Things to do in Bentonville

The 2026 guide · checked October 8, 2026

Things to do in Bentonville

Bentonville has two free art museums: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, on 134 acres of Ozark forest, and the Momentary, its contemporary-art satellite in a 1947 Kraft cheese factory. The Walmart Museum on the downtown Square is also free and open until 9 or 10 p.m. most nights. Visit Bentonville says you can park downtown and reach beginner-to-expert trailheads within one block of the square, and Coler Mountain Bike Preserve's 20-plus miles of trail are free from sunrise to 11 p.m.

Downtown Square

City Square sits near Central and Main and hosts the Saturday farmers market and First Fridays (April to October, 3 to 9 p.m., free). The Walmart Museum is on the Square, Lawrence Plaza is just north of it, and 21c Museum Hotel's free 24/7 art museum is at 200 NE A Street.

Crystal Bridges and Museum Way

Crystal Bridges (600 Museum Way) and the Scott Family Amazeum (1009 Museum Way) share the same street, and Orchards Park is across from the museum's entrance at NE J Street and John DeShields Boulevard. Compton Gardens & Arboretum is at 312 N. Main St.

Market District (SE 8th Street)

The Momentary (507 SE E St.) and 8th Street Market (801 SE 8th St), the food hall and culinary-school building, sit across from each other in the Market District.

Northwest trails (Coler and Slaughter Pen)

Slaughter Pen's single-track climbs the hillside north of NW A Street and east of N. Walton Blvd. Coler Mountain Bike Preserve is at 2500 NW 3rd St, and its paved Applegate Trail runs back to downtown.

1. 1

   Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

   Museum · Art, walking trails, rainy days

   The permanent collection galleries are free (general admission is sponsored by Walmart), and Eleven, the museum restaurant, sits in a glass-enclosed bridge overlooking the ponds. The trails cover more than five miles, open sunrise to sunset, and pass Buckminster Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome and a natural spring that stays 52 degrees all year.

   General admission free; temporary exhibitions require separate tickets (free for members, veterans, ages 25 and under, and SNAP recipients) · Mon & Wed 11am–6pm; Thu–Fri 11am–8pm; Sat–Sun 10am–6pm; closed Tue, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lobby opens 10am; trails sunrise–sunset

   600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712

   What's on hereOfficial site

2. 2

   Frank Lloyd Wright's Bachman-Wilson House

   Landmark · Architecture fans

   Frank Lloyd Wright built this house in 1956 for Gloria and Abraham Wilson on the Millstone River in New Jersey. It was taken apart, moved, and rebuilt on the Crystal Bridges grounds in 2015. A free general-admission ticket gets you a self-guided visit with a free audio tour, and a one-hour guided tour with a volunteer guide is the paid option.

   Self-guided: free ticket required. Guided one-hour tour: $12 + tax (free for members and ages 18 and under)

   600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712 (on the Crystal Bridges grounds)

   Official site

3. 3

   The Momentary

   Arts

   This is Crystal Bridges' contemporary-art space, in a cheese factory Kraft built in 1947 and closed in 2013. It has free rotating galleries, concerts in the RØDE House and Fermentation Hall, and Tower Bar six floors up (21+ after 5 p.m.). Onyx Coffee Lab handles coffee, and the Momentary Green outside hosts big outdoor shows.

   General admission free; concerts and some events ticketed · Tue–Thu & Sun 10am–6pm; Fri–Sat 10am–8pm; closed Mon, Thanksgiving and Christmas

   507 SE E St., Bentonville, AR 72712

   What's on hereOfficial site

4. 4

   Scott Family Amazeum

   Family · Kids, especially ages 4–9

   This is a hands-on science museum where most spaces are designed for kids ages 4 to 9. Exhibits include Water Amazements, the Canopy Climber, the Homestead Cabin & Farm and the Nickelodeon Play Lab. On Priceless Nights (most Wednesdays, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.) admission is pay-as-you-wish.

   Adults and kids 2+: $17 in person, $14 online; under 2 free; Priceless Nights pay-as-you-wish · Mon & Wed–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 1–5pm; closed Tue

   1009 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712

   What's on hereOfficial site

5. 5

   Walmart Museum

   History · All ages; evening stop

   This is where Walmart began: Walton's 5&10, a restored dime store with period merchandise, plus galleries tracing the company from the 1960s on. The Spark Café soda fountain serves Arkansas-made Yarnell's ice cream, including Sam Walton's favorite flavor, butter pecan. It stays open until 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday.

   Free · Mon–Thu 10am–9pm; Fri–Sat 10am–10pm; Sun noon–6pm; closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas

   105 N. Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712

   Official site

6. 6

   Coler Mountain Bike Preserve

   Outdoors · Biking, hiking, leashed dogs

   Coler has more than 20 miles of purpose-built trail, from family-friendly paths to technical rock features, and walkers and hikers are welcome too. You can climb The Rise, a 185-step stairway to the preserve's high point, get coffee or a local beer at the open-air Airship Coffee, or take the paved, accessible Applegate Trail into downtown.

   Free · Sunrise to 11pm

   2500 NW 3rd St, Bentonville, AR 72712

   What's on hereOfficial site

7. 7

   Slaughter Pen Mountain Bike Trail

   Outdoors · Mountain biking, all skill levels

   This city-run single-track system covers 14.03 miles on the hillside north of NW A Street, with beginner, intermediate and advanced routes, plus a free-ride area with tabletop jumps, berms and a wall ride. Visit Bentonville points beginners to the All American Trail. The one-acre Bentonville Bike Playground, with tunnels, bridges and a pump track, has the same address.

   2400 N Walton Blvd, Bentonville, AR 72712 (parking, just south of the Bark Park)

   Official site

8. 8

   Compton Gardens & Arboretum

   Outdoors

   This is a seven-acre garden on North Main Street, built around Dr. Neil Compton's collection of Ozark native plants. Its walking trails wind through native trees and seasonal blooms, and an exhibit room is open on weekdays.

   Gardens sunrise to sunset; Exhibit Room Mon–Fri 8am–5pm

   312 N. Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712

   What's on hereOfficial site

9. 9

   Peel Museum & Botanical Garden

   History

   This is Congressman Samuel Peel's 1875 Italianate mansion, furnished with period pieces and artifacts from Bentonville in the late 1800s and surrounded by Victorian-style gardens. Tours are free and walk-up, either guided or self-guided with a free digital audio tour. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

   Free (walk-up tours, no reservation required) · Tue–Sat 10am–5pm

   400 S. Walton Blvd, Bentonville, AR 72712

   What's on hereOfficial site

10. 10

    Museum of Native American History

    History

    Admission is free, and the exhibits run from about 12,000 BC to the present, arranged by period from Paleo to Historic. The Mississippian Period fills the Great Room, and the Ferrell Collection holds more than 7,000 pieces from Texas.

    Free (donations welcome) · Tue–Sat 11am–5pm; closed Sun–Mon (call to verify around holidays and weather)

    202 SW O Street, Bentonville, AR 72712

    What's on hereOfficial site

11. 11

    21c Museum Hotel Bentonville (contemporary art museum)

    Arts

    You don't need to be a hotel guest: 21c's curated contemporary-art exhibitions are free and open around the clock. A free guided tour leaves from the lobby every Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and you can bring a drink from The Hive.

    Free · Open 24/7; free guided tour Thursdays 5:30pm

    200 NE A Street, Bentonville, AR 72712

    Official site

12. 12

    Bentonville Square

    Landmark · Saturday mornings, First Fridays

    This is downtown's center, at Central and Main. On Saturdays in the outdoor season the farmers market runs 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and First Friday turns the Square and nearby streets into a free block party with vendors, food trucks and live music from April through October. In winter the Square is lit up for the holidays.

    Free

    1 East Central Avenue, Bentonville, AR 72712

    What's on hereOfficial site

13. 13

    Lawrence Plaza

    Family · Kids; summer splash pad, winter skating

    This 7,000-square-foot plaza just north of the Square is a splash pad in summer (May to September). In winter it becomes The Rink, the region's only permanent outdoor ice rink, which opens Saturday, November 21, 2026; tickets go on sale November 1.

    The Rink: $7 per session, skate rental included

    214 NE A St, Bentonville, AR 72712

    Official site

14. 14

    Orchards Park

    Family · Kids and dogs; pairs with Crystal Bridges

    This city park is directly across from the Crystal Bridges entrance and was designed to honor Bentonville's history as an apple-growing town. It has a playground, a dog park, walking paths, an amphitheater and a lighted pavilion, plus restrooms. It also hosts the city's Fourth of July fireworks and summer concerts.

    1100 NE John DeShields Boulevard, Bentonville, AR 72712

    What's on hereOfficial site

15. 15

    8th Street Market

    Food & drink

    This food hall in the Market District is across from the Momentary, and the building is home to Brightwater, a culinary school that offers public cooking classes. Murals, neon pieces and sculptures cover the building inside and out.

    801 SE 8th St, Bentonville, AR 72712

    What's on hereOfficial site

Hours and prices as each place posts them, checked October 8, 2026; they change, so confirm before you go. Curation is never sold.