Dr. Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute

Student tours and programs based on the development of Dr Pepper provide a look into the history of two American institutions – the soft drink industry and the free enterprise system.

A native Wacoan, Dr Pepper is the oldest of the major soft drink brands in America. Like its flavor, the origin of Dr Pepper is out-of-the-ordinary. Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist working at Morrison's store, is believed to be the inventor of the popular beverage. Alderton spent most of his time mixing up medicine for the people of Waco, but in his spare time he liked to serve carbonated drinks at the soda fountain. Inspired by the way the drug store smelled, with all of the fruit syrup aromas mixing together in the air, he decided to create a drink that tasted like the fruity fragrance. He kept a journal, and after numerous experiments he finally hit upon a mixture of fruit syrups that he liked.

Students travel from near and far to participate in The Free Enterprise Institute’s Advertising and Marketing Kid Style and Create a Soft Drink programs. These programs allow students to use the soft drink industry as a model to create a new product, develop a name, logo, slogan, label, and a commercial and gain understanding of the basic steps entrepreneurs take on the road to success. Dr Pepper Museum tours and programs are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills criteria.

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