Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Visit Waco

The Amazing Downtown Revitalization Project

Waco is a city experiencing an obvious rebirth, and so much of the growth and revitalization is taking place right downtown. As if there wasn’t already plenty to do there in the heart of the city, everywhere we looked there were new shops and restaurants going up and old buildings being remodeled and restored for business. The blend of old and new lends Waco a strange aura of both excitement and old town charm.

And Downtown Waco was so incredibly easy to navigate! Finding parking was easy and we never had trouble getting from one place to another. We never felt unsafe or uncomfortable anywhere downtown either, which, of course, was important to me as a mom!

Magnolia Market at the Silos

Surely you knew I couldn’t write about a visit to Waco without mentioning Magnolia!

There’s no question Chip and Joanna Gaines are at the heart of Waco’s revitalization. Their success has been a huge bump to a city known before merely as the stop between Dallas and Austin, or maybe as the home of Baylor University. I think it amazing, (and wonderful!) that the Gaines didn’t choose to transfer their success to Dallas or Fort Worth in hopes of growing it. Instead, they have built their empire in their beloved hometown, and we are seeing the entire city’s rebirth because of it!

But Magnolia is more than hype. A visit to the Silos is a fun and unique experience for the whole family. Yes, there is the market, full of Gaine-ish décor and licensed merchandise, but outdoors there is a huge area for games with food trucks and tables for dining. There were people playing frisbee and corn hole, families picnicking, and children building with blocks on the lawn. It wasn’t just a place to shop – It was a family destination for some relaxing fun.

And the cupcakes. I fully expected these little baked beauties to have been highly overrated, but, oh, how wrong I was! It was the moistest, tastiest cupcake I have ever eaten. (I got the Chocolatier, just in case you were wondering, but our family tried almost all of them and they were all delicious. 😉)

The Awesome Shops

I think I was a little overwhelmed at the number and variety of unique shops Waco had to offer. From décor and antiques, to rustic Texas merchandise, to candy and specialty foods, Waco had more amazing shops than we could possibly visit in the time we had there.

But we tried to hit as many as we could! If you are a fan of Fixer Upper, then of course you have to visit Harp Design Co., but then the Findery was one of my personal favorites, and Pop Sugar was a hit with my kids. I have to put in a plug for The Spice Village, which is a collection of shops with something to appeal to anyone and everyone. Our time there was limited, but I seriously could have wondered that place for hours.

The Fun Museums

My husband is a big Dr. Pepper fan, and so a visit to the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco was high on his list of priorities.

Me? Not so much. Sorry, Dr. Pepper drinkers, but I’ve always thought Dr. Pepper tasted like cough syrup. And yet I found myself fascinated with the museum! My kids loved it, too, perhaps especially the Liquid Laboratory where they got a soda-making demonstration and got to sample some unique soda flavors.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum was fun for the family, too! What a uniquely Texan place, full of intrinsically Texan history and memorabilia.

Incidentally, you can stop in at the Waco Tourist Information Center right next to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum for discounts to both of these museums and more!

Fun and family-friendly destinations aren’t always easy to come by. Maybe that’s why we fell so in love with Waco.

It’s my new favorite Texas town! And it’s definitely worth your visit…