Two huge, 120-foot-tall, rust-coloured grain silos dominate the skyline of central Waco, Texas. They serve as a landmark for millions of visitors every year. In 2014, television personalities Chip and Joanna Gaines bought a 2.6-acre former cottonseed mill on the site. Twelve years later, their flagship Magnolia property has grown to about 5.3 acres. It now covers almost an entire city block and includes retail shops, a bakery, a coffee shop, a Wiffle ball field, and a restored 19th-century church. What started as one retail building alongside two unused industrial structures has grown into a major tourist destination for the city.
Expanding the downtown footprint
When Chip and Joanna Gaines first bought the property in 2014, its main attraction was a 12,000-square-foot former grain barn. It became the original Magnolia Market retail store. The couple wanted to turn the neglected industrial site into a shared space where families could gather. According to official planning details published on the company’s website, Magnolia began a major expansion of the grounds in 2020. The project doubled the site from its original 2.6 acres to about 5.3 acres. The company added nearby lots to make room for more shops, dining options, and green spaces. The expansion turned the property from a simple home decor store into a larger, walkable campus where visitors can explore different attractions.
Restoring a piece of Waco history
One of the main additions to the expanded grounds is the Old Church, a historic wooden building originally built in 1894. According to historical notes released by Magnolia, the church had fallen into poor condition at its original location elsewhere in Waco before it was moved to the Silos property. Workers moved the entire wooden church to the corner of 8th Street. They spent several years restoring it while preserving its original stained-glass windows, heart pine flooring, and exposed wooden frame. The restored building now stands near the main public entrance as a quiet reminder of local history. Visitors can sit inside and look out over the surrounding grounds. Six special boutique shops line the walkways leading to the Old Church. Designed as small, separate cottages, the shops sell a range of carefully chosen products. These include men’s clothing, paper goods, retro-style indoor plants, and handmade jewellery.
Rebuilding a legendary ballpark
Beyond the shops, the expanded grounds also celebrate local sports history with the addition of Katy Ballpark. Historical property records cited in Magnolia’s archive show that the land directly behind the original cottonseed mill was once home to Katy Park, a well-known local baseball stadium that opened in 1905. Over the years, famous professional baseball players, including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, played exhibition games there. To honour that history, Chip and Joanna Gaines built a smaller Wiffle ball field on the exact site of the historic ballpark. Katy Ballpark has artificial turf, a traditional wooden outfield fence, a scoreboard, and a concession stand. The stand sells takeaway food, soft pretzels, and ice cream. “Our vision for the Silos has always been to offer a place where people could gather and spend time together,” Joanna Gaines wrote in a statement on the company blog when the expansion was announced. “It’s really an honour every time someone chooses to walk through those gates, and it’s important to Chip and me that the experiences we create across the grounds are unique and meaningful, and offer something for everyone.”
Dining options and public spaces
Along with the ballpark and retail cottages, the property has several different places to eat and drink. Magnolia Press is a full-service coffee shop inside a restored brick warehouse. It has an outdoor courtyard with a wood-burning fireplace and seating. Nearby, Silos Baking Co. operates from a converted historic building along the edge of the property. It makes baked goods for thousands of visitors each day. The central lawn includes a dedicated area for local food trucks, with shaded wooden picnic tables where visitors can eat outdoors. The two 120-foot-tall steel-and-concrete grain silos remain empty and closed to the public for safety reasons. Even so, they continue to serve as the property’s main architectural landmark. Twelve years after the original purchase, the expanded 5.3-acre site remains a major centre for tourism and economic activity in downtown Waco.
