Dr. Pepper Museum - Waco, TX - A museum dedicated to soft drinks

The Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute is located at 300 South 5th Street in Waco, Texas. The museum is open from 10am until 4:15 pm Monday through Saturday. On Sunday's the museum is open from noon until 4:15pm. The Soda Fountain and Gift Shop at the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute is open until five in the evening.

The last ticket to get into the Museum gallery is sold at 4:15 in the evening. The cost of admission to the Dr Pepper Museum is $7 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children and students. Admission is free for those that are pepper partners and museum members. There is a charge of $1 per wand for audio wand rentals. The prices for the Dr Pepper Museum can change without prior notices.

A Board of Directors that the members elect runs the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute which is a non-profit organization. The parent company of Dr Pepper which is the Dr Pepper Snapple Group does not own or operate the museum. May 1991 the Museum and Free Enterprise Group was opened to the public. The museum has was has been considered to be the best collection of soft drink memorabilia in the world.

The Dr Pepper Museum may be rented for events. The staff of the museum will even assist in the event planning to make it easier for you. There are three floors of the museum that have a number of soft drink exhibits, slide shows and videos for your enjoyment. The entire museum and soda fountain may be rented after the museum's normal business hours.

In 1988 the Dr Pepper Museum was opened in order to entertain and educate the public with the exhibition of the soft drink industries history in addition to the interpretation and preservation of the exhibits. As of the end of 2006 there had been over nine-hundred thousand visitors to the museum which can be found in the 1906 Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building found in downtown Waco.

The National Register of Historic Places lists the one hundred year old building as the "Home of Dr Pepper'' and is supported by Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages and bottles affiliated with it. The building is located at the corner of Mary Avenue and Fifth Street and the placement of the museum in it was to save the building that was falling apart. The building was donated to the Dr Pepper Museum by the Dr Pepper Company during 1988 and in 1990 the renovations began. May 11, 1991 the museum opened.

When the Dr Pepper Museum first opened only part of the first floor was open for the public to visit. Over the next six years there were three additional phases of construction that the museum was put through until the building was completely restored. The restored facility opened to the public in May of 1997.

Anyone in the Waco, Texas area with an interest in the history of soft drinks should make it a point to visit the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute.