Waco metropolitan area

Waco Independent School District is a public school district based in Waco, Texas (USA). The district serves Beverly Hills and most of Waco. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.

Waco ( WAY-koh) is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2022 population of 143,984, making it the 24th-most populous city in the state. The Waco metropolitan statistical area consists of McLennan, Falls and Bosque counties, which had a 2020 population of 295,782. Bosque County was added to the Waco MSA in 2023. The 2022 U.S. census population estimate for the Waco metropolitan area was 302,582 residents.

The Cotton Palace was an exhibition ground in the area of Clay Avenue, Dutton Avenue and South Sixteenth Street in Waco, Texas, from 1895 to 1930. It was built to highlight cotton-growing activities in the area.

The Waco Tribune-Herald is an American daily newspaper serving Waco, Texas, and vicinity.

Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic School is a private Catholic Parish school located in Waco, Texas. It is situated halfway between Dallas and Austin. Bishop Reicher was founded in 1954 by the Diocese of Austin. Reicher academics include curriculum offering of Advanced Placement, Dual Credit, and Honor courses. "St. Louis Reicher Catholic School educates each student in spirit, mind and body by fostering personal excellence within the Catholic tradition."

Floyd Casey Stadium was a stadium in Waco, Texas. The stadium was used for 64 seasons before being replaced by McLane Stadium in 2014. It was primarily used for football, and was the home field of the Baylor Bears. The stadium, located about four miles from the Baylor University campus, cost $1.8 million to build and sat 50,000 people. Originally named Baylor Stadium, it opened in 1950 with a Baylor game against the Houston Cougars. On December 7, 2013, Baylor played its last game in the stadium, against the Texas Longhorns, where the attendance record of 51,728 was established. Baylor won 19 of its final 20 games played at the stadium. Originally known as Baylor Stadium, the stadium was renamed at halftime of the November 5, 1988 homecoming game when it was renamed for Floyd Casey by his son, university trustee and longtime booster Carl B. Casey of Dallas, who gave US$5 million towards an $8 million stadium renovation project. The stadium was renovated several times. Turf was first introduced to the stadium in 1972. Then in 1998, the stadium installed SportGrass, a leading artificial grass surface. In 2005, it underwent massive renovations to extend the Grant Teaff Plaza in honor of former head coach Grant Teaff. The extended plaza created much-needed updates to the stadium's façade. The stadium was an elongated oval shape, running southeast-northwest, with large grandstands on the sidelines. The south end zone was cleared, with athletic marks painted on the ground and the large LED scoreboard behind it. (Prior to the creation of the current athletic marks, the area was painted gold, with "BAYLOR" painted in large green block letters.) In 2004, a large tarp was installed that covered the south end zone and could be removed when ticket demand necessitated it. With the tarp in place seating capacity was reduced to 47,000. The north end zone had seating in front of the Carl & Thelma Casey Athletic Center, site of the football offices, training facilities, and stadium field house. Prior to the building of the stadium, the Baylor football team played at Carroll Field, an on-campus field last used in 1935, and Waco's Municipal Stadium on Dutton Avenue. In the spring of 2012, Baylor regents approved a new on-campus stadium to be built on the Brazos River adjacent to Interstate 35. The demolition of the stadium was completed on May 14, 2016.

The Praetorian Building is a historic 7-story building located at 601 Franklin Avenue in Waco, McLennan County, Texas. Designed by the Dallas architectural firm of C. W. Bulger & Co. in the Chicago school or Modern style of architecture, it was built in 1915 by Hughes O'Rourke Construction to house the Praetorian Insurance Company whose main office, the Praetorian Building in Dallas, had been designed by C. E. Bulger in 1905. Other names the building has borne over the years include the Franklin Tower, Service Mutual Building in 1934, Southwestern Building in 1956 (the year Praetorian sold the building), and Williams Tower from 1989 to 1996. Today, the building houses apartments, retail, and office space.

The ALICO Building is a 22-story office building in downtown Waco, Texas, United States, located at the intersection of Austin and 5th Street. The building is currently owned and operated by the American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas (a subsidiary of Industrial Alliance). At 282 feet (86 m) tall, it is currently the tallest building in Waco.

Katy Park was a baseball park located in Waco, Texas, and was used by many minor league baseball teams as well as the Baylor Bears for a short time.

Municipal Stadium, or Waco Municipal Stadium and formerly Waco Stadium, is an athletics stadium located in Waco, Texas at S 15th Street and Dutton Avenue. It was formerly the home field of Baylor University's athletic teams from the time shortly after the stadium was built in 1936 until 1949. For the Bears, the new off-campus facility replaced the smaller Carroll Field as the home football game location, where they had played from 1930 to 1935. Waco Stadium was renamed Municipal Stadium in 1942. Baylor did not play there in 1943 or 1944 due to World War II. Baylor's track teams used the stadium into the 1950s.Today the original grandstands are gone, replaced by a single side seating area, but track and playing field remains.

Magnolia Market at the Silos, commonly called Magnolia Market, is a shopping complex that encompasses two city blocks in downtown Waco, Texas. It is marked by two 120’ high silos, built in 1950 as part of the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company. The Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Mill Company closed in 1958, and the silos ceased to serve as storage in the 1990s. The grounds opened to the public in October, 2015. The complex is owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines, TV personalities best known for HGTV's Fixer Upper TV series. The Gaineses completely transformed the Waco landmark, which helped to change the city as well as many surrounding areas. The grounds include a 12,000 sq. ft. retail store located in the historic grain barn and office building, a food truck park with picnic tables, a garden store, bakery, and lawn area. Admission to the grounds is free except during special events.In 2016, its first full year of operation, Magnolia Market reported an estimated 1.9 million visitors. Special events are held regularly at the complex, including Spring at the Silos (March), Silobration (October), and Christmas at the Silos. Events include concerts, vendor booths, and other activities. In 2019, it was announced that Magnolia Market is undergoing a $10.4 million expansion. The expansion plans include adding new shops and public spaces to the two-block area anchored by the Silos. Attractions include a wiffle ball field, more shops, and gardens, as well as the relocation of the historic Waco Church to the 4.9-acre site. Magnolia Market Complex already draws an estimated 30,000 visitors per week.

Cameron Park Zoo is a 52-acre (21 ha) natural habitat zoo located within Cameron Park in the city of Waco, Texas, United States, next to the Brazos River. Established in July 1993, Cameron Park Zoo has lush native vegetation that surrounds splashing waterfalls, a picturesque lake, and ponds. And in the midst of all this beauty, visitors see that the wild ones not only survive in their natural habitat, but they also flourish. The zoo features a diverse collection that includes over 1731 animals, representing 300 species from around the world. The Cameron Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).