Joanna Gaines Just Gave a Full Tour of Magnolia's HQ—See Inside (2024)

If you're a lover of all things Magnolia or are simply a hardcore fan of Fixer Upper—whatever variation of the show that might be, because there are a lot—then you know that downtown Waco is basically like Disney World for people who love the modern farmhouse design style. Chip and Joanna Gaines have infused so much of their Magnolia brand into the Texas town, so it only made sense for the couple to create their headquarters not only in walking distance from the famous Silos but also in a historic Waco building.

While the Gaineses initially thought they would turn the old Grand Karem Shrine Building into their headquarters, that historic structure is now their Hotel 1928, so the growing brand needed somewhere to work out of. Well, in 2021, according to KCEN-TV, the designer duo purchased the old Waco Tribune-Herald building that was constructed in 1950 and decided to renovate it to create their perfect HQ. It took them a while, but in 2023, the Gaineses were finally able to perform a ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the 110,000-square-foot building.

Keep reading to learn all you need to know about the Magnolia headquarters before you take a trip to Waco, or if you're simply curious to find out more about the now renovated 70-year-old structure.

How Far Is the Magnolia Headquarters From the Silos?

According to Apple maps, the headquarters, which is located at 900 Franklin Avenue, is about a ten-minute walk from Magnolia Market, aka the Silos. If you're staying at the hotel, you can walk to their headquarters in just about seven minutes, and if you've just visited the Cottonland Castle, aka the Waco Castle, you're either a 50 minute walk or a six minute drive away depending on what mood you're in.

Is Magnolia Headquarters Open to the Public?

We hate to burst your bubble, but no. The Waco Tribune-Herald reported (assumedly out of their new headquarters) that while other Magnolia structures are designed for shopping, lounging, or eating, this building is off-limits to the public eye. Unless you're visiting Waco on direct Magnolia-related business, your only view into the HQ is through the front windows or via Joanna's Instagram reels, one of which you can see below.

Pause—Was That a Basketball Court in the Magnolia Headquarters?

Oh, yes—you saw that correctly. As someone who has been inside the Magnolia headquarters when I went to Waco to stay in Hotel 1928, I can confirm that there is a court that can be used for a multitude of sports purposes inside the building. In fact, there are quite a few amenities in their HQ. Magnolia's reported $21 million renovation also included putting in a golf simulator, a coffee bar, a test kitchen for developing recipes for Joanna's cookbooks, and plenty of places to lounge about. The coffee bar sits at the bottom of a three-story atrium that was once the press room, so it was aptly named The Press Room, and it's open for both employees and guests, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Something I learned while visiting is that the books that line the walls in the HQ all came from the same collection of vintage novels in the hotel. When Chip bought late Texan author Larry McMurtry's bookstore, he bit off more than he could chew when it came to how many books McMurtry kept, so the couple put a good chunk of them here for their employees to browse if they so pleased.

Since you can't actually visit the headquarters, these little snippets as Joanna rolls through the floor plan will just have to do!

Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.