THE BEST THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU VISIT WACO, TEXAS IN ADDITION TO MAGNOLIA
What are the best things to do in Waco, Texas in addition to Magnolia?
Waco is a gem of a city that. everyone should visit one day. I had the privilege of living fairly close to Waco growing up and even had soccer tournaments there. My family and I would walk around downtown, eat dinner at Crickets or Ninfas, and explore Cameron Park in between soccer games. I never thought then that in just 5 years I would be living in Waco and going to school at Baylor University. I will say that there are absolutely 3 different parts of Waco that intertwine: the Baylor bubble, the Magnolia bubble, and the Waco bubble. While living there I was fortunate enough to experience all three simultaneously. Oh my gosh, I did not think I would be telling this story on this post but I believe it gives me a lot of credibility and trust that Waco is something special.
As I mentioned, I attended Baylor University but actually stepped away for a bit to figure out what I genuinely wanted to do with my life after college or if I even wanted to stay in school. It was during this time I truly experienced Waco and the people that make it amazing. I enrolled at McLennan Community College, the local community college and got a job… well three jobs actually.😅 At McLennan Community College or MCC as we called it, I was truly able to meet people who grew up in or lived in Waco rather than the kids I was used to going to school with at Baylor who were mostly from big cities in Texas or other states. To put it frank… the wealthier kids who never really left the Baylor bubble much. Not all of them were like this of course, but a lot of them were. I definitely found my kind of people at Baylor for sure. Anyway, let’s get back to the story. I got those three jobs because I cut myself off from my parents and needed to pay rent. I was able to get a job in the records department at MCC that paid very well and is still one of the most fun jobs I had because of the kind people I worked with! Additionally, I worked in the leasing department of my apartment complex so I could get cheaper rent & also get experience running social media. Finally, I somehow landed an internship with Magnolia running one of their social media accounts.. yeah I still can’t believe that one.. LIKE WHAT?! All three of these jobs helped me connect with the individuals outside of the Baylor realm and really engage with the Waco community!
Okay, let’s get into best things to do in Waco that I promised you! These are some of my favorite things to do while I lived in Waco and still love to do when I visit in addition to Magnolia.
Learn all about Dr. Pepper & why it’s so delicious at the Dr. Pepper Museum
I don’t know about you but I was raised on Dr. Pepper! Momma Leslie always had Dr. Pepper in the fridge growing up and it’s been my absolute favorite soda ever since. When I was touring colleges as a high school senior and visited Baylor University I just about died when they said they celebrate a Dr. Pepper hour every Tuesday! I’d be lying a little bit if I said that didn’t end up on my pro list for Baylor… haha! I mean free Dr. Pepper floats every Tuesday for students? Yes please! If you’re genuinely confused right now as to why there is a Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco let me clear that up real quick for you. Keurig Dr Pepper is the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States. Dr Pepper is America’s unique flavor and was created, manufactured and sold beginning in 1885 in the Central Texas town of Waco. How freaking cool is that?! The Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute opened to the public in May 1991 and has hosted over 1,700,000 visitors! Once you’ve gone through the museum you can enjoy fresh Dr. Pepper on tap!
While we were in the gift shop (which is amazing by the way) we were chatting with the cashier and she mentioned that the Dr. Pepper Museum offers paranormal ghost tours as well! After a little more research I found a link to buy tickets. This is absolutely something I’ll be doing in the future!
📍300 S 5th St.
Support local venders at the Downtown Farmers Market
The Downtown Farmers Market is THE place to be on a Saturday morning in Waco, that’s for sure! There’s venders selling home goods, fresh produce, coffee, food, music and more. It’s absolutely an experience for the entire family. I’ve been going to the farmers market since 2012 when it wasn’t even in this location and it’s grown so much in the best ways. Some of my absolute favorite vendors at the market are:
Audrey's Pawstries - We got the yummiest treats for our sweet Olive. They are made with all good ingredients and can be stored in the freezer for weeks.
Alba’s Papusas - I didn’t try these until recently but ooooooo mama these are yummy!
Nightlight Donuts - Oh my croissant donut! My favorite is the cinnamon sugar. Hands down.
Sergio's Food Truck - talk about the most delicious breakfast burritos, y’all. Trust me!
Waco Bao Co. & Waco Cha - for dumplings (get the pork ones) and delicious tea or coffee. Pro tip: when they ask you how sweet def say 25% and it still might be too sweet.
Waco Bloom - for the most beautiful flowers and bouquets.
📍500 Washington Ave.
Cameron Park
While in Waco you’ll absolutely need to visit the wondrous Cameron Park. Nestled just right out of downtown next to the Brazos river is the 400-acre park. From hikers & bikers to fishermen, disc golfers, families wanting to picnic, and even a zoo, Cameron Park is quite literally for everyone. When I was in college I spent countless hours exploring the hiking trails in the park, hammocking in my Eno in between big oak trees, picnicking with college boyfriends, studying on a park bench, playing quidditch on the Baylor Club team (yes… I said quidditch like from Harry Potter)and even participating in a pumpkin carving contest for my fraternity! It’s definitely a place that holds many memories for me and somewhere I’m sure I’ll make more in. Some of my favorite places to go in Cameron Park are: Jacob’s Latter, hike the Highlander Trail, Thor Trail (if you’re looking for a leg workout), & the River Trail.
📍2601 N University Parks Dr.
Cameron Park Zoo
When you thought Cameron Park couldn’t have anything else… they surprise you with an awesome zoo inside the park. The Cameron Park Zoo is smaller than the typical zoo but none the lacking. They have lions, tigers, and bears of course #sicem! There are numerous other animals to see throughout your visit as well for only $12.50 for adults and $9.50 for children.
📍1701 N 4th St.
Explore the Mayborn Museum
The Mayborn Museum holds a special place in my heart because it’s another place I worked at while in college. I’m a huge history buff and love going to museums any chance I get when I travel. When I tell you I’ve walked through this entire museum over a hundred times, I mean it. The Mayborn Museum is owned by Baylor University and actually on Baylor’s Campus, so when you visit you should absolutely take a stroll through campus; it’s beautiful! A little history about the Mayborn because I loooooove me some history.
The Sue & Frank Mayborn Natural Science and Cultural History Museum Complex at Baylor University opened in 2004. However, the varied components of the museum began long ago. As far back as the 1850's, Baylor University professors began collecting teaching materials to help students understand biology, physics, chemistry, and geology. Baylor’s original campus in Independence served as a hub of education in frontier Texas until the school moved to Waco in 1886. This early period saw the need for a storehouse of knowledge and physical objects from which to learn. Read more about this history here. The Mayborn Museum is absolutely a place for the entire family and certainly a place to kill a couple of hours in.
In addition, The Mayborn Museum has special exhibits come and go so be sure to check out which one is visiting while you’re in town.
📍1300 S University Parks Dr.
Take pictures with the famous ALICO building
A little history about the ALICO building in Downtown Waco, the building itself stands for the strength and stability of the Waco community and of downtown. ALICO stands for Amicable Life Insurance Co. building, which I definitely didn’t know until I did further research on it. I remember when I first moved to Waco, my dad told me that if I ever got lost in Waco I could always look for the ALICO building standing tall and I could drive towards it and find my way home. Baylor is right across from downtown Waco so I guess he just assumed as long as I got to downtown I could figure it out… or just use my maps on my iPhone, haha!
Anyway, in 1982, the Texas State Historical Commission designated the ALICO building a historical landmark. Over the years I’ve been able to find one of the best places to take pictures with the ALICO building, especially at sunset.
It’s located on top of the City of Waco Water Department parking garage at 📍Franklin Ave & S 4th St.
Grab some refreshing drinks at Dichotomy
Dichotomy has been one of my all time favorite coffee & spirits shop since I moved to Waco for school in 2012! Yeah.. a heck of a long time! They have high quality coffee, unique non-alcoholic drinks like the one pictured below with the cucumber, delicious alcoholic beverages like the marg below, and a beautiful view of downtown on their rooftop patio. Many people don’t even realize they have an upstairs, which I kinda love because it’s always fairly quiet up there. You can even see in the photos that we were the only ones up there. Dichotomy is a great place to work on your laptop, catch up with friends over coffee, or enjoy some delicious drinks upstairs with your gal pals.
📍508 Austin Ave.
Explore the Waco Mammoth National Monument
Would you believe that mammoths actually walked the earth right in the heart of Waco, Texas?! I learned all about them when I worked at the Mayborn Museum in college. They have a special exhibit there which I highly recommend going to before you head to the Mammoth National Monument. This is definitely a great place to bring the entire family and walk the trails to the ACTUAL dig site! I’ve never seen anything like this before — they actually built the building around the dig site.
Read all about the history of the mammoths in Waco here.
📍6220 Steinbeck Bend Dr.
Check out the Waco Suspension Bridge
The Waco Suspension Bridge is kind of an iconic Waco monument! I’m sure if you’ve driven downtown you’ve seen it before and if you haven’t you absolutely need to put it on your list of places to visit ASAP. The historic bridge was completed in 1870 and remains a legendary icon of downtown Waco. A fun fact is that the bridge was built with cable supplied by the John Roebling Co., who built the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. How cool is that?! The bridge actually goes over the Waco Riverwalk which is seven miles of trail that loops along both banks of the Brazos River. The Riverwalk stretches from Baylor University all the way to Cameron Park.
📍101 N University Parks Dr.
Go mural hunting around downtown
Waco is not lacking in the mural department… They have over 20 murals around town and I’m rounding up my all time favorite ones including addresses in a separate blog post here. Be sure to check it out and add mural hunting to your list of things to do while you’re in Waco.
Looking for places to eat in Waco?
I have an entire blog post dedicated to my favorite places to eat in Waco you won’t want to miss out on! Waco has great food options for various budgets and palettes.
Have you been to Waco before? If so, comment your favorite place to go below!
XOXO