Chip and Joanna Gaines Pick Their Favorite Places You Need to Visit in Waco, Texas
If you’re a Fixer Upper fan, your 2017 resolution might include a trip to Chip and Joanna Gaines’ hometown of Waco, Texas.
Of course their ever-expanding destination Magnolia Market at the Silos, which includes spots to shop, eat and play games on the properties “big green lawn,” has been a huge draw for the small southern town, attracting 15,000 visitors per week, according to a 2015 article in the Waco Tribune. In their most recent Magnolia newsletter, however, HGTV’s first couple prove there are many more destinations that fans should explore on their visit to get the full Waco experience.
The first stop on the list is the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. This state designated memorial commemorates the service of Texas Rangers who “gave their lives in the line of duty,” according to the attraction’s website. The museum offers multiple exhibits and a brief history of the Texas tradition.
Next on the town tour is a trip to the Dr. Pepper museum, which is “the historic home of the nation’s oldest major soft drink.” Their kitschy collection includes soft drink memorabilia and a daily “Liquid Lab” demonstration on how to incorporate soda into everyday cooking. Visitors should note, however, that the site clearly states, “belching is not encouraged.”
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After that soda-induced sugar rush dies down, visitors can unwind with a show and some snacks at Chip and Joanna’s next pick, the Hippodrome Theater. Embarking on its “second century in the biz,” this charming institution offers full service in-theater dining as well as a restaurant and bar that overlooks historic Austin Avenue.
The Gaineses final suggestion is the five-acre Waco Mammoth National Monument, which according to the National Park Service is, “the nation’s first and only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Pleistocene mammoths.” Visitors can examine the fossils of these extinct animals, which were one of the largest to have lived during the time period and are a relative of the Woolly mammoth.
Now that you have the Waco bucket list down, the only tasks left are to book your tickets and find a room. Fingers-crossed there’s a cancellation at Chip and Joanna’s wildly popular vacation rental home.
