I am a huge fan of Fixer Upper. I mean who doesn’t like Chip and Jo, right? I love their personality and authenticity.
When I started to watch the show, I wasn’t fond of Joanna’s farmhouse style. I’m more MCM and boho meets coastal. Over time she incorporated modern and boho and popularized a “modern farmhouse” style. When that happened, I was hooked. I could watch her all day.
I still remember the episode where Joanna asked Chip about buying the Silos. Well, Chip — awesome man that he is — bought it and the rest is history. Ever since they opened for business seeing Magnolia has been on my bucket list.
This year hubby planned a trip to Texas to see his uncle and cousins and — awesome man that he is — Magnolia got added to the itinerary. I was tickled with the anticipation of seeing it in person.
Our mistake was booking the trip in July to accommodate our girl’s school schedules. July in Texas is like a heatwave we were told. We were so anticipating hot weather we took thermoses (for ice water) and twice the clothes we needed in case we needed a change.
Well, to our surprise it was hot but not humid. It was not even as bad as the weather we had already grown accustomed to at home. Pennsylvania, as you may know, is both hot and humid. So TX felt 5-10 cooler whatever the temperature. Fortunately an intermittent breeze kept made most of our days comfortable. Uncle Phil told us we had lucked out with unusually low July temperatures.
Thinking of visiting Magnolia yourself? Here are my tips to get the most out of your visit.
Avoid lunchtime and weekends if you want to spare yourself the crowds.
We got there before they opened and it was nice because there wasn’t a lot of people yet. There were only a few people in the store and the check-out was fast. So remember to get there early.
Check out the Silos Store but anticipate high prices.
All the the products that they sell in their store are handmade so expect to pay an arm and a leg for everything. I wanted to buy a souvenir so hubby got me a vase for $40. Crazy, right?
Don’t pay to park.
The Silo area is booming with activity. Churches and other businesses seeking to capitalize on the tourism, opened their lots for parking (about $10 for the day).
There’s free street parking if you’re willing to walk a short distance. We visited on two different days, once at 10am (parking 2 blocks away) and once at noon (parking 4 blocks away). Obviously, if you arrive during peak hours expect a longer walk.
Grab a bite from an on-site food truck.
We came back on a Friday and had hot dogs from one of the food trucks. The place has lot of picnic table to sit-on and eat your lunch which is great for family and friends to hang out.
Experience delight at the Silos Bakery.
The cupcakes ($3.50/ea) were great. We tried the Peach Pie, Strawberry Cream Pie and Chocolate. The Peach Pie cupcake was the best cupcake I’ve ever had. I recommend it if it’s available but I expect the flavors are season, so good luck.
The bakery has lines out the door so expect to wait about 15 to 20 minutes. Fortunately, the lines are shaded and the waitstaff is organized and keeps things moving.
You can pay for a Fixer Upper Tour located next to the Silos.
We were thinking about taking the tour to see the homes that Joanna did. It costs $35/person for the tour. It was a little pricey because we would have to pay for the kids as well. I did a research online and found the addresses of Magnolia House, Harps design, and other homes that was on the show. Click here to see the addresses.
We drove to see the Magnolia House and two of the house that they remodeled. We also drove by to see Chip and Joanna’s home.
Visit the old store for deeply discounted and clearance decor.
If you want to find clearance and good deals you have to go the original Magnolia store in Bosque. There are so many good deals to choose from. They are usually 50% off or more the original retail price. I would have bought more decor if not because of the weight to carry it on the plane. This store is about ten minutes from the Silos.
Consider nearby attractions.
We did not visit the Baylor University but this is one of the attractions in Waco.
Plan on commuting to Magnolia Table.
The restaurant is about 10 minutes away from the Silos. I would have loved to visit the Magnolia Table but I heard that the wait is very long. They serve breakfast and lunch but since we get free breakfast at our hotel, this did not appeal to us. We opted for the food truck at the Silos instead.
The customer service is excellent.
Right when you arrive, they have umbrellas you can use in case of rain or if it’s too hot. They have water stations where you get cold water if you’re thirsty. In case you forgot to bring your sunscreen, you may use the complimentary sunscreen located in the restrooms.
I love the mist and the fans everywhere and of course, the shaded area with tables and chairs to eat your lunch. We saw many kids playing corn hole and football in the lawn area.
Visiting Magnolia Silos is an experience I’ll never forget. This place is made for family to enjoy and spend time together. We’ll done Chip and Jo.
Jennabel
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