A Family Weekend in Bentonville, Arkansas

Clifton Alexander
Aug 28, 2017 · 5 min read

Our family of 5 spent the weekend in Bentonville recently and had a blast. Bentonville has exploded in the past few years and is becoming a destination for families all over the region. It’s only about 3 hours from Kansas City, straight South. There are so many things to do, we didn’t come close to hitting everything, and wish we had a few more days. Several people had asked for my recommendations on fun things to do in Bentonville. Here you go! Most of these are FREE!

Where to stay:

Bentonville is a fairly small town so you could really stay anywhere and still be close to the action. I prefer to stay in downtown Bentonville so most attractions are walkable. AirBnB has a few great places right near the trailhead to Crystal Bridges. You wouldn’t need your car to walk to CB, Amazeum, Compton Gardens etc. And less than a mile from Downtown Bentonville, so that’s walkable as well. The following two houses are right next to the trailhead and have a great host.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/9260188?s=51

What to do:

Bentonville Bike Playground: This is a super awesome bike area just for kids. It has tunnels, whoops, berms and all sorts of fun stuff, kid sized.
For more info on the bike playground, click here

Downtown Bentonville is a neat spot to eat or just walk around. The 21c Museum Hotel just off the square has some neat sculptures out front. There is a park in the square, a vintage soda fountain, and some cute shops. They host a ton of events like a farmers market, First Fridays and festivals throughout the year.
For more info on Downtown Bentonville, click here

Driving downtown

Walmart museum: In 1945, Sam Walton bought his first five and dime store and today Walmart is the largest retailer in the world. This nice little museum is located in one of his first stores, and is free to enter. It offers a great history of Walmart and Sam Walton and how this small town story became global. Not quite as much fun for kids, but worth a quick whirl through. The soda fountain is at the exit.
For more info on the Walmart Museum, click here


Crystal Bridges Museum: https://crystalbridges.org

Awesome architecture by Moshe Safdie

One of the best museums I’ve been to. Features American Art from colonial times to present day, by pretty much all of the most famous American artists. They have a tremendous sculpture trail, nature/trails everywhere, and a Frank Lloyd Wright house! Most of it is free, with the exception of FLW house, and the special exhibitions. The rest is free!

My favorites outside:
Frank Lloyd Wright House

Chihully in the Forest (only until October 2017) Lit up at night.

Chihully at night.

SkySpace by James Turrell (The Way of Color)- If you can get up early enough, it’s amazing at sunrise!

James Turrell viewing window to the sky. Changes colors at sunrise and sunset. Incredible and peaceful.

The Bucky Ball, especially at night, has great viewing chairs. If you want to see Bucky Ball and Chihully at night, park in the upper parking lot and you can access both.

Inside:

Incredible drawing, easily 50 feet long, with incredible detail. You have to see this in person, it’s amazing.

There are too many pieces to feature, tons and tons of awesome stuff. It’s not a meandering museum, it’s very linear, so you can just start at the beginning and work your way through the exhibits at your own pace. And you’ll end up back at the front. They also have a great bookstore.


Amazeum: http://www.amazeum.org

Incredible family museum. Our 11, 9 and 1 year old all had a blast! We spent most of the day here. Costs $9.50 per person, but it’s well worth it.

Tip 1: You can walk from Crystal Bridges to Amazeum, there is a nice trail, but it’s all uphill.

Tip 2: Grab a wrap or salad from the snack bar and eat it outside in the playground area.


Walking/biking trails: https://www.visitbentonville.com/bike/trail-maps/paved/

These trails are seriously awesome.

Single track and paved trails everywhere!


Compton Gardens:
Nice little walking garden with a trail that’s about 1/2 mile. It’s right at the entrance to the Crystal Bridges trail from downtown Bentonville.
For more info and a map to Compton Gardens, click here


Just outside of Bentonville:

NW Arkansas Naturals baseball team: They are a AA team for the Kansas City Royals. You may see some former Royals players and will definitely see the future stars. Fun and cheap.
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t1350


On the way to Bentonville from Kansas City

GW Carver National Monument: https://www.nps.gov/gwca/index.htm
I haven’t been, but it’s only about 15 minutes off the highway and looks pretty cool.

Precious Moments: http://www.preciousmomentschapel.org
Quirky and fun place. Surprisingly interesting.

Precious Moments Chapel

Clifbo’s Travel Guides

Practical travel guides to awesome places.

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