This Old School Soda Fountain In Nebraska Will Make You Feel Like A Kid Again
By Delana Lefevers|Published September 28, 2016
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
The combination pharmacy and soda fountain was popular from the early 1800s all the way through the 1950s or so. Since then, pre-packaged soft drinks and self-service drugstores have made these historic gems all but extinct. A special few have survived, and a handful of those are in Nebraska. In Arapahoe, one pharmacy/soda fountain has been going strong within the same family for more than 80 years.
The little town of Arapahoe in Furnas County has been repeatedly named as one of the best places in the state to live and raise a family.
Maybe part of the reason is the town's commitment to preserving the past. Here, right next to the ever-popular Crystal Theatre, is the Arapahoe Pharmacy.
The pharmacy has been in operation since 1899, though under different owners and different names. It has been in the same family since Floyd Morris purchased it in 1935.
Back then, the town pharmacy was a gathering place where kids could go after school for a milkshake or ice cream sundae. The soda fountain dispensed soda water to which flavored syrups were added, creating the kind of treat that's hard to find these days.
But Arapahoe Pharmacy - also known as Morris Drug Store - is one of very few places where you can still get that retro taste. The original soda fountain is still used, as is the recipe for vanilla syrup that Floyd Morris developed in the '50s. They serve phosphates, ice cream, and some of the tastiest sodas you'll ever try.
The store also operates as a full-service pharmacy and general store, selling everything from health aides to stationery to jewelry. There's even a large selection of retro candy with all of your old favorites like wax lips, Necco wafers, Black Cows, and loads more. It's a true throwback to a different time, and it will feel so familiar to anyone who grew up in a small town where the local soda fountain was the place to be.
