Start from 30 curated places around Waco, TX, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Health Camp
A round roadside drive-in at 2601 Circle Rd that has been griddling smash-style burgers and pouring hand-spun shakes on the same circular lot since 1949. The menu is short and unapologetic: burgers, hot dogs, tots, and frozen custard. Cash-register charm, no frills, and a burger that routinely beats chains costing twice as much.
Vitek's BBQ
A fourth-generation family market and barbecue joint at 1600 Speight Ave that has been operating for over a century, evolving from a grocery and meat counter into a full pit barbecue destination. The Gut Pack — corn chips layered with slow-smoked brisket, pinto beans, cheese, onions, and jalapenos — is the dish that put Vitek's on the Texas BBQ map. Indoor and covered outdoor seating with a neighborhood bar feel.
Trails & outdoors
River Trail, Highlander, Sidewinder, and California 56 Loop
A 5.8-mile singletrack loop in Cameron Park that links the flat riverbank River Trail with the rolling Highlander and Sidewinder segments for a varied circuit through dense cedar and oak. With 646 feet of cumulative elevation gain, the loop suits intermediate trail runners and hikers comfortable with rooted terrain and short climbs. It's the benchmark trail for anyone wanting to understand what Cameron Park's trail network can offer.
Lovers Leap Overlook at Cameron Park
A short but steep trail to a limestone-bluff overlook inside Cameron Park that has drawn visitors for over a century, offering a panoramic view across the Bosque River canyon and forested bottomland far below. The approach is brief — under a mile round trip — making it accessible even for casual walkers willing to tackle some elevation. Two small pavilions at the top make it a natural picnic destination.
Things to do
Mayborn Museum Complex
Baylor University's natural history and discovery museum at 1300 S University Parks Dr, with an indoor science wing built around hands-on exhibits for all ages and an outdoor historical village reconstructing life in a Central Texas town circa the 1880s. The Native American gallery and the Jeanes Discovery Center — with its bubble lab and engineering challenges — are the two rooms that tend to generate the longest stays.
Balcones Distilling
Waco's grain-to-glass Texas whiskey distillery at 225 S 11th St, operating in a downtown building where the entire production process — from grain crush to bottling — takes place under one roof. Guided tours walk through each stage of the whiskey-making process and conclude with a structured tasting of the house range, which has earned international recognition. The tasting room also pours cocktails made from their own spirits.
Landmarks & sights
Magnolia Market at the Silos
A pair of restored 1950s grain silos anchoring a sprawling outdoor marketplace with boutiques, a bakery, lawn games, and a coffee bar. Built by the couple behind the HGTV series Fixer Upper, it has become the de facto gathering square of downtown Waco. Best for leisurely browsing with kids or anyone who enjoys open-air retail done with real curb appeal.
Dr Pepper Museum
Housed in the 1906 Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building where the soda was once bottled, this three-floor museum traces the origins of Dr Pepper back to Waco's pharmacies in the 1880s. Exhibits include vintage bottling equipment, advertising art, and an old-fashioned soda fountain on the ground floor. Compact but genuinely charming for pop-culture and design history fans.