The Blot had a meeting last Friday in Waco, Texas, a city I never thought I’d find myself in and will probably never go to again. Since I was having to drive all that way, I thought I’d look to see if there were any big tourist attractions in Waco I could hit up before heading out of town. What I found was the Dr Pepper Museum.
Like most of you, I couldn’t figure out why Waco, TX had a Dr Pepper Museum. As it turns out Dr Pepper was created in Waco back in 1885, and was even originally called a “Waco.” (link) According to the Dr Pepper Museum’s website, it was “founded in 1988 to educate and entertain the general public through the collection, preservation, interpretation, and exhibition of objects relevant to the history of the soft drink industry.” (link)
The coolest part of the museum has to be its building, the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company, which was built in 1906 and is the original bottling plant of Dr Pepper. The museum walks you through the history of Dr Pepper and its 23 flavors, its merger with 7UP and the company’s eventual purchase by Cadbury Schweppes. It really was fascinating to learn about the early creation of a new soft drink back in the late 1800s, but most of all where else can you truly be a Pepper?
If any of you have ever been to the World of Coca-Cola, the Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta, GA, then you’d be a little disappointed in the Dr Pepper Museum. It’s a fraction of the size and does not have anywhere near the technology or sophistication of the World of Coca-Cola, but if you’re in the neighborhood it’s well worth the $6.00 admission fee. Then again how often do you find yourself with some time to kill in Waco, TX?
