Weekend Guide To Magnolia Market At The Silos
As someone who grew up in Texas and saw Waco as a small, quiet college town for decades, it's amusing to witness the massive tourism movement it's experiencing. And it's (mostly) all thanks to two TV personalities: Chip and Joanna Gaines. After all, they're the ones to create the hit show Fixer Upper on HGTV, grew a loyal following of die-hard fans, and eventually opened the gorgeous Magnolia Market at the Silos near downtown Waco. And now, visiting Magnolia Market is THE top thing to do in Waco, Texas!
Fans of Chip and Jo travel from all over the state of Texas to shop, dine, and hang out at Magnolia Market. It's part shopping complex, part eatery, part, cute-vibes-hang-out-spot.
There's a small softball field, a plethora of food trucks, and boutique shopping like you can't even imagine.
If you adore the cozy, farmhouse style that Joanna Gaines represents, you're going to fall head-over-heels in love with Magnolia Market in Waco.
But first, the backstory.
When Did Magnolia Market Open?
The two large vintage silos that you see at Magnolia Market date all the way back to 1950! They were originally part of the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company and were used for storage until the 1990s.
Chip and Joanna decided to purchase them and do a MASSIVE renovation to the area. Magnolia Market opened in October 2015, although not in its current iteration. Since then, the area has undergone a few additions and renovations.
Quick Facts About Magnolia Market At The Silos
- It's marked by the two 120-foot tall silos. They're pretty iconic and you'll see them in lots of photos! Plus, they're the tallest aspect of the market, so you'll see them first if you're walking from another area of downtown.
- It's always closed on Sundays
- Magnolia Market is home to multiple places to eat, including several food trucks, Silos Baking Company, and a coffee shop.
- The namesake restaurant, Magnolia Table, actually isn't located at Magnolia Market! You have to drive about 8 minutes to get to the restaurant.
- There's no dedicated parking lot at Magnolia Market.
- It's totally free to visit!
Tips For Visiting Magnolia Market For The First Time
Chip and Joanna Gaines opened Magnolia Market to bring together all the things they value as a company: friends, family, food, beauty, and home. Every aspect of the market is a reflection of these things.
While you can simply show up and wander and enjoy yourself, here are a few tips for visiting Magnolia Market that will help any first timer.
It's open Monday through Saturday, and that's the biggest component of planning you'll need to take into account! I once tried to stop by on a Sunday when I was driving through Waco and was sorely disappointed.
This is especially important if you're planning a destination trip to Waco. After all, it's just 1.5 hours from Dallas and 1.5 hours from Austin. You can easily visit Magnolia Market as a day trip from either of these cities!
Food At Magnolia Market
Magnolia Table
The namesake restaurant, Magnolia Table, is a must-visit if you're new to Waco. This darling restaurant is wrapped in a welcoming, warm energy that kind of makes you feel like you're sitting down at Joanna Gaines's home table.
Magnolia Table focuses on fresh, simple meals made from homegrown ingredients. Start with one of those delicious pastries from Silos Baking Company, like the maple-glazed cinnamon roll or the flaky butter croissant. From there, the large plates (and they really are very large - arrive hungry!!) include classics like farm eggs benedict and unique takes like Jo's Crunchy French Toast made with housemate caramel cornflake crunch.
Lunch options stay in the farmhouse theme, with items like a hearty chicken salad sandwich with mayo, pecans, chives, red grapes, and crisp butter lettuce, all served on one of those flaky croissants from Silos Baking Company. Another crowd favorite is the 1919 pimiento grilled cheese, made on griddled sourdough bread and served with a cup of soup. It's delicious on a chilly Texas winter day.
The restaurant gets absolutely packed (especially on the weekends!) so make reservations ahead of time. If you didn't have time to make reservations, you can definitely just put your name on the waitlist, but it's known to have several hours long queues during weekend brunch hours.
Another way around this? Dine really early! It's open at 7 am, so if you're an early riser, you win! It's rarely crowded this early in the day, so you can sneak in, enjoy a hot cup of coffee and those housemade buttermilk pancakes with thick-cut peppered bacon, and you'll beat the crowds.
WEBSITE | 2132 S Valley Mills Dr, Waco, TX 76706
Magnolia Press Coffee Co.
From here, everything is located at the actual Magnolia Market, so you can walk and wander to visit any of the eateries.
If you're visiting early in the day, your first stop should be at Magnolia Press Coffee Co. Their goal in creating this space was for it to be a welcoming spot for guests to slow down, build community, and pause in an inspiring ambiance.
Of course, you can get your coffee to-go. But if you have the time, order a cappuccino to stay, pair it with a slice of that delicious chocolate cake, and enjoy a slow, leisurely start to your morning.
Joanna said that she wanted it to be a blend of that "library feeling" paired with "industrial." It includes a signature Baylor green color paired with brass accents, rustic cement floors, and a warm, walnut cabinetry. The entire space makes you want to stay a while and settle in with a cup of coffee and a good book.
WEBSITE | 418 S 8th St, Waco, TX 76706
Silos Baking Co.
After Magnolia Table, this is probably the most popular food destination at Magnolia Market. Silos Baking Co. will most likely have a line when you visit, and for good reason - the pastries are incredible!
You can actually watch Chip and Jo bring this building back to life on season 4 of Fixer Upper, so go back and watch that if you want to witness the transformation before you see it in real life.
The building itself is more than 100-years-old. It was part of the original cotton oil mill, and then it became a flower shop until 2010. After a careful renovation, it's now an adorable bakery that serves cupcakes, cookies, and pastries.
Planning to buy a bunch of pastries for a crowd? You can order a minimum of 3 dozen pastries 48 hours in advance!
WEBSITE | 601 Webster Ave, Waco, TX 76701
Food Trucks at Magnolia Market
The food trucks at Magnolia Market are the least "branded" aspect...meaning they don't have that chic, farmhouse feel that you'll find at the bakery, Magnolia table, or the Press Coffee Co. However, when you've been shopping for a few hours and you need something of more sustenance than a sugary cupcake or a slice of cake, the food trucks definitely have their place.
Most food trucks are open 11 am - 5 pm, Monday - Saturday. But since they're third-party operated, some of them have different hours.
900 Degree Pizza: Pizza truck that sources all their ingredients straight from Italy
Club Sandwich: Asian fusion
Summer Snow: shaved ice
Captain Billy Whizzbangs: old-fashioned burgers and fries
Cheddar Box: reimagined grilled cheese sandwiches
Luna Juice: fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies
H.O.T. Dog House: classic all-beef hot dogs
Chuck's Gourmet Popcorn: all types of gourmet popcorn, from classic butter to salted caramel
Waffle Chic: sweet and savory waffles
Alabama Sweet Tea: freshly-brewed sweet tea served in a reusable glass jar
With a total of ten food trucks at Magnolia Market, there's no shortage of places to eat! You could visit multiple times and still not try everything they have to offer. A good game plan is to start your day at Magnolia Table for breakfast, grab some coffee at Press while you do your shopping, and then refuel at one of the food trucks midday. There are a bunch of picnic tables and a big turf lawn where folks can enjoy their food. Then, get some cupcakes from Silos Baking Co. to bring home as a souvenir!
Shopping At Magnolia Market
It should come as no surprise to you that shopping at Magnolia Market is the main event. What started as a 12,000-sq-ft market full of curated home goods, apparel, and specialty items has grown even larger in the last few years!
There are four main areas for shopping: Magnolia Market, Magnolia Home, Shops at the Silos, and Little Shop on Bosque.
Magnolia Market
The original market from when this place opened back in 2015, Magnolia Market offers curated goods that reflect on a seasonal theme (which is also the theme you'll see in that beautiful Magnolia Journal on grocery store shelves.)
There are a lot of home goods here, like candles, vases, flowers, baskets, wall decor, pillows, and such. If you're just stopping by for a quick trip and want to pick up a few nice things to make your house look and smell beautiful, you'll find something here!
WEBSITE | 601 Webster Ave, Waco, TX 76706
Magnolia Home
Magnolia Home is so much fun! They've set up various "rooms" that are completely designed, styled, and arranged to feel like you're walking through one of the Fixer Upper houses that Jo designed.
You'll probably want to sit down on all the sofas, run your hands across the bedding, and maybe even purchase an item or two to have in your own home. And they don't just sell big furniture pieces (although those are a component of Magnolia Home.) They also have home decor like mirrors and plants, art, rugs, and unique accent pieces.
If nothing else, simply walking through this store will leave you feeling peaceful and inspired. It's really lovely.
WEBSITE | 418 S 8th St, Waco, TX 76706
Shops At The Silos
This is my personal favorite part of Magnolia Market! The shops at the silos are 6 individual shops that each have a unique theme. They've been filled with specialty items to reflect the theme, like a retro plant shop, women's clothing, men's provisions, etc.
Since the shops are spread out around the old church (there are 3 on one side of the lawn and 3 on the other side), shopping here feels a bit like walking through an outdoor shopping mall...if that shopping mall only offered boutique stores with custom-curated goods from Joanna Gaines!
Here's a look at the stores and what they offer:
Chapter One: this is where you'll find paper goods like stationary, writing tools, and organizational items for your desk.
They also have books and magazines (mostly from Chip and Joanna). If you're looking for a place to feel organized and inspired, Chapter One has a lot of cute stuff.
Reverie: If you've ever watched Joanna Gaines on Fixer Upper and thought, "wow, I really love her style! I wonder where she got that _____ (dress/blouse/pair of jeans)" then you'll love Reverie! It's a women's clothing store that basically looks like someone took all of the clothes from Jo's closet and put them in here. There are a lot of basic yet beautiful pieces like flowy dresses, easy tops, flattering jeans, cozy sweaters, and other evergreen pieces designed to be in your closet for a long, long time.
Ferny's Retro Plant Shop: calling all the plant lovers! Ferny's was actually curated by Jo's younger sister, and it features a wide selection of houseplants, planters, and other plant accessories.
There are some cute plant-themed items like shirts, mugs, puzzles, totes, and hand towels. If you have a plant lover in your life and want some fun gift ideas, you'll be able to find something here.
Vie Bien Aimee: you'll be able to smell this store before you even walk in the door - and it's lovely! Vie Bien Aimee translates to "a life well loved," and this boutique is full of specialty bath and beauty items to help you elevate the everyday.
From skincare to fragrance, bath items to body products, there's a little bit of everything here. They even sell some luxurious silk robes and pajamas. Visitors will probably walk out of this store smelling a bit like lemon lavender.
No. 16: It's all about Chip here! Everything inside this boutique is rugged, outdoorsy, playful, and fun. There are baseball bats, electronics and speakers, hats, grilling accessories, and all sorts of crafts and games for kids and the whole family.
Tried and True: and finally, the accessories store! This is especially for people who love timeless items that will last for years and years.
We're talking about sturdy, beautifully-made leather bags, classic gold jewelry pieces, canvas totes, and other beautiful accessories from a curated selection of vendors.
The Wiffle Ball Field at the Silos
There's a random baseball field at Magnolia Market, which might seem a bit out of place. But once you know the backstory, it's actually very cool!
Katy Ballpark existed right here back in the early 1900s. It was home to the Waco Cubs, a minor league team that played until the Great Depression forced them to end the team. They revamped the team later on (this time as the Waco Pirates...maybe a bit of a strange name for a landlocked city?) and then they had another bout of bad luck when that horrible tornado came through Waco in the 1950s.
It was eventually paved over into a parking lot. But in 2020 when Chip and Joanna decided to take advantage of the quiet time during the Pandemic and do some additions to Magnolia Market. They decided to rebuild the ballpark, this time making it a bit smaller and using it as a wiffle ball field (so there are no baseballs soaring through the air as visitors are trying to shop!)
The result is an adorable field that's used by the community. There's even a little concession stand nearby!
Other Things To Do At Magnolia Market
Besides shopping, eating, and watching the wiffle ball games, there's also a big lawn area that's covered in turf. There are several corn-hole sets and lots of space for kids to run around, as well as plenty of seats where you can sit, relax, and drink your coffee from Magnolia Press.
There's also a little photo booth near the food trucks. It's very cute!
Finally, if you want some seasonal events, Magnolia Market hosts a "Silobration" every October. It's a big homecoming event with specialty vendors, live music, and more!
There's also a little photo booth near the food trucks. It's very cute!
Where To Stay Near Magnolia Market
There are several generic hotels near Magnolia Market. If you're planning to stop by Waco for the weekend, hotels might be the most cost effective option.
But if you want the full Magnolia experience, there are four vacation rentals on the property that were actually featured on various seasons of Fixer Upper! You can rent the Carriage House, Hillcrest Estate, Magnolia House, or Hillcrest Cottage for a minimum of 2 nights and a maximum of 7 nights. (No check-in available on Sundays.)
They've also announced that they're going to be opening a boutique hotel called Hotel 1928. Coming soon!
Hopefully after reading all of this you can clearly see that Magnolia Market requires a full day to experience! There's a lot to see, plenty to eat, and a BUNCH of shopping available. It's the type of place you'll want to visit again and again because the collections are constantly evolving, so there's always something new to find.