Visitor’s Guide to Waco & Everything Fixer Upper

All of you Fixer Upper fans are going to love this post! I’m sure by now you have heard of one of my husband and I’s most favorite shows, Fixer Upper. The two stars (Chip and Joanna Gaines) live near Waco, Texas and basically work magic on old “fixer uppers” in their area. They own a real estate company, a renovation company, and a retail shop annddd Joanna blogs! They seem very laid back and down to earth on their show which is one of the reasons my husband and I love them so much! Oh, and they work together, and raise four children on a farm! Yeah, so they are pretty much all-stars.

This past weekend we finally had the opportunity to visit Magnolia Market, better known as “The Silos.” We had an AMAZING time and got the opportunity to experience a good bit of Waco so I had to share because now I want you all to go check it out as well…so if you’re planning a trip to Magnolia Market, follow this fun tour to see Magnolia Market, some Fixer Upper homes, and a pile of other fun shops and spots in the Waco area!

Waco is about a 90 minute trip outside of Dallas. We flew in to Dallas, rented a car, and started our journey. The car ride is a pretty ride (you pass a lot of farm land) but not a lot of commercial so just be ready.
Your first stop on the road trip needs to be about 20 minutes outside of Waco at “The Czech Stop.” It is in a Shell gas station on the left side of the interstate. They have a bakery inside and TRUST ME when I tell you it is totally worth the stop. Incredible. Our favorite was the eclairs. VERY cheap and some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Although I am not sure you could go wrong at this bakery.

Our next stop was Magnolia Market {601 Webster Avenue, Waco, Texas}. There are paid parking lots nearby but even on a crazy crowded Saturday there seemed to be plenty of parking on the streets. Street parking is free. We parked and just walked the two-ish blocks to Magnolia Market. Another option is to park downtown and take the free shuttle (just have to give a tip).

The Market is INCREDIBLE. Totally awesome experience. The store is more of a thing to see than anything…Joanna has such a neat gift for decorating and her ideas had my brain spinning. The store was decorated for Valentine’s Day and featured some really neat displays.

Outside is the famous Magnolia bakery, green space to play, swings, food trucks, and perhaps my most favorite spot – The Green House which is another store with more outdoor-sie stuff you can buy. I particularly loved the way she displays her herbs – now I need a chicken feeder!

After Magnolia Market our next step on our tour was to grab a bite to eat. The food trucks looked delicious (we snagged a smoothie from one) but the lines were CRAZY long so we headed over (near Baylor) to one of Chip’s favorite lunch spots – Vitek’s Barbque. It was so delicious. Great atmosphere and great food!

Next on our tour was Harp Design Co {808 North 15th Street, Waco, Texas}. For anyone who watches the show Clint Harp, the owner, is one of the Gaines close friends and designs a lot of the furniture for Jo on the show. He owns his own store which we loved just as much as we loved Magnolia Market. They had some really neat stuff and most everything was pretty affordable – which we were pleasantly surprised by!

Finally it was time to take a look at some of our favorite “Fixer Uppers” homes from episodes we had watched in the past. The first was The Harp Home (pictured below). It was easy to view as it is on the same land as his shop. Unfortunately the Harps have actually sold it now due to privacy concerns, which I totally understand, but it was still very neat to see.

I have to sidebar here to note how sad a place Waco is – it was quite depressing and still so run down. My husband and I have often commented how we wondered when Chip and Joanna would run out of homes to fix up in their area…let me tell you…it will be awhile. The homes Chip and Jo have done stand out between all the thousands (literally) of run down homes in the area. I can’t imagine how much of a difference this sweet couple must be making for their community.
Next two houses we visited were both on Gorman Ave. The first is the two story home at the corner of 20th Street and Gorman Avenue and the second is on the corner of 28th Street and Gorman. The second one, called the Beanstalk Bungalow on Fixer Upper was one of my favorites with adorable window boxes to gorgeous farm house looking paint finishes!

Next stop is Joanna’s first shop – the original Magnolia store {3801 Bosque, Waco, Texas}. You can’t go inside any longer but it’s still cool to see their original sign and how small the shop used to be…plus as an added bonus they often park their food truck outside so you can get cupcakes fresh from the bakery without waiting in the bakery line.

The next stop is the home from the Pilot episode of the show. .It is located at the corner of Castle Avenue and Chateau Avenue in Waco. It’s fun to take a peek at the home and the Fixer Upper style is very evident from the roof tiles to the colors to the curb appeal.

After the home from the pilot episode we drove about 30 minutes to McGregor, TX to view Chip and Jo’s Bed & Breakfast better known as the Magnolia House {323 South Madison Avenue, McGregor, Texas}. The 1800’s home remodeled by Jo now serves as a vacation rental property – but be forewarned. It books a year out! None the less it is still fun to take a peek from outside the gate and spend some time in McGregor. Ya’ll we LOVED McGregor. Honestly, even more than Waco. There are some really awesome stores downtown and and this really neat old theater. It honestly just feels like your going back in time. You have to checkout a store downtown called “The Vibe.” I could have bought out the entire store if only it would have all fit into my suitcase. And the prices were SO cheap.

Next stop (well really three stops) are one of Jo’s favorite places to find vintage finds. The Cedar Chest, The Cedar Chest Too, and the storage Chest (in between the two shops) {31707 West Highway 84, McGregor, Texas} are the places to go for some vintage and antique treasures. We were so impressed with the prices and the abundance of novel items we saw. We could have spent a week in these three stores alone.
Last stop on the tour (because no trip to Waco is complete for total Chip and Jo fans such as ourselves) was their actual home. The Gaines live about 45 minutes outside of Waco in a GORGEOUS farm house off the highway {8601 Mazzini Court Flower Mound, Texas} . While you can’t see a TON you can see enough to know it is totally gorgeous. We drove by and then turned around and drove by once more in order to snap a few photos and take in the beauty. They live close to Lake Waco and you can easily go a little out of your way to see their home on your way back to Dallas.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Please let me know if you are headed to Waco and decide to follow this guide! We had a blast and hope to go back one day with a Uhaul (only half joking).

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