Hey friends!
I recently visited the small city of Waco, Texas on a spontaneous road trip Tim and I decided to take. Why Texas? Well, in Milwaukee at the time it was negative degrees and snowing out so we were desperate to go anywhere that was warm! Texas also is HUGE and has so much to do. It has 4 major cities in it alone, all reasonable driving distance between each of them, which is awesome.
But why Waco, Texas specifically? Well. Have you ever seen that HGTV show called, Fixer Upper? I’m sure you have and if you watched it I’m sure you loved everything Chip and Joanna Gaines created in the beautiful homes they flipped. I fell in love with the show and Joanna’s style and what she and Chip built following the show which are the incredible Magnolia Silos in Waco, Texas! The grounds at the silos are home to Joanna’s bakery, The Silos Baking Company, Magnolia Market, as well as her high end home decor store, Magnolia Home, and so much more! I have always loved Chip and Joannas relationship on Fixer Upper (Chip reminds me of my own goofy boyfriend lol) and the story the two of them have. What they created and brought to life in the town of Waco for the community is amazing and beautiful – it was always a little bucket list of mine to visit.
So, with that being said, we packed up our car and took a 15 hour drive to Texas to checkout Waco, Texas! On our trip we made a stop in Kansas City and Austin, Texas so we could see as much as possible and make the trip even more valuable.
About Waco
The city of Waco surprisingly has a lot of history to it. The weirdest that you may have heard of is about the Branch Davidian compound in 1993, when David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian was stockpiling weapons and explosives at a ranch outside of town. Not just that odd piece of history, but Waco also had the worst tornado Texas has ever seen in 1953, fully leveling the entire town. Waco in short has been through a lot and holds a ton of history that you can tell right when you enter downtown.
- Population: About 140,000
- Home to Baylor University
- Fun fact, Dr. Pepper originated from Waco
Just a heads up that the city of Waco is very very small and not as “shiny” or cutesy as you may have expected from watching the show Fixer Upper. But nevertheless there is so much history in the city that we could see from all the buildings and plenty to do!
Things To Do In Waco
Visit The Magnolia Silos:
Okay obviously this one is a no brainer here! If you’re going to Waco, you definitely need to go to the Magnolia Silos.
The grounds are home to all the Magnolia brands – Magnolia Silos, Magnolia Market, Magnolia Home, Magnolia Seed and Supply, Magnolia Press and Silos Baking Company.
All of these places alone are must see, go to spots. I’ll breakdown each of them below:
Magnolia Silos:
This is pretty general to the entire grounds on the property but the two large silos really stand out on the grounds as a pillar to the entire place. The grounds have grass patches throughout that many kids are playing on, kicking around a soccer ball, people are playing a game of bags – it can get pretty crazy to be honest but it’s also amazing to see everyone together. It’s incredible to see so many different people coming together to one beautiful place to walk around, grab a bite to eat, shop or just sit on the grass and relax. But do prepare yourself for the crowd. I went in the afternoon on a Wednesday and it was packed. Absolutely packed! A few locals told us it is always like this all the time there. But, once the sun started to set, the grounds slowly cleared out. So I do suggest stopping by around 4pm for minimal crowds. Note that all the shops close at 6pm and the grounds themselves close at 7pm.
- Checkout the entire build of the Silos on “Fixer Upper Welcome Home, Season 1 Episode 5”
Magnolia Church:
Another hugely important place I think everyone should stop into is the church on the grounds. The church is historic to Waco, almost everything on the grounds is. It was built in 1892 and restored by Chip and Joanna. It’s kind of a surreal feeling to go from the super busy outside of the grounds to step inside the church to absolute silence. It is so peaceful and calming. Chip & Joanna apparently restored the church and kept it simple and open for guests to walk through with its purpose being to “anchor the entire property.”
Silos Baking Company:
Yes, it’s worth the wait. It really is. I highly suggest waiting in the long line that will wrap around the building at the Silos Baking Company just to try one of Joanna’s cupcakes. They are amazing, and that is saying a lot since I have never been a cupcake fan. And, you can grab a vintage bottle of Dr. Pepper from their fridge to compliment your baked goods.
- Want to see Chip and Joanna redo the building and create the Silos Baking Company? Fixer Upper Season 4 episode 10.
Magnolia Home:
Magnolia Home is Joanna’s high end home decor and interior design business. The place is absolutely beautiful inside with delightful candles and stunning furnishing and decor. It is extremely pricey though, so this for us was a “look don’t touch” walk through.
Magnolia Market:
Magnolia Market is home to many small items you can find at Magnolia Home as well as their entire back warehouse that is the discounted Magnolia Home items. We found a lot of beautiful items here such as plates, bowls, discounted candles, Christmas decor, large furniture Joanna hand picked locally and more.
The rest of the Silos are gorgeous and there is something for everyone. There is a section in front of the church that is home to 6 small shops that have everything from skincare, to leather handbags to a men’s curated shop and more. There is also a more quiet section that we spent time at right behind Magnolia Press (Chip & Joanna’s coffee shop) and behind Magnolia Home. There is a section that has seating and a beautiful fireplace. We sat down here and enjoyed the quietness, people watching and took a moment to relax before continuing through the grounds.
Also, don’t forget to grab food from the many food trucks on the silos! There are so many options you’ll definitely find something you love to eat.
Dr. Pepper Museum
We had no idea Dr. Pepper was started in Waco, Texas! It was a surprise to us when we passed the huge Dr. Pepper building right downtown and across from the Magnolia Silos. The Dr. Pepper museum has tours you can take and a make-your-own drink area as well. General admission is just $10 and you get a free drink with it!
Take A Day Trip To Austin or Dallas
The great thing about Waco is that it is in the center of two major Texas cities, Dallas & Austin. Each are only an hour and a half from Waco so they are easy day trips. We drove to Austin Texas for a day and walked around the city, checked out the Austin building by Ellsworth Kelly at the Blanton Museum and enjoyed some amazing brisket.
Shop For Antiques In Downtown Waco
I heard so much about the Spice Village in Waco when I was first looking at what to do. The Spice Village is a super cute shop with over 60 antique style boutiques inside. Everything from decor, clothing and antiques. Lets just say with an over 30,000 square foot building, you will most definitely find something you love here to take home with you.
Cameron Park
This is a park near Waco that many locals suggested to us. We didn’t have time for it on our trip but wished we had since apparently the park is very pretty and has a section on the Chisholm trail of animal art sculptures.
The Historic Gus Gas Station
This Ggs station in Waco was so cool! This old Gus gas station is historic to Waco and has been around since the 1920s and fully restored. Checkout the cute gas pumps and the red Thunder Bird on the property. Definitely makes for a fun photo op.
Places To Eat in Waco
Magnolia Table
If you are visiting Waco for the reasons of loving Chip & Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper, you have to stop at their restaurant, Magnolia Table. The restaurant is known for its farm to table brunch and Jo’s to die for biscuits! Seriously the best biscuits I’ve ever had and I definitely suggest getting all 5 of the butters they have to go with it. Each of them are amazing! Especially the cinnamon butter and honey butter.
Another favorite of ours was Jo’s Crunchy French Toast. I’ve never had Cornflakes on french toast before but it’s genius. The crunch with the bread and syrup is amazing.
- Watch the full renovation of the restaurant in Fixer Upper season 5 episode 17.
Hecho En Waco
This is a popular Mexican spot in Waco, within walking distance of the Magnolia Silos. Our favorite thing we ordered was the Sopa Azteca, I promise you it is amazing. The tomato and chile broth is so yummy and the avocado and sour cream on top are the perfect cherry on top.
Milk Bottle Cookies
We heard SO much about the cookies before visiting Waco and unfortunately we weren’t able to try them because they closed early the day we were able to go. So sad because these cookies look amazing. They are known for their super thick, massive cookies. The chocolate chip and cookies and cream look to die for.
Health Camp
This old diner is from 1948! If that alone isn’t the first reason you should go, it should then be for the fun name and cool diner look. Health Camp is the opposite of healthy, it’s an old vintage diner with burgers, fries and shakes. The outside is so cool and vintage, a yummy spot to eat and take fun photos!
Where To Stay In Waco
Thanks to Chip and Joanna Gaines and the tourism they drew to Waco, there are actually a lot of cute Airbnbs in Waco and for a super affordable price.
Although Waco itself doesn’t seem like it is the most shiny pretty city, I did feel safe throughout the city when walking around. The best spot to stay in is going to be downtown and really as close as you can get to downtown since that is the hub for a bunch of places you’ll want to visit.
Here is a link to our super cute Airbnb we stayed in. It’s a studio that fits 2 people, beautifully decorated, simple kitchen and your own labeled parking spot out front which is super nice.
Overall, we had an amazing time in Waco and Austin, Texas! Our road trip was one we’ll never forget because we went to see so much along the way. I highly recommend a trip to Waco, Texas to see the beautiful Magnolia Silos, check out the cute city of Waco and make a stop to more incredible Texas cities and towns on your trip too! There is so much to do in Texas the options are endless.
– Kat
