A bit more impressive than the neighboring "Heavy Handed" because Buckyball is lighted! Yes, the…read morealuminum tubing includes LED lights. From the artist's caption, "Leo Villareal is a sculptor who uses light as his medium. Through the technology of LED bulbs and computer software that Villareal designs, the artist creates ever-changing displays of moving light and color. Named in honor of the theorist and engineer Buckminster Fuller, Buckyball features two nested geometric spheres that take the shape of a Carbon 60 molecule. The structure is covered in LED tubes capable of producing 16 million distinct colors." Buckyball is illuminated from 10 am to 11 pm every day. [Review 2342 of 2024 - 390 in Arkansas - 23356 overall]

Absolutely worth coming here at night. It lights up and the colors change constantly in different…read moreways. It blew my mind when I saw how it looked against the dark night sky. I really loved the fact that they had benches that positions the body so that you're lying down and gazing towards the ball. It's so dang comfortable and makes it absolutely easy to just stare and be mesmerized by the brightly lit fixture. Highly recommend it if you have a chance to stop by the Crystal Bridges museum. Has plenty of parking near the additional parking lot at the Crystal Bridges Museum and right across from the Amazeum.

This larger installation is on the exterior wall of the Ledger parking deck. Titled "Lakes and…read moreRivers" it was installed in 2023 by artist Stefan Sagmeister. It depicts two smallmouth bass which are anything but "small." The larger of the two is about 93 feet long which is the same as the average length of a blue whale, the largest animal on earth. From the artist's statement, "The inspiration for this mural came directly from the rivers and lakes surrounding Bentonville. We noticed that they're being used more and more for activities meant to delight. So, we created a data visualization showing the number of kayaking Americans tripled in the last 15 years from 6 million people - represented by the small fish - to 18 million people of the large fish." The 268,947 disks bring this artwork to life. It was a slightly windy evening so I was able to see the "scales" on this "fish" move and shimmer. [Round number 100 in Bentonville - review 2348 of 2024 - 396 in Arkansas - 23362 overall]

This interesting and interactive artwork is located in Lawrence Park. A nice shot for your…read moreInstagram, it's a little bit climbable but you can also go inside and that makes for an interesting and somewhat unique selfie. By artist Hou de Sousa of New York, it was installed in 2024. The caption reads, "Every patch on a community quilt tells a story. Sticked together, the resulting anthology reveals diverse perspectives as well as the common threads that bind neighbors. Bubble is cast in this spirit, piercing together moments of Bentonville's culture and urban fabric into something new. Each element of Bubble's design takes inspiration from something unique to Bentonville. Its parallel fins echo the skylights of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The polygonal frames are inspired by the shapes found in the surrounding park. Meanwhile, the bolted-panel construction - made of separate pieces that are put together on site - nodes to Buckminster Fuller's Fly Eye Dome which you can visit at Crystal Bridges." It continues, "A playful object when seen from afar, Bubble invites you into a patchwork world of color as you approach. Its gateways frame the surrounding context in a novel way while also offering a place to sit and meet friends old and new. Bubble was design by Hou de Sousa, an art and design team led by Nancy Hou and Josh de Sousa." It does indeed look like a shiny soap bubble sitting on the ground. But this one won't pop! [Round number review 400 in Arkansas - review 2352 of 2024 - 23366 overall]

Actually made a road trip just to come back to this amazing museum. Opened in 2011, following an…read more$800 million endowment from the Walton (Walmart) Family this American art museum is truly world class with representations from every major art name in America (Stuart - Washington Painting, Chihuly glass, Frank Lloyd Wright house, etc). Designed by famed architect Moshe Safdie (anyone remember the sky park buildings used as the backdrop in the film crazy rich Asians in Singapore? same architect.). The building blends naturally into the hillsides that were the wooded areas the Walton children played in growing up. I can't say enough about this fabulous museum. Constantly in change, and a new addition that will double exhibit space opening this summer admission is free, as are guided tours that cover architect, art, and everything in between. This is an absolute must see/must stop for everyone.

This is an excellent museum for American Art and there is NO COST to view their permanent…read morecollection! (There is a cost for special temporary exhibits should you be inclined to visit that section of the museum.) Works of art by Norman Rockwell (Rosie the Riveter), Grandma Moses, Gilbert Stuart's George Washington's portrait once owned by Alexander Hamilton and even an early drawing by Andy Warhol that sold originally for $35 provide a cornucopia of Americana history and lifestyles. The museum is spread out nicely and it is easy to move around. Public and Group tours are also available. There are also several trails for you to wander the grounds and see various sculptures and other works of art. Tree-shaded areas make it a nice journey even on a warm day. Parking close to the museum usually gets full by noon, but there is a structured multi-level parking lot closer to the entrance and the walk is easy to Crystal Bridges. This is also a shuttle that comes by every 10-15 minutes to take you to the entrance. NOTE: if you park in the structured lot, the first museum you will see is the Scott Family Amazeum. This is the children's museum and there is an entrance fee for this museum. Crystal Bridges is just a short distance away. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art also has a restaurant, a coffee bar. a museum store and a library. It truly is an outstanding museum of American art and is worth your time to pay it a visit.

Located on the sidewalk in front of Bentonville City Hall (and close to Trash Ice Cream!), this…read moreartwork is not only visually appealing but it calls back to the history of the area. The outline of an apple complete with stem encircle a mirror-like sheet that is polished to shape the "seeds" on the front. The caption reads, "In celebration of Bentonville's Sesquicentennial Anniversary in 2023, the past and present are brought together with the Seeds of Bentonville. By 1877, Benton County was one of the two largest apple-producing counties in the nation. The shape of an apple slice represents the more than 40,000 acres of apple orchards in the area at that time. Inside the apple slice are 150 apple seeds. The words imaged onto the seeds were provided by local residents to describe what they love about Bentonville today." The words include relaxed, welcoming, thriving, Oztrails, good in people and community. The artwork is by Justin Deister and it was created in 2023. Stop by and check it out. [Review 2346 of 2024 - 394 in Arkansas - 23360 overall]

Easy parking in the gravel lot. Came late on a Friday night and it wasn't very busy. Cute gift…read moreshop. We came during the rock and roll exhibit and saw lots of great art. Would come more often if we lived in the area. Great free experience but didn't last us a long time as they have limited space.

The Momentary is a regular on our trips to Bentonville. This last trip was a pictorial trip down…read morememory lane with an exhibit of past (and some hard-to-believe-they're-still-around) bands. Of course, it's not a complete visit without a coffee from Onyx. Pro-tip - ask for a clay mug. So fun! And if you're feeling extra spicy, make your way to the top of the tower for a custom-made drink overlooking the city. I highly suggest an evening visit. It's a tad more lively and the view and lights are especially nice.

Had fun! Free guided and self guided tours. The grounds are beautiful. I really enjoyed my time.read more

It is a beautiful 1800 house for sharing the History in the USA. Mr. Peel was a prominent Attorney…read morewho fight Ed for Natives Indians. The collection is not totally original, however, everything is from the same time of the period. The new owner got some objects from directly of the family had in the house. It is free!!!! Should you go!

I went here after visiting another one of James Turrell's skyspaces. This one is very similar to…read morethat. It's a circular room with a hole in the ceiling. When it gets dark, the lights change, making the room different colors. It's a cool place; you can sit and watch the show and - nice bonus - the seats are heated. I think this a cool place and a good addition to the park with the museum.

While visiting family in Bentonville, we ventured around town on our last day in the area. First…read morestop was @monah_nwa which is a small but very well curated museum of Native American history- much was from tribes and people of this area of North America, but it also included beautiful and well-preserved artifacts from indigenous people of North and South America. Admission is whatever you choose to donate. My teens participated in the arrowhead "dig" in the area around the teepee out front...they got to keep one of the arrowheads they "discovered" and then purchased the rest with some mad cash from their grandma! You need about 2-3 hours to make your way through the entire museum and get the gist, and a bit more than 3 hours if you want to listen about each numbered artifact with the provided sound wand. I'm so glad we stopped for the morning!

The place had a ton of cool historical artifacts to check out, although the building itself was…read morefairly small. I enjoyed learning about the intersection of Native American and European cultures especially. I was there for around an hour and a half, and entry was free.