Author: Ken McClary

Orchards Park is a beautiful 17-acre park right next to Crystal Bridges and the Scott Family Amazeum — making it easy to pair with a museum day. With paved trails, a pond and waterfall, a pavilion, and a playground, it's a relaxed, scenic spot for families. What You'll Find Over…

Lawrence Plaza is downtown Bentonville's seasonal gathering spot — a compact multi-use facility just north of the square that transforms with the seasons: an outdoor ice rink in winter and a splash park in summer. It's a family favorite year-round and a fun stop before or after exploring the square.…

Bentonville is packed with excellent parks — from a downtown plaza that flips between an ice rink and a splash park, to a 73-acre community park with an Olympic pool, to a park with a regulation cricket field. Here are the best parks in Bentonville, with a full guide to…

The Bentonville Square is the heart of downtown — a picture-perfect historic town square ringed by acclaimed restaurants, bars, boutiques, bakeries, and coffee shops, and buzzing with public art and year-round events. Add the nearby 8th Street Market and the free-to-explore 21c Museum Hotel, and downtown Bentonville is a destination…

The Razorback Regional Greenway runs right through Bentonville, connecting downtown, Crystal Bridges, the Momentary, and the mountain-bike trail systems — and continuing 40 paved miles across Northwest Arkansas. Flat, scenic, and free, it's the easy, car-free way to get around town on foot or by bike. The Greenway in Bentonville…

Coler Mountain Bike Preserve is one of Bentonville's crown jewels — roughly 20 miles of world-class trail tucked into a scenic valley just a mile west of downtown. With riding for every level, a trail-accessible café, and a ride-from-your-tent campground, Coler is a bucket-list stop in the "Mountain Biking Capital…

Slaughter Pen is Bentonville's signature mountain-bike trail system — a 23+ mile network of singletrack that flows right alongside the paved Razorback Greenway and Crystal Bridges, with some of the easiest trail access in town. An IMBA Silver-Level Ride Center, it's the perfect first stop for riders of every level.…

Bentonville calls itself the Mountain Biking Capital of the World — and with world-class trail systems, a paved greenway, and easy downtown access, it lives up to the name. Here's where to ride, walk, and roll in Bentonville, with a full guide to each trail system. For detailed trail maps…

The Walmart Museum sits on the Bentonville square, on the exact spot where Sam Walton opened his first Walton's 5&10. Newly reopened in 2025 after a major renovation that doubled its size, it tells the story of how a small-town store grew into the world's largest retailer — and admission…

The Scott Family Amazeum is Northwest Arkansas's beloved hands-on children's and science museum — roughly 50,000 square feet of interactive exhibits designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and play. Located next to Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, it's one of the region's best family destinations for kids and grown-ups alike. Exhibits &…

The Momentary is Bentonville's home for contemporary art, music, and culture — a bold, free-to-visit space set inside a repurposed 1940s Kraft cheese factory. A satellite of Crystal Bridges, it blends visual and performing arts, food and drink, festivals, and skyline views into one of the most exciting destinations in…

Bentonville is one of the best small cities in America for museums — from a free, world-class art museum to a hands-on children's museum and the birthplace of Walmart. Here's every museum in Bentonville, with a full guide to each. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art The free, world-class American…

Lake Springdale and the surrounding J.B. Hunt Park make up one of the best outdoor spots in the city — a roughly 200-acre park with fishing, paddling, disc golf, ball fields, paved trails, mountain biking, and a pump track. Best of all, it's free and family-friendly. Fishing Lake Springdale is…

Downtown Springdale, centered on Emma Avenue, has been reborn as one of Northwest Arkansas's most exciting districts — a walkable mix of acclaimed restaurants, taprooms, live music, public art, a historic theater, and creekside festivals. Here's what to see and do downtown. Dining & Drinks Emma Avenue — along with…

The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in downtown Springdale is one of the best places anywhere to explore the heritage of Northwest Arkansas — and admission is free. With six historic buildings on its grounds, engaging exhibits, and one of the largest photo archives in the region, it brings the…