Magnolia Market and the Silos.

No one dreamed that two abandoned cottonseed silos would become the icon of a retail empire—but that is what happened. After the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Mill closed in 1958 and the silos ceased to serve as storage and sat unused.

Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Market grew quickly.  It began in Spice Village, a local Waco shopping spot that houses over sixty boutique stalls under one roof in downtown. From there they opened “Little Shop on Bosque” in 2003 that served as their first stand-alone retail store. The shop also happened to be one of their first “fixer-upper” projects.

In 2013 the couple took on television. Chip and Joanna took their Magnolia Homes brand and brought it to HGTV. On the show, the Gaines bought run-down homes in the Waco area and turned them into Joanna’s farmhouse chic style.

And then came tourists. Thrust into the modern tourism scene, Waco had some catching up to do, and so did the Gaines. Within a year, Chip and Joanna procured what would become the symbol of the brand, the Silos, and surrounding real estate. True to the nature of the TV show, these old silos needed immense renovation and the Joanna Gaines touch before they could welcome visitors. The Gaines quickly turned the neighboring building into the retail store, built a stage in front of the silos and a small building for the Magnolia Seed & Supply Garden Store, and drew up plans to convert the other adjacent building into a bakery.

But it was not until the Silos Baking Company moved into the last empty building in June 2016 that the Silos felt complete. Joanna had spent a great deal of time crafting recipes for her baked goods, and they were ready to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Already known for its crowds, the Silos now also had a bakery line stretching around the corner each day.

Though Fixer Upper stopped filming in 2018, the droves of tourists have yet to lessen. But with a new Magnolia line at Target and a construction company that continues on without the cameras, the Gaines are not really slowing down. Whether it is for the home décor, the food trucks, or the cupcakes, during their time in Waco thousands of travelers go and rest in the shade of the Silos and soak up the atmosphere the Gaines crafted.

I only stopped for a very brief visit to grab a few pictures.   I was getting very close to seeing my grandchildren and was in a hurry.