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.]

We really enjoyed our visit! I hope to return soon. It was extremely hot outside so we only did a…read morecouple of the outside trails. The trails we walked would be fine for most people. My understanding is one trail (called The tulip, I believe) is a bit harder. We decided to pass on it this visit due to the heat and we were told there was t as much art and statuary on that trail. But I highly recommend at least walking around a couple. Most are under a mile. We had to split our visit up into two shorter days due to other commitments. On day one which was a Sunday, we drove past the farther parking garage even though it said the main garage was full. Since we missed the turn, we decided to try it and lucked up and got a spot. Cars were pulling in and out a lot so I'd imagine it's impossible for them to know it's full. You could take a chance but then drive back if you don't get one. On day 2, a Monday, we didn't get that lucky and had to park out. We walked the trail in because we weren't sure of the shuttle time and there were some school busses of children waiting on the shuttle. The walk on the trail took us about 15 mins. Not a bad walk especially if it weren't so hot. Inside the museum are some amazing galleries. I really enjoyed them all but my favorite was gallery 4! I loved it! Modern and pop art. Bold colors. Art that makes a statement. Social awareness. I spent at least an hour just in this gallery and they are not that big. I was just so into most of the pieces that I had to look and go back to look just to be sure I hadn't made seed something by rushing. One amazing experience in gallery 4 is the room of mirrors. It's interactive. Another piece was a painting of Andrew Jackson on horseback but he had the US Constitution and the Indian Treaties shredded and nailed to him in the painting. A big, bold statement! A tribute to the Guerrilla Girls. A wall of neon lights. All amazing and all with a lot to say through art! There was a section of amazing glass. Outside between the galleries is a fountain and some individual swings! I haven't been on pa swing in a while so I took advantage of this. Just beautiful and peaceful mixed in with whimsy. We finished up the galleries visiting 4 again on day 2, grabbed a coffee and matcha at the museum coffee bar. Gallery 1 has a life size statue that I swear might be a real person. Then we went to the lovely gift shop where I spent too much money, I got an Andy Warhol sketch book and a few items from their modern Rosie the Riveter painting. Loved it! They had an extra Keith Haring exhibition which I would have liked but it cost an extra $15+ per person. Other than the special exhibits everything is free of charge! We also stopped in one of the community art spaces they have in the building and used colored chalk to sketch out our own drawing of fun experience! You can just take it with you. I can wait to return since it's only about 3-3.5 hours drive from the Kansas City area. A real MidWest gem. And while I'm no fan of WalMart, this is all a contribution from the family. Bentonville is the headquarters of Walmart. I have so many amazing photos, it's going to be difficult to choose them to share. Take a peak but then go visit!

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...

Really enjoyed seeing "The Beginning of Convenience" this July. Such a fun, nostalgic exhibit!…read more The bonus is that it's free.

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

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!