One of my favorite stops on our Spring 2022 “Faith Over Fear” journey across the country was in Waco, Texas. We decided to take a two day detour to visit Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia At The Silos property. We have been long time viewers and admirers through their HGTV show, Fixer Upper.  

Chip and Joanna live their lives through the public eye, but there is something different about them that draws you in and makes you want to know what that something is. When watching their show about fixing up dilapidated houses, it is truly about so much more. Their show is about life, business, family, friends, and a whole lot of faith. For me, it’s their genuine passion for all that they do that drew me to want to visit Magnolia in Waco. 

While visiting Waco we camped at Airport Park Campground in our 2021 Grand Design Imagine 2500RL. Airport Park is a US Army Corps of Engineers Campground and was only $28.00 a night. We recently learned about these type of campgrounds and have been extremely pleased every time we have stayed at one. Another nice perk is, if you are 62 or older and hold an America The Beautiful Park Pass, you can stay at a US Army Corps of Engineers Park for half the price. Reservations have to be made through Recreation.gov and it’s there that you will enter your Park Pass for the discount. 

It’s important to know that Magnolia is closed on Sundays. I believe they do this to honor family time and the importance of being able to attend church as a family. With this knowledge, we planned our visit there on a Monday in April of 2022. 

My husband Stan, while very supportive of my suggestion to visit Magnolia, didn’t put this on the top of his list of places to visit when we were planning our travels. I have to thank him though for making the day a joyful experience and keeping us out of the crowds. Here are our tips to help make your visit just as joyful and stress free!

• Magnolia Table  was our first stop. We arrived at 7:30am and we were seated right away. I ordered the Skillet Porridge Oatmeal and Stan got the Farm Eggs Benedict. I thought my oatmeal was honestly the best I had ever had. Stan enjoyed the uniqueness of his eggs benedict over buttermilk biscuits, but he isn’t used to good old fashioned cooking and the homemade biscuits may have been a little too much for his Pillsbury taste. 😁

When we left Magnolia Table at 8:15 a.m. there was a 45 minute wait. Magnolia Table serves Breakfast and Lunch only and is open Monday – Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Reservations can be made on their website through OpenTable. 

• Parking At The Silos ~ The drive from Magnolia Table to Magnolia At The Silos Property is an 8 minute drive. Our plan was to arrive by 8:30 a.m. to get in on the free parking, and it worked! We were able to park on Webster Ave. by Magnolia Press Coffee Co. and walk right in the gates of the property. There are also free parking lots in downtown Waco where you can ride a trolly or walk to the silos property. 

• THE SHOPS,  Magnolia Market, Magnolia Home and Magnolia Seed + Supply all open up at 9:00 a.m. so arriving a little early gave us time to get a lay of the land before heading into the stores.  While preliminarily exploring the property, we were able to visit the Old Church (one of the oldest structures in Waco), watch a family play a round of wiffle ball on Katy Ballpark (Home Plate sits exactly where it did in 1905 when it was Katy Field), get a good view of the Silos (only from the outside…you can’t go in them), walk around the garden and greenhouse in front of Magnolia Seed + Supply (the garden has provided food for the Salvation Army and Magnolia Table), and visited the extraordinarily clean bathrooms (this is when I realized the attention to detail in EVERYTHING at Magnolia was top notch).

• SHOPPING ~ 9:00 a.m. came and the first thing we did was peruse Magnolia Market and the Grain Barn which is inside the Market. Here you can find many of Jo’s curated home collection items, souvenirs, and Jimmy Don’s metal signs. Definitely one of my favorite places! Next, we went through all six specialty shops like No. 16 which was named after Chip’s baseball jersey number. Next stop was Magnolia Home which is an elegant retail space that showcases room specific Magnolia style interior designs.

• COFFEE ~ Before heading out we made sure to stop at Magnolia Press Coffee Co. for a latte and a Lemon Blueberry Roll. Although it opens up at 7:00 a.m., we weren’t ready for another coffee until the end of our visit and before heading to our last stop of the day.  Interestingly, we discovered this building is not a historic site, but was formerly a Yoga and Cross Fit Studio. Jo and Chip personally designed this property to feel like a library to give people a place to work and create community. 

• Little Shop On Bosque ~ This is where Jo opened up her first home décor boutique which, by no surprise, was called Magnolia. This would be our destination to find good deals on some souvenirs to bring back home to family since they offer last chance items at a discount. We were successful! Here I found shirts for myself, my daughter and my three daughter-in-laws, a Christmas ornament with the Silos imprint and a candle. There are truly some great finds here so be sure to make it part of your day! The property is not located at the Silos, but is about 10 minutes away and is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 

• Bonus Tips ~
  • Ask a team member for a Magnolia Passport and get a stamp for stops on your visit.
  • Check Magnolia website for trip itineraries based on the amount of time you plan on visiting
  • Magnolia Vacation Rentals are available on the website
  • The Waco Convention & Visitor Bureau has created “The Magnolia Trail”, a self guided tour
  • To see houses Chip and Joanna have flipped, many companies in Waco offer paid tours. 

Our visit to Magnolia was a one of a kind experience. I don’t know how they do it, but they make you feel like you are family who they have welcomed into their home and it feels as if they have personally cared for every detail of your visit. I will probably never meet these two amazing people this side of heaven, but I feel like I have shared a meal with them, taken a leisurely stroll with them, and seen their hearts in everything they have touched. Thank you Chip and Joanna for an amazing experience! God Bless you both and many blessings to the readers of this blog, you will truly love this place!

Rhonda Sue Wijnhamer