Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is getting to be a hopping place! Call it the Walmart effect, but this whole area is a testament to what can happen when a tremendous amount of money funds a master plan.
It’s the place in NWA that I’ve spent the most time. We run over here pretty often for the day (or an overnight trip) because there’s always something going on.
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was opened in 2011 initially with the personal collection of arts patron Alice Walton (yes, that Walton) and it’s now home to one of the most impressive American art collections…anywhere.
Bentonville’s “downtown” square is the gathering place for the whole community. It’s completely charming, full of restaurants and shops, and usually always landscaped and decorated for the season.
This is the place to know everything you’d ever want to know about how Walmart started and Sam Walton himself. It’s free to enter.
This redesigned warehouse is a contemporary art space that hosts exhibits daily (10AM-6PM/8PM on the weekends, closed Mondays). It’s a satellite location of Crystal Bridges that focuses on contemporary visual and performing arts.