger Ale without using the words “ginger” or “citrus”.
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Describe the taste of Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red without using the words “fruit”, “juice”, “apple”, “apricot”, “guava”, “orange” “passion fruit”, or “pineapple”.
The People Who Made Dr Pepper
The Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company made sodas in this building until the 1960s. Their soda manufacturing process included everything from bottle washing to filling and capping to packaging.
Over the years, a lot of people worked at the factory to keep everything running. Some of these individuals shared their stories of life at the AMBC.
Pop Quiz! How many Dr Pepper bottles stacked on top of each other will it take to reach the bottom of the well?
The well is 27.5 feet deep. A glass King of Beverages bottle is approximately 8 inches tall.
Check Your Answer
It would take 41.5 King of Beverages bottles to reach the bottom!
Wilton’s Landing
The soft drink industry, like so many others, changed with the invention of the automobile.
Dr Pepper began to be sold in small-town gas stations, convenience stores, and bodegas around the country in addition to the large cities.
From Blueprints to Bubbles
The floor in this space was slanted so that syrup could drain out of the building out of the indoor gutter system.
The second floor of the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building was used to manufacture syrup for soft drinks.
Pop Quiz! Which of these rooms is likely to have a slanted floor?
Slanted floors like the one in From Blueprints to Bubbles are still used in buildings that are designed today!
The kitchen at a resturant
Yes! But is that the only right answer?
A public bathroom
Yes! But is that the only right answer?
A locker room at a school or gym
Yes! But is that the only right answer?
All of the above
Correct! The rooms listed above can sometimes get a little messy – just like a laboratory in a soda factory!
Lights, Camera, FIZZ!
Lights, Camera, FIZZ! includes commercials from the 1960s to the 2010s. Some are Dr Pepper, some aren’t, but all are about soda!
Commercials appeal to consumers in a variety of ways to convince them to purchase a product.
Wildly Refreshing: The Animal Appeal in Soda Advertising
For decades, animals have been used in advertising to sell some of America’s favorite beverages.
Animals, branding, and pop culture collide to create emotional connections and put a twist on traditional industry marketing.
Pop Quiz! Popular cartoonist Johnny Hart drew a series of cavemen advertisements for Dr Pepper in the 1960s. What was the name of the main character of the comic?
Johnny Hart also drew the comics B.C and The Wizard of Id!
Check Your Answer
Harmon! Harmon the Caveman was joined by Orville, Maybelle, and Bunion as they schemed ways to get their favorite drink, Dr Pepper.
The W. W. “Foots” Clements Free Enterprise Institute
One of the core values at the Dr Pepper Museum is Entrepreneurship and Innovation. We strive to provide inspiring, educational, and enjoyable programs and exhibitions that showcase the economic and societal value of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the free market system.
One example of success made possible by the free market system is W.W. “Foots” Clements who, through hard work and perseverance, rose from a route salesman to the CEO of the Dr Pepper company.
Start planning your business and take a photo at the CEO’s desk!
Brain Pop: Foots showed that great leaders and entrepreneurs can come from anywhere.
- What do you think a good leader does when they fail at something?
- What are some characteristics of a good leader?
- Why do you think a business should “treat others the way they want to be treated”?
Sip, Shoot, Share!
Dr Pepper lovers from around the United States submitted their photographs to be featured in this exhibit.
Take a look at the category-winning photographs that are hung around the room!
Gift Shop
The space that the Gift Shop occupies was originally the Mechanical Room for the AMBC.
The machinery in the bottling room was operated by steam created from the boiler that was in this space.
Today you can shop to your heart’s content.
Make sure to check out our “I’m a Pepper” gear!
Courtyard
While heading to the East Wing building, be sure to pause to see our 1950s Chevy delivery truck that is painted Dr Pepper mint green.
Also, stop to see the original boiler formerly located in the space that is now the Gift Shop.
Take a selfie at the original Dr Pepper Good for Life mural that dates to the 1940s at this bottling plant.
Soda Fountain
Watch our soda jerks make Dr Pepper the old-fashioned way at the Original Home of the Dr Pepper float.
You can use your admission voucher for a complimentary Dr Pepper or choose to upgrade to a Dr Pepper float made with another Texas favorite, Blue Bell ice cream.
Sit Down to Take a Stand
Soda fountains were not always a welcoming place for all people. Before the Civil Rights Movement, many restaurants were segregated.
Four college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, started a youth-led sit-in movement at their local lunch counter and inspired many others across the country to do the same, which gave momentum to the fight for legal integration laws.
7UP Botting Line
The soft drink industry, like so many others, adapted to technology changes. Bottling lines replaced individual machines, making the bottling process more efficient. As companies adapt, they are able to offer consumers better quality products cheaper and faster.
Pop Quiz! How many cans do you think a bottling line can fill today?
Notice the speed at which the 7UP bottling line is moving. Bottling lines today can move much faster.
Check Your Answer
1,100 to 1,500 cans per minute. Just think about how far the industry as come.
Donor Hallway
Dr Pepper was invented in 1885 and continues to be a success despite the changing times, unlike so many other soft drinks made at the same time.
The soft drink succeeded because of its ability to adapt its advertising to the current consumer.
An example of this is its evolving slogans.
Keurig Dr Pepper Liquid Lab
Explore the science of soda at a KDP Liquid Lab demonstration or add an additional experience to your visit with our Make-A-Soda Experience!
Click the buttons below to learn more.
Don’t see anyone in the space at the moment? Don’t worry! Our experiences and programs happen at scheduled times throughout the day and staff may be off prepping for the next session.
Big Red
Pop Quiz! True or False? Big Red has not always been called Big Red.
Check Your Answer
True! It was originally called Sun Tang Cream Soda. The flavor combination of Big Red is a mix of orange, lemon, and vanilla. None of which are red!
The Beverage Express
Created and built by Holt Getterman in 2016, the train layout features G scale trains traveling through Waco and Dr Pepper landscapes.
The train is on a timer, so if it isn’t on, just wait for a few minutes!
Pop Quiz! How many repurposed bottles and cans do you see around the Beverage Express?
Check Your Answer
There are so many that we lost count! But if you got close to 30, you are on the right track.