Bentonville, Arkansas: Art, Aisles & American Originals

[altraveller]

Alright, y’all, listen up. I rolled into Bentonville thinkin’ it was just a Walmart town (don’t come for me), but boy, I gotta eat my words with a side of Ozark barbecue. First thing you see is this Crystal Bridges Museum that looks like a spaceship landed in the trees. Art everywhere. Like, I mean everywhere—even in the dang bathrooms, there’s art. Spent 3 hours tryin’ to act cultured then gave up and asked a kid where the nearest good pie was.
Walked around downtown square—coulda sworn I was in a Hallmark movie except there was a fella playin’ banjo outside a taco truck. Met a local named Burt who claims he’s related to Sam Walton and also Elvis (I dunno, man, Arkansas is wild).
The Walmart Museum is actually fun. Yes, I said it. Free soda in glass bottles and a weird sense of pride you can’t get at Target.
Next day, rode the bike trails with the kind of energy only a breakfast burrito can provide. Nearly met my end on a switchback.
Pro tip: Go to The Preacher’s Son for dinner. It’s a church turned restaurant—y’all, stained glass and tacos, only in Bentonville.
If you haven’t wandered the aisles of 24/7 Walmart at midnight, you have not lived.
What’s the best hidden gem in Bentonville? Best pie? Anyone ever get lost in the Walmart Home Office parking lot? (I did. Twice.)

[SoDakScout]

Crystal Bridges blew my mind. Not sure what was wilder, the art or the birds outside the windows. Ran into a family from Texas who thought it was a spaceship.

[PalmPanther]

Best pie in town? Go to The Hive, thank me later. Also lost my car in the Walmart lot, classic tourist move.

[VoodooVoyager]

Walmart Museum is weirdly awesome. Still can’t believe they hand out free glass-bottle sodas. Took two for the road.

[BayouBard]

Stayed at 21c Museum Hotel—woke up with art staring at me from every angle. Kind of unsettling but I slept like a rock.

[MarshlandMaven]

Only place I’ve ever seen someone ride a mountain bike through a coffee shop. Arkansas, you do you.

[CardinalCamper]

Pro tip: Don’t race a local kid on the bike trails unless you want to eat dust. Happened to me. Twice.

[BayBreezer]

Downtown square on Saturday = food trucks, dogs in costumes, and the friendliest folks you’ll ever meet. 10/10 would wander again.

[SandhillStrider]

Someone tell me why every Walmart in Arkansas is open 24/7 but you can’t get a biscuit after 2pm? Life’s mysteries, man.