Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, Texas, is quite a sight to behold! It’s no wonder why visitors from all over the world come yearlong – this shopping complex definitely packs a punch. Created by HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Marketplace spans two city blocks of pristine property with six meticulously curated shops filled with home decor that will make your heart skip a beat. From picture-perfect linens and tabletops to unique knick-knacks you never dreamed you needed – it truly is an unforgettable experience!
I went there with my husband during when we were traveling between Dallas and Austin in an RV.
Magnolia Market’s Grounds
The Magnolia Market’s most recognizable feature is the two 120-feet silos marked with Chip + Joanna, a lovely testament to their 19-year marriage. The silos were built in 1950 for the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company. It is commendable that they left them on the property.
Everything at the Magnolia Market is picture-worthy and pristine. Even the stepping stones, grass, signs, and sitting areas have purpose and thought into the making and placement.
There are so may things to see here, and my suggestion is to grab a coffee and pastry and start strolling.
The wiffleball field threw me for a loop. Knowing nothing about the Magnolia Marketplace, I understood the boutique shops, food trucks, and other cute sprinklings, like the nostalgic photo booth, but a wiffleball field?
Everything about this carefully curated property leads back to “it’s time for the pendulum of the trend to swing back to the basics,” their motto and inspiration. This field pays homage to Katy Park, a landmark in Waco since 1905, where legends like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig once played.
Magnolia Market’s grounds offer plenty of trash receptacles and recycling bins. To me, that speaks loads about their concern for cleanliness, taking care of the environment, and just plain thoughtfulness. Kudos.
As you can see, the signage is primo, and you will always be able to find what you are looking for with this handy guide to Magnolia Market.
Shopping at Magnolia Market
Shopping is the main draw to Magnolia Market. The pristine property has six Jo-curated shops with a particular look and theme in mind. They are picture-perfect and sure to make you want something you never dreamed you needed before walking out.
I could spend hours browsing the lovely linen and pillow collections, beautifully set tables, and knick-knacks.
Shops include:
- Chapter One
- Reverie
- Vie Bien Aimee
- Tried & True
- No. 16
- Ferny’s Retro Plant Shop
The shops at Magnolia Market even include an arsenal of books, cards, kitchen accessories, and clothing. It’s like walking through a magazine and being able to touch the items to verify the quality of the goods.
Who doesn’t love that?
Eating Breakfast at Magnolia Table
Your guide to Magnolia Market would have to include a visit to the primo dining spot. Magnolia Table, is not on the Magnolia Market and Silos property, but at 2132 S. Valley Mills Drive. This upscale eatery serving breakfast and lunch specializes in recipes with homegrown ingredients.
Reservations are recommended, but if you arrive at opening time, you may stand a chance to get seated as we did. Magnolia Table is closed on Sundays.
Starters range from a butter flight, lemon lavender donut holes, pimento cheese and crackers, and deviled eggs with jalapeño jam. I tried the butter flight and thought it was a great concept, but two fall and winter flavors were not very tasty.
The summer choices of honey, lemon, mixed berry, and spring herb butter sound much better.
I ordered the Farm Breakfast with two eggs cooked to order, biscuit, peppered bacon (or house sausage), and house-made tater tots. The peppered bacon was delicious, but let’s talk about those tater tots! They were round and huge and so creamy. I’ve never had potatoes like this, and to me, it was the star of the plate.
My husband chose the Farm Eggs Benedict, sprinkled with chives.
Pro Tip: Check out the Magnolia Table website to see the current walk-in wait times or to make reservations.
Dining Options on Magnolia Market Property
At the Magnolia Market, you’ll find food trucks, an excellent bakery (Silos Baking Co), and a coffee shop.
Silos Baking Co. has jaw-dropping pastries, cookies, cupcakes, and scratch-made scones. Magnolia Press specializes in coffee treats, French press, lattes, cocoa, and hot tea.
They also have pastries, oatmeal, muffins, croissants, and the legendary Magnolia Press Chocolate Cake filled with cream cheese and topped with chocolate ganache.
Current food trucks include Club Sandwich, Guess Family BBQ, Summer Snow, Chuck’s Gourmet Popcorn, H.O.T. Dog House, Airstream, Captain Billy Whizzbangs, Silos Baking Co., Maggie’s Sweet Shoppe, Magnolia Table, and 900 Degree Pizza.
You can grab a drink at Alabama Sweet Tea and Luna Juice. Food truck hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 AM -4 PM, and Friday and Saturday, 11 AM -5 PM.
Other Things to See in Waco
Driving through Waco, the McLennan County Courthouse is hard to miss, and you won’t want to. The lovely structure was built in 1901 by architect James Riley Gordon, who also built the Arizona State Capitol building.
On the top of the central dome stands the Greek goddess of divine order, Themis.
Waco also has several fun murals to check out. A fun fact is that the beverage, Dr. Pepper, was created, manufactured, and first sold in Waco, so the “Be a Pepper’ mural is perfectly fitting.
You might want to pencil in a few others: “Greetings from Waco,” Bold Waco, and Donut Sun, at 1924 N Valley Mills Drive, a few minutes from downtown.
Another must-try in Waco is the delicious treats from Collin Street Bakery, a 120-year-old locally owned business that can make a fruitcake lover out of near anyone.
Besides the world-famous fruitcake, you’ll find breakfast and lunch items like biscuits, soups, sandwiches, “adult Lunchables” and salads, Costa Rican coffee, and a plethora of delicious baked goods, cheesecakes, and pies.
We always get a box of cookies from Collin Street, including a cherry ice box, sand tarts, M&M cookies, iced oatmeal, and chocolate chip with pecans. Mmm, mmm, good.
Two of my favorite things to see in Waco are the John Roebling Waco Suspension Bridge, currently being renovated, and the “Branding the Brazos” Sculpture. The bridge is a gorgeous single-span suspension bridge, spanning 475 at the main point and containing three-million bricks.
They call it the “Granddaddy of Texas Bridges.”
Parks are on either side of the bridge, Indian Spring and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Branding the Brazos is a group depicting 25 huge bronze longhorns driven by three cowboys. They sit on the south side of the Brazos River and are more than double lifesize. They celebrate 150 years of the Chisholm Trail.
It is doubtful that anyone my age would not still associate Waco with the horrific 51-day standoff and siege that occurred in 1993. The Branch Davidians complex is open for tourism, where guests can pay their respects to those who lost their lives at 1781 Double Ee Ranch Rd. A memorial simulates the respective graves.
I did not go onto the property, but did drive to it.
A Great RV Camping Option
Though the campground is about 20 minutes from Magnolia Silos, we enjoyed our stay at the Lake Waco Marina. We enjoyed a pull-thru site and full hook-ups, plus the best sunsets we saw in Texas over nearly six months of being in the Lone Star State.
Lake Waco’s grounds are lovely for walking, strolling with pets, and bike riding. You can also cast a line and fish from the banks. Suppose you are interested in getting out on the water. In that case, boat rentals are available from the marina, as well as inflatable kayaks and bote boards, something I needed to familiarize myself with.
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