How To Spend 24 Hours In Bentonville, Arkansas
Put on the map for being Walmart’s hometown, Bentonville is a quiet town in Northwestern Arkansas that offers an array of fun things to do for those who love art, good food, and nature! It far exceeded my expectations. It’s definitely worth a visit! Head to my Instagram story highlights to see all the behind the scenes!
Check out our 24 hour guide to Bentonville, Arkansas!
Where To Stay
21C Museum Hotel
This hotel is as quirky as it gets! Home to a contemporary art gallery that you’ll definitely want to explore while in Bentonville! The art curator focused on the future is female so I thoroughly enjoyed the art exhibit. It sparks a happiness and promotes a creative mind seeing all the amazing art while just walking to the elevator.
While here, make sure to pop by to say hi to their mascot, a life-size plastic penguin! They move around the hotel without you even knowing and pop up everywhere. I even had one in my room! I love the 21C Hotels for this reason. The penguins are a different color at every hotel. At this one they’re green!
Where To Eat
The Hive
Set inside the 21C Museum Hotel, The Hive takes refined country cuisine to a whole new level! The Hive’s bar + lounge is also perfect for happy hour. The cheese plate with a French baguette and whole seed mustard was to die for! But don’t miss out on the candy apple cotton candy for dessert!
The Preacher’s Son
Located inside a restored Gothic church (the first one in Bentonville!), this classic restaurant offers an array of New American dishes.
Louise-Thaden Fieldhouse
Perfect for breakfast and lunch, this all-day café offers a menu filled with delicious diner-style meals that are perfect any time of the day! Their outdoor seating area faces the runway and provides incredible views of planes taking off!
The Spark Cafe
You’ll end up at this cafe if you take a walk through the Walmart museum. Make sure to stop here because you can grab a home made ice cream cone for $1 and they’re so good!
What To Do
Crystal Bridges Museum
Crystal Bridges is the newest American art museum to open in more than a generation.Since they opened in 2011, nearly 4 million people from 50 states and six out of the seven continents. Their mission, “to welcome ALL in a setting that unites art and nature.” They even have a special separate kids museum!
From virtual reality to space travel: Crystal Bridges is taking a lead in innovation with experimental technology. Their art collections span five centuries of art – from Early American to modern space travel and virtual realities! I got to see artist Robert Pruitt send an original artwork into space so make sure to check it out at the Men of Steel, Women of Wonder exhibit!
Men of Steel, Women of Wonder Open February 9 to April 22, 2019!
Superman and Wonder Woman are two of the most beloved icons in American pop culture. Created in times of economic adversity and world war, these characters quickly emerged as beacons of American morality, representing the ideals of truth, justice, and the American way. Men of Steel, Women of Wonder is a new exhibition developed by Crystal Bridges’ Assistant Curator, Alejo Benedetti, that examines art world responses to Superman and Wonder Woman ranging from their Depression-era origins to today’s contemporary artist interpretations. The exhibition features over 70 paintings, photographs, installations, videos, and more by a wide range of artists.
Offering fresh perspectives on these cultural icons and tapping into our current national love for superheroes, the artists in Men of Steel, Women of Wonder use Superman and Wonder Woman to explore national identity, American values, social politics, and the concept of humanity in an exciting, thought-provoking, unforgettable exhibition.
Debut of the exhibition that Crystal Bridges organized [will travel to San Antonio Museum of Art (San Antonio, TX) from June 22 to September 2, 2019, and will make a final stop at Addison Gallery of American Art (Andover, MA) from October 5, 2019 to January 5, 2020.]
• Introduces visitors to important contemporary artists and leverage their voice to tell their own stories: celebrates more than 50 artists from different regions, perspectives, and identities. It includes works from including Mel Ramos, Peter Saul, Fahamu Pecou, Jim Shaw, Norman Rockwell, Mike Kelley, Renee Cox, Emma Amos, Sarah Hill, Dara Birnbaum, Roger Shimomura, Desiree Navab, and Jacky Tsai.
• Showcases a diverse range of artwork: 70 objects that include drawings, prints, sculptures, video, mixed media works, and installations.
• Artists exploring complex issues: prevailing themes include how artists use Superman and Wonder Woman to discuss social justice, national identity, American values, and humanity. The works range from loving endorsements of heroic ideals to brutal critiques of issues affecting American society.
Walk along the Art Trail
The Crystal Bridges Museum is set in a 120-acre park and offers a four-mile-long nature trail lined by art sculptures that takes you right back to downtown Bentonville!
Learn about Walmart at the original 5-10 (five and dime) store
Now part of the Walmart Museum, you can visit their original five-and-dime store and see Sam Walton’s original office and the Spark Café Soda Fountain!
*This post is sponsored by Crystal Bridges Art Museum but all options are my own.
