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]

This artwork in Train Station Park is the spot to get your selfie and tell everyone where you are…read more It is a pretty stack of letters, each in a different font, stacked up to spell out "Bentonville." It is by artist Timothy Jorgensen. The nearby caption reads, "The intention of this piece is to create and empower a sense of ownership in the community of Bentonville. We often ask what makes our community so special. Many jump to the conclusion of materialistic objects and locations but often overlook the fact that without the people, a community is simply empty buildings. People are the driving force that make up a community, the neighbors you are surrounded by or the friends across town. Found stands as a beacon of pride, reflecting the faces of people as they pass by and glance over. Capturing a moment of their time to reflect on who they are and where they come from." The artwork was funded by the Bentonville Public Art Advisory Committee. [Review 19804 overall - 280 in Arkansas - 777 of 2023.]

While visiting Arkansas, we spent a cloudy afternoon wandering around this spectacular museum. The…read morearchitecture alone will blow your socks off! It opened in November of 2011 by founder Alice Walton & heiress to the Walmart fortune. Her intent to offer public access to American art and integrating natural landscapes into its campus like design has brought people from all over to visit. I loved the high ceilings, glass windows, art, sculptors, landscaping and botanical gardens. So many fascinating things to look at and educate oneself about. Great place to take the family or a group. They offer tours which if you have the time I would recommend... *General Admission is free but you can make a donation. There are a few exhibits that you must pay for to see. *There is a cafe & shop located on the entry level. *Parking garage fills up quickly. There are more lots located further away from the museum. You will have to walk a bit but the grounds are beautiful. ~ and that's all I have to say about that...

Forget the art pieces. This is a really cool space. Architecturally, it's what I would envision a…read moremodern art museum would look like. I don't have the acumen enough to convey how sick this place is, my vocabulary fails me. You just have to visit it and take it in one angle, one hall way, one vista at time and come away truly impressed. BTW did I talk about the individual pieces on display because they are numerous, vibrant and more importantly- relevant. This is art for the masses. Art has a built in haughtiness but this is more digestible to everyone. The Getty Museum as gorgeous as the grounds are - left this plebeian wanting on its exhibits. Did I mention entrance is complimentary! They should charge. They're worth it.

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]

A great, free, art location. That hosts various artists throughout the year. They also have a large…read moreoutdoor space where they do events as well

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.

Great free tours! I love the cool after hour events that are FREE! Events for the entire family!read more

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

This is one of the cooler art exhibits in Bentonville. You have to walk down the path and you…read morearrive at this cylindrical structure. From the outside it doesn't look crazy artsy. But the inside is where the creation comes to life. The idea is you sit and look up at the sky. Sunsets and sunrises are the best but we had cloud cover moving from north to south and it was amazing. This is a must do if you come to Bentonville. The artist is James Turrell and he has art projects around the world.

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.

This is one of the finest Native American museums. I've seen. It rivals the Crazy Horse museum…read moreout west. If you're going to Crystal Bridges, don't miss this!!

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!