The Hastings Museum Kool-Aid Exhibit in Hastings, Nebraska

Hastings, Nebraska is where Edwin Perkins invented Kool-Aid. To honor his delicious invention, the local museum has dedicated half of a floor to the drink’s history. Kool-Aid: Discover the Dream is a nostalgic and comprehensive collection of all things Kool-Aid. The only thing missing is a chance to actually imbibe the drink itself. Kool-Aid’s precursor was Fruit Smack, a flavored syrup. Perkins, tired of how easily the glass bottles containing the syrup leaked and broke, decided to ditch the watery aspect of the sweet mixture and instead create packets of powder. He was inspired by Jell-O....