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penny car at 21c museum hotel bentonville arkansas
Destination / Travel

Travel Destination: Bentonville, AR

Bentonville is a beautiful town nestled in nature. Enjoy art all around the city, delicious food, and American history on display all around you when you escape to this city.

A Quick Guide to Bentonville, AR

Bentonville, Arkansas is probably most well-known as the place where Walmart got its start. However, there is so much more to this charming town, and it is constantly growing. It’s also great to know Sam Walton’s family continues to pour into this community with the likes of Crystal Bridges.

The hills of Northwest Arkansas are a natural haven and a beautiful home or getaway. I didn’t get to explore the city as much as I wanted to this time around, but I’ll be adding more to this as I visit NWA again.

visit Bentonville Arkansas - Crystal Bridges

Where to Stay

21c Museum Hotel

penny car at 21c museum hotel bentonville arkansas

A museum and a hotel together all in one, 21c Museum Hotel – Bentonville is its own curated gem. You can explore an art collection on the main floor, and you’ll find art throughout the entire hotel. Each 21c Museum Hotel has its own collection of art on display. A place to rest (your room), 4′ penguins that move around all day long, and permanent art installations are all there.

The service provided by the 21c Museum Hotel staff parallels that of a Chic Fil A employee, except you get to experience it more often, so it is amplified. I almost never had to open the front doors of the hotel, and they were super helpful and knowledgable about the city and the immediate surrounding neighborhood.

PS – The hotel also has a restaurant, The Hive, which you can read about below.

PPS – While the hotel doesn’t have a pool, there is a splash pad right next door before you reach the trail that leads from the hotel to the museum.

  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female
  • 21 c museum hotel bentonville arkansas - the future is female

Related: Stay nearby in Fayetteville, AR for vacation with these recommendations.


Where to Eat

The Hive

the hive at 21c museum hotel in bentonville arkansas

If you don’t want to leave the 21c Museum Hotel (it’s so cozy, I wouldn’t blame you), you can dine at The Hive. You’re also welcome to dine there even if you aren’t a guest of the hotel.

  • family dining at the hive - 21c museum hotel bentonville arkansas
  • cappuccino - 21c museum hotel bentonville arkansas
  • oatmeal at the hive - 21c museum hotel bentonville arkansas
  • breakfast at the hive - 21c museum hotel bentonville arkansas

Onyx Coffee Lab

onyx coffee lab sign - bentonville arkansas

On the Bentonville Square, you can get in the long line for a great cup of coffee or tea, and light bites at the Onyx Coffee Lab. I enjoy chai and quiche, and Greyson and I both enjoyed some macaroons there. I also got to taste some of their beautifully flavored coffee, and I was impressed (I’m not a coffee drinker)!

Eleven

Eleven - Crystal Bridges restaurant

Eleven is the restaurant at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. While dining here, you get to enjoy the unique architecture of the museum. You also can experience local Arkansas cuisine. I tried the beans and cornbread to make sure it was authentic, and it was! I was so impressed. It reminded me of a meal that my grandparents would prepare, after someone would bring us pintos, and then we’d sit on the porch and shell them. Being apart of that process made the meal that much sweeter.


Where to Explore

Bentonville Farmers Market + Town Square

bentonville farmers market - joovy stroller

I’m a farmers market groupie haha! This was at the top of my list of things to do, and it did not disappoint. There were so many amazing vendors, and the square was so full of fresh produce and homemade items, that vendors overflowed to the side streets. There was music on almost every corner. Being at the Bentonville Farmers Market felt like home.

The Walmart Museum

walmart museum - sam walton office - bentonville arkansas

We learned a lot more about the start of Walmart and where it all started when we visited the Walmart Museum. There was a lot of info packed in a few rooms, a cute little shop that looked like an original mom and pop store, and ice cream priced the way it would be back in the day when Walmart was founded! Greyson’s favorite part was a tiny shopping cart he got at the store.

Bike & Walking Trails

bike trails - bentonville arkansas

As with Crystal Bridges, the city of Bentonville is connected through a lot of trails (see the Bentonville trails and pathways map). They are beautiful, a lot of them are well shaded, and they are walker, jogger, and biker friendly. Kudos to them for making their city walkable in a time where walking/biking is nearly forgotten and made difficult, because travel caters to the automobile.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

summer at crystal bridges - wall drawing #880 Loopy Doopy (orange and green) by Sol LeWitt

Crystal Bridges has brought millions of people to Bentonville to view the wonder that is the actual building, and the permanent collection of American art that is on display there. Read more about Crystal Bridges in my recent blog post all about their #SummeratCrystalBridges festivities.

  • Crystal Bridge Forest Concert Series - #SummeratCrystalBridges
  • Turpentine Painting - Summer at Crystal Bridges

I can’t wait to return to Bentonville so that I can learn, see, and do more. I’ll keep y’all update when I do.

Have you visited Arkansas or Bentonville before? Tell me your favorite Arkansas experience below!

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The Comments

  • Bentonville
    March 11, 2025

    Don’t forget to mention the fact that they have now coined the term “Mountain bike capital of the world”. They are even building a chairlift system for some downhill action next door in Bella Vista.

    Reply
    • Addie
      Bentonville
      April 6, 2025

      I didn’t know that! That’s going to be an awesome system!!

      Reply

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Hello from the garden today. Lots of visitors probably due to the heavy rains.
Hello from the garden today. Lots of visitors probably due to the heavy rains.
Hello from the garden today. Lots of visitors probably due to the heavy rains.
Hello from the garden today. Lots of visitors probably due to the heavy rains.
Hello from the garden today. Lots of visitors probably due to the heavy rains.
oldworldnew
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Hello from the garden today. Lots of visitors probably due to the heavy rains.
2 weeks ago
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Happy Earth Day 🌍🫶🏾🌱

I used to think “let me just get 5k followers.. 10k followers… one day I’ll have 20k followers…” to help people live more sustainably with the blog posts and social media posts I created. 10+ years of that led to burnout. And it never felt the same as when my friends and family started to live a little more sustainably because of something they learned from me. 

I hope you’ll be the inspiration for someone in your life to be a little bit more sustainable today. It’s such a good feeling to see the people closest to you thrift more, consume less, and think differently — more sustainably — about how we treat our world. 

Don’t push it, just live it. 

Happy Earth Day 🌍🫶🏾🌱
oldworldnew
oldworldnew
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Follow
Happy Earth Day 🌍🫶🏾🌱 I used to think “let me just get 5k followers.. 10k followers… one day I’ll have 20k followers…” to help people live more sustainably with the blog posts and social media posts I created. 10+ years of that led to burnout. And it never felt the same as when my friends and family started to live a little more sustainably because of something they learned from me. I hope you’ll be the inspiration for someone in your life to be a little bit more sustainable today. It’s such a good feeling to see the people closest to you thrift more, consume less, and think differently — more sustainably — about how we treat our world. Don’t push it, just live it. Happy Earth Day 🌍🫶🏾🌱
4 weeks ago
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🥶❌🌱 Not my plant babies! 

It’s been cold in Texas the past few days, so I acted accordingly to protect my little backyard garden that’s barely underway. 

Using thrifted sheets (once back drops in my “thrift fashionista style content” days lol) and thrifted clothes pins (I knew they would come in handy! 😆🙌🏾), as well as some old jugs, bottles, containers, and twigs. Hopefully they help keep the plants from getting too cold to survive.
oldworldnew
oldworldnew
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🥶❌🌱 Not my plant babies! It’s been cold in Texas the past few days, so I acted accordingly to protect my little backyard garden that’s barely underway. Using thrifted sheets (once back drops in my “thrift fashionista style content” days lol) and thrifted clothes pins (I knew they would come in handy! 😆🙌🏾), as well as some old jugs, bottles, containers, and twigs. Hopefully they help keep the plants from getting too cold to survive.
1 month ago
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3/5
Finally got a migrating bird LIGHTS OUT sign 🤩

Turn off your lights (outdoor & indoor) to limit light pollution and to protect migrating birds 🫶🏾🕊️

TURN ‘EM OFF! (in my Teddy Pendergrass voice 😂)

#lightsouttexas #lightsout #lightpollution #migratorybirds
oldworldnew
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Finally got a migrating bird LIGHTS OUT sign 🤩 Turn off your lights (outdoor & indoor) to limit light pollution and to protect migrating birds 🫶🏾🕊️ TURN ‘EM OFF! (in my Teddy Pendergrass voice 😂) #lightsouttexas #lightsout #lightpollution #migratorybirds
2 months ago
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Do you reuse gift wrap?

Here are some things that I’ve thrifted to reuse as gift wrap each holiday season:

⭐️ tablecloths
⭐️ napkins & handkerchiefs (matching napkins sewn together can be used for larger gifts)
⭐️ Scarves (like from @wrappr)
⭐️ Cloth bags (like the ones your sheet sets come in)
⭐️ Pillowcases
⭐️ Curtains (can be used as gift wrap or to cover larger gifts like bikes or toy kitchens)

As long as you can fold the fabric into a square before wrapping the gift, it works well when using the furoshiki style wrapping technique. 

Comment WRAP for a few tips and tricks to wrap gifts in cloth fabric.
oldworldnew
oldworldnew
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Do you reuse gift wrap? Here are some things that I’ve thrifted to reuse as gift wrap each holiday season: ⭐️ tablecloths ⭐️ napkins & handkerchiefs (matching napkins sewn together can be used for larger gifts) ⭐️ Scarves (like from @wrappr) ⭐️ Cloth bags (like the ones your sheet sets come in) ⭐️ Pillowcases ⭐️ Curtains (can be used as gift wrap or to cover larger gifts like bikes or toy kitchens) As long as you can fold the fabric into a square before wrapping the gift, it works well when using the furoshiki style wrapping technique. Comment WRAP for a few tips and tricks to wrap gifts in cloth fabric.
5 months ago
View on Instagram |
5/5
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