Magnolia Market & the Silos in Waco, TX – Everything You Need to Know

On our way home from San Antonio, our route just happened to have us driving straight through Waco. We have been a long time fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines, fixer-upper and the Magnolia Network. Visiting the Silos has been high on our list of places to go for quite some time now, so this was the perfect opportunity! We had done a lot of reading and planning prior to our visit but even with that I don’t think we understood quite how massive and all encompassing the complex is. It’s quite a place to visit! If you haven’t already, check out our review on Youtube.

We knew it was important to get there early and start the day before the crowds arrived and before the heat set in. We went on a Saturday in May. It just happened to be Baylor’s graduation day and there was also a book signing going on for Magnolia Publishing’s first book, so it was a little extra busy. We would recommend going during the week for a less crowded experience.

Parking was surprisingly easy. There’s a small lot for the Silos. However, there’s also street parking and several parking lots owned by local churches which provide plenty of spaces. The lots all seemed to charge a flat rate for parking. We opted to park in the church lot which was right beside the Silo complex. It cost $10, was spacious enough for our F450 to park and was as close to the silos as we could get.

The first area we encountered was the Silos Baking Company. There was a line already established. Thankfully, they have a large event tent set up to keep the outdoor portion of the line in the shade. Much to our surprise, the line moved fairly quickly. They had employees outside who were passing out QR codes so people could review the menu prior to entering which really helped to speed up the process. We waited about 25 minutes in line in total. When we got inside, we asked the worker what the lines are normally like and he said at peak times on Fridays and Saturdays sometimes the line can be as long as two hours!

The Silos Baking Company offers a variety of different cupcakes (both seasonal and staple flavors), breakfast pastries, cookies and a limited selection of drinks. Shannon got a lemon lavender cupcake and elderflower lemonade. Josh got a seasonal carrot cake cupcake. And Olivia got a strawberry cupcake. We also got one of Joanna’s signature chocolate chip cookies to bring home. We sat outside in the courtyard and enjoyed our baked goods.

Something worth noting is there is no coffee available at the Silos Baking Company. Elsewhere on the property, they do have their own coffee shop called Magnolia Press. This is one of the only places we didn’t try, but we did go inside to take some video. It looked and smelled wonderful! One thought we had is one person could wait in line for coffee and the other could wait for the bakery. Then, we could meet up and share our coffees and cupcakes together without having to wait in line twice.

If you’re looking for a great place to snap a few photos of your trip, you won’t have to look far. There are plenty of beautiful photo op stations throughout the property which are completely Instagram worthy!

Next, we went into the Magnolia Market store. Here, Joanna curates seasonal selections of home decor, kitchen items and trinkets. There’s also a selection of shirts including a #demoday shirt! And… best of all… authentic Jimmy Don metal signs. We picked up an ornament, a Silos tank top and a cupcake pin for Olivia.

Outside of the market is a turf field for the kids to play on. There are baskets full of balls to kick around, corn hole boards and a few other games. Around the perimeter, there are beanbag chairs, magnolia trees and shaded seating areas for visitors to enjoy. On one side, you can see the namesake Silos, under which there is a shaded seating area with cooling fans and picnic tables. In the far back corner you’ll find the seed and feed store- complete with a curated garden and oasis lounge area. Next to the seed and feed, you will find a set of very clean and beautifully decorated bathrooms.

On the remaining two sides of the square, you’ll find the food truck court. Here, they have everything from a juice bar serving blended watermelons to barbecue to refillable Alabama sweet tea to Asian fusion and gourmet grilled cheese. Magnolia also has a Silos Baking Company airstream and a Magnolia Table concession stand which offers a limited selection of items from the Magnolia Table restaurant menu.

We first got a blended watermelon from the juice truck. They took a personal seedless watermelon, cut a hole in the top, stuck in a hand mixer and beat it all up! It made the perfect pulpy watermelon juice which was refreshing on such a hot day. Olivia loved this!

We also got to Alabama Sweet Teas. They come in 24 ounce glass mason jars for nine dollars with two dollar refills. They offer unsweetened, half sweet, regular sweet and cinnamon teas. To us, in the hundred degree heat, it was absolutely worth it to purchase these. We refilled them several times during our visit and got our money’s worth.

We walked through the church on the way to the shops at the silos. This old, historic church was bought by Chip and Joanna, transported to the Silos property and restored back to life. It’s a great place to admire while you cool off.

The shops at the silos are six different mini stores which are each curated to a different theme. On the left, is Number 16, a men’s provisions store. Afterwards is Chapter 1 which is a paper goods store. Last on that side is Vie bien Aimee which showcases body care products. On the opposite side is Tried and True, a leather goods, purses and jewelry boutique. This is followed by Reverie, full of women’s clothing. There is also a sixth shop which is currently in development.

On this end of the property, you will also find the Magnolia Home store where Joanna has decorated several different rooms full of items for purchase- just in case you need inspiration for your own home.

The Magnolia Press coffee shop is attached to Magnolia Home at the front and is also accessible from the courtyard area.

In the center, there is a wiffleball court complete with balls and bats for families to play. Josh got lunch from Club Sandwich which is confusingly named as it is actually an Asian fusion truck. The food was delicious and had the longest line I’ve any of the food trucks. Like they always say, if there isn’t a line full of people waiting, the food probably isn’t that good. I would say this is definitely true!

I had a sandwich from the Magnolia Table stand which was also delicious. Olivia had a hotdog.

There truly is something for everyone at Magnolia. The entire complex is just impressive and I don’t think there is any other way to describe it. They have thought of every detail imaginable and have really done an outstanding job. Even if you went in just to look around and walk through it without purchasing anything, I think it is definitely worth your time.

To see everything, you need at least a full half-day if not an entire day there. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 to 6. If you find something you love but don’t have room to bring it back, they also have shipping to your home as well as the ability to purchase online. If you are service members, first responders, medical staff, etc, just let them know and they are more than happy to give you a discount for your service.

After we left the area, we headed over to their other store called the Little Shop on Bosque. This was the location of their first store way back in the day. It has since been revamped into a location where they sell out of season items and also slightly damaged items at a discounted price. Though the selection here is limited, you can find some pretty good deals, depending on what you’re looking for.

For example, when we were at the Silos, there were a pair of homebody lounge sweats that I really wanted, but I didn’t want to spend the money on them. They were on display at the Silos in springtime colors like blush, white, gray. I didn’t purchase any from the Silos, but when I went to the Little Shop on Bosque, they had the same outfit in last season’s Christmasy colors. I was able to pick up a set of the identical pajamas but in a pine green color for 50% off. To me, this is definitely worth it as they are exactly the same item just in a different color! And, the color will be back in season again in just a few months for the holidays anyway. I may just save them as a Christmas gift to myself!

Bonus- there was a second Alabama sweet tea truck at this location and they did honor the $2 refills from the silos so we were able to fill up our tea again!

Visiting the Silos has been on our bucket for sometime now and it definitely did not disappoint. We would go back again in a heartbeat and we enjoyed a great day there as a family. 

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