South of the Border

South of the Border is a roadside tourist attraction, hospitality complex, and entertainment destination in Hamer, South Carolina, immediately south of the North Carolina–South Carolina state line. The property occupies roughly 350 acres at the intersection of Interstate 95 and U.S. Routes 301 and 501. Its name refers to its position south of the state border, while its visual identity uses a deliberately exaggerated faux-Mexican theme built around bright colors, sombreros, cactus imagery, oversized roadside signs, caricature, and theatrical roadside spectacle. The attraction began in 1949, when Alan Schafer opened a beer stand called South of the Border Depot near Robeson County, North Carolina, where alcohol restrictions helped make the site commercially attractive. In 1950, the operation developed into a broader attraction. Schafer expanded the business with Mexican souvenirs and imported trinkets, followed by a cocktail lounge, filling station, souvenir shop, and motel. Fireworks sales were added in 1962, taking advantage of differences between South Carolina and North Carolina laws. The announcement that Interstate 95 would pass directly by the property in 1964 transformed the location into a highly visible interstate destination with access from two nearby exits. Over subsequent decades, South of the Border accumulated a wide range of businesses and attractions. The complex has included restaurants, souvenir shops, a motel with approximately 300 rooms, a campground, gas stations, a truck stop, fireworks outlets, an arcade, miniature golf, amusement rides, and other recreational facilities. Its most recognizable structures include a large sombrero-shaped observation deck, a 200-foot observation tower, oversized animal statues, and buildings designed to resemble or evoke Mexican architectural motifs. Reptile Lagoon, described in reference material as the largest indoor reptile exhibit in the United States, is another prominent component. The site has also contained a motocross training and racing facility known as South of the Border Motocross, with motocross, Supercross, and Arenacross circuits used for training and sanctioned competition. The brand's most famous marketing device is its chain of roadside billboards. Signs begin many miles from the attraction and traditionally count down the remaining distance, using short jokes, puns, slogans, and exaggerated claims to build anticipation. This advertising approach made South of the Border a recognizable part of the I-95 road-trip landscape and helped establish it as a classic American roadside attraction. The Pedro mascot, an oversized caricature of a mustached Mexican bandit wearing a sombrero and poncho, became central to the visual identity and appears throughout the property and its advertising. South of the Border has also been controversial. Critics and scholars have characterized Pedro and some historic billboard messages as ethnic stereotypes or culturally offensive representations of Mexico and Mexicans. The attraction has generally retained its campy, tongue-in-cheek style, although some billboard language has reportedly become less provocative over time. The site has nevertheless remained a prominent example of roadside kitsch and Americana, attracting attention from journalists, historians, filmmakers, television programs, and travelers. At its peak, the complex reportedly employed as many as 700 people and was one of the largest employers in Dillon County. Reference material identifies approximately 300 employees in more recent operations, largely from the surrounding area. In 2025, approximately 30 acres of the property were offered for sale, including undeveloped land, a motel building, former casino and convention-center buildings, and a former amusement-park area. The remaining attraction was expected to continue operating. South of the Border therefore functions not as a single ride-based theme park but as a mixed roadside destination combining lodging, food service, retail, recreation, motorsport, attractions, and highly distinctive advertising.

South of the Border developed from a small beer stand into one of the most recognizable roadside attractions in the American Southeast. Alan Schafer established South of the Border Depot in 1949 near the North Carolina–South Carolina border. The location benefited from the regulatory environment of neighboring Robeson County, where alcohol restrictions made a beer business on the South Carolina side particularly attractive. By 1950, Schafer had expanded the operation into a themed commercial destination. The early business combined a bar or beer stand with imported Mexican trinkets and novelty goods. A cocktail lounge, gas station, souvenir shop, and motel followed, creating a destination that served both local customers and motorists. The motel was added in 1954. In 1962, the attraction entered the fireworks business, using South Carolina's more permissive rules compared with North Carolina's restrictions. Fireworks became an important part of the roadside retail offer. The construction plans for Interstate 95 were a major turning point. In 1964, it was announced that the interstate would run directly past South of the Border, with the property located near two exits and clearly visible to passing drivers. Schafer responded by enlarging the attraction and increasing its roadside visibility. By the middle of the 1960s, the site included additional retail and service businesses, a barber shop, drug store, variety store, post office, outdoor go-kart facilities, and other recreational amenities. A 104-foot image of Pedro, the attraction's cartoonish mascot, had also become a major landmark. The complex continued to expand into a large, mixed-use tourism property. It accumulated restaurants, souvenir stores, gas stations, a truck stop, a motel, a campground, miniature golf, amusement rides, arcades, fireworks stores, and large architectural set pieces. The site eventually covered approximately 350 acres. Its buildings and decorations favored visual excess: vivid neon and painted surfaces, oversized statues, theatrical signs, and structures that mimicked Mexican motifs without attempting architectural authenticity. The Peddler Steakhouse was built in the form of a sombrero, while the Sombrero restaurant used sombreros, cactus, terra-cotta tones, and bright green decoration. Pedro's Pleasure Dome placed a swimming pool within a geodesic-dome structure. The attraction's billboard network became as important as the property itself. Signs placed along major approaches to the site announced South of the Border many miles away, often using brief jokes and a countdown of the remaining distance. The strategy transformed a normal interstate stop into an anticipated destination and made the brand part of the visual culture of long-distance American driving. South of the Border's advertising style was deliberately repetitive, loud, and self-aware, helping it remain memorable even among travelers who regarded the site as kitsch rather than as a conventional amusement park. The Pedro character originated after Schafer hired two men he had met during a trip to Mexico as bellboys. People began referring to them as Pedro and Pancho, and Schafer later developed Pedro into a formal mascot. The character's sombrero, poncho, mustache, and bandit styling reinforced the attraction's exoticized Mexican theme. Employees have reportedly been referred to collectively as Pedro, extending the character beyond a statue or advertising image. The theme has generated sustained criticism. Commentators have described the mascot and older billboard language as stereotypical, politically incorrect, or racist. Cultural historians have connected Pedro to mid-twentieth-century American practices of caricaturing ethnic identities and presenting Mexico as an exotic nearby escape. Schafer rejected that interpretation and described the character as humorous; accounts also note his claims that he employed African Americans and opposed the Ku Klux Klan. Regardless of intent, the imagery remains contested and is an important part of the brand's history. South of the Border became a notable employer in Dillon County, at one point reportedly employing about 700 people. More recent descriptions identify approximately 300 workers, mainly local employees. Its cultural footprint extends beyond tourism: the attraction has appeared in or inspired scenes in films, television programs, and comedy, including references in Jean Shepherd's work, the film Forces of Nature, Eastbound & Down, Impractical Jokers: The Movie, and other popular media. In 2025, a portion of the property was placed on the market. The offering covered approximately 30 acres, including undeveloped land, a motel building, former casino and convention-center structures, and a former amusement-park area. The remainder of South of the Border was expected to continue operating, preserving the core roadside, hospitality, retail, and entertainment functions while portions of the broader site were considered for separate ownership or redevelopment.

• 2025

  Part of the property offered for sale

  [1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  Approximately 30 acres, including former hospitality and amusement-related buildings, are offered for sale while the remaining attraction is expected to continue operating.

• 1964

  Interstate 95 routing announced

  [1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  Plans place Interstate 95 alongside the property, creating a major opportunity for interstate visibility and traffic.

• 1962

  Fireworks sales begin

  [1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  The attraction expands into fireworks retail, benefiting from different regulations across the state line.

• 1960

  Pedro becomes a major landmark

  [1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  By the mid-1960s, the attraction features a large Pedro image and a substantially expanded mix of retail and recreational facilities.

• 1954

  Motel added

  [1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  A motel is added as the site broadens its hospitality and overnight-travel services.

• 1950

  The attraction begins development

  [1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  The business expands beyond a beer stand and starts developing into a Mexican-themed roadside destination.

• 1949

  South of the Border Depot opens

  [1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  Alan Schafer establishes a beer stand near the North Carolina–South Carolina border, providing the foundation for the later attraction.

A highly theatrical, nostalgic, and intentionally campy interstate roadside destination combining food, lodging, retail, recreation, amusement facilities, and motorsport around a faux-Mexican visual theme.

• Tourism destination · 1950

  Roadside attraction complex

  The core offering is a large roadside destination combining food service, fuel, retail, lodging, recreation, amusements, and visual landmarks. Rather than operating solely as a conventional theme park, South of the Border functions as a collection of businesses and attractions assembled around a distinctive roadside identity.

• Hospitality · 1954

  Motel and campground

  South of the Border has provided overnight accommodation for motorists through a large motel and campground. The motel became part of the operation in the 1950s and helped convert the site from a brief roadside stop into a destination capable of supporting longer visits.

• Food service

  Restaurants and food service

  The complex includes multiple restaurants with varying themes and levels of formality. The Peddler Steakhouse is notable for its sombrero-shaped building, while the Sombrero restaurant uses overtly Mexican-themed decoration. Food outlets have historically supported both local patronage and interstate travelers.

• Specialty retail · 1962

  Fireworks retail

  Fireworks became part of the South of the Border commercial offer in 1962. The business used the border location to serve customers from nearby North Carolina, where fireworks regulations were more restrictive at the time.

• Animal exhibition

  Reptile Lagoon

  Reptile Lagoon is an indoor reptile exhibition and one of the site's principal attractions. Reference material describes it as the largest indoor reptile exhibit in the United States, making it a distinct draw apart from the property's restaurants, retail stores, and amusement rides.

• Motorsport facility

  South of the Border Motocross

  South of the Border Motocross provides rider training and competitive racing. The facility includes motocross tracks as well as Supercross and Arenacross training areas. It has hosted AMA-sanctioned regional events and winter qualifying events connected with the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.

• Mascot and intellectual property

  Pedro

  Pedro is the attraction's cartoonish, mustached bandit mascot, typically shown wearing a sombrero and poncho. He appears in statues, signs, merchandise, and roadside advertising. The character is central to the brand's recognition but is also the focus of criticism concerning ethnic stereotyping.

• Criticism of Pedro and historic advertising

  The Pedro mascot and some historic billboard messages have been criticized as stereotypical, culturally offensive, or racist portrayals of Mexicans and Mexico. Scholars and commentators have linked the imagery to older traditions of ethnic caricature, while the attraction's founder characterized it as humorous and non-malicious.

  Source

Read more

• 1960Interstate billboard countdown

  United States · Interstate 95 corridor

  South of the Border built a long-distance billboard network along routes approaching the attraction. Short jokes, slogans, and progressively smaller mileage figures turned the drive to the site into a branded anticipation campaign.

  Outcome. The signs became one of the attraction's defining features and made the brand recognizable to generations of interstate travelers.

  Source

• 2025

  Offer a portion of the property for saleStrategy

  Background

  The large property includes underused or former commercial and amusement facilities in addition to the operating roadside attraction.

  Action taken

  Approximately 30 acres, including undeveloped land and several former-use buildings, were placed on the market.

  Aftermath

  The remaining South of the Border operation was expected to continue operating while the offered portion was considered for separate ownership or redevelopment.

  Source

• 1964

  Capitalize on Interstate 95Strategy

  Background

  The planned Interstate 95 route was announced to pass directly beside the property near two exits.

  Action taken

  The operation expanded its attractions, services, landmarks, and roadside advertising to capture interstate traffic.

  Aftermath

  South of the Border became a highly visible stop on the I-95 corridor and significantly broadened its regional profile.

  Source

• 1962

  Enter fireworks retailStrategy

  Background

  Differences in fireworks regulations between South Carolina and North Carolina created an opportunity for cross-border sales.

  Action taken

  South of the Border added fireworks outlets to its roadside retail mix.

  Aftermath

  Fireworks became an enduring part of the attraction's identity and commercial offer.

  Source

• 1950

  Expand from beer stand into themed attractionStrategy

  Background

  The original beer stand served a border location where neighboring North Carolina's alcohol restrictions created commercial opportunity.

  Action taken

  Alan Schafer added Mexican souvenirs, food and beverage facilities, fuel, lodging, and other visitor services.

  Aftermath

  The business developed into a broader roadside tourism complex rather than remaining a single-purpose beverage outlet.

  Source

• 2025

  South of the Border offers approximately 30 acres for sale while the wider attraction continues operating[1]South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A property offering reportedly included undeveloped acreage, a motel building, former casino and convention-center buildings, and a former amusement-park area. The remainder of the attraction was slated to remain in operation.

1. 1South of the Border (attraction)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2South of the Border official websitethesouthoftheborder.com