Free & Cheap Things to Do in Bentonville

Arts & Culture

A world-class free art museum founded by Walmart heir Alice Walton in 2011, set in a Moshe Safdie–designed glass-and-wood building bridging two spring-fed ponds. The permanent collection spans five centuries of American art, and a major expansion roughly doubling gallery space opened in 2026. A relocated Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house sits on the grounds.

Address: 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Closed Tuesdays. Free parking and free self-guided Frank Lloyd Wright house tickets. 4.7 miles of free trails and outdoor sculpture surround the museum. Plan at least half a day.

Arts & Culture

Crystal Bridges' contemporary sister space, set in a converted 1947 Kraft cheese plant in south Bentonville. General admission to the rotating contemporary art and performance galleries is always free; the campus also hosts music festivals, food events, and a rooftop tower bar with skyline views.

Address: 507 SE E St, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Galleries are free; concerts and festivals on the Momentary Green are ticketed. The rooftop Tower Bar is open to all. A free shuttle and the greenway connect it to Crystal Bridges.

History & Culture

A free museum tracing more than 14,000 years of Indigenous history across the Americas, with over 10,000 artifacts arranged through five eras from Paleo to Historic. Free self-guided audio wands narrate the galleries, and an outdoor teepee plus an arrowhead hunt entertain younger visitors.

Address: 202 SW O St, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Open Tuesday–Saturday, 11am–5pm. Pick up a free audio wand at the front desk. Compact enough for an hour, and a short walk from the downtown square.

Family & Kids

A hands-on children's museum near Crystal Bridges, packed with a climbing canopy, water play, an Arkansas farm-to-table exhibit, and a Hershey's chocolate-themed lab. Built for ages 2–14, it rewards a half-day of unstructured play and is one of the region's best rainy-day options for families.

Address: 1009 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Wednesday 'Priceless Nights' (4:30–7:30pm) are pay-what-you-wish. Closed Tuesdays. Bring a change of clothes for the water area. Free campus parking with a shuttle to Crystal Bridges.

History & Culture

A free museum on the downtown square telling Walmart's story from Sam Walton's original 1950 five-and-dime to a global retailer. The newly reopened space — doubled in size in 2025 — includes a restored Walton's 5&10 dime store, interactive exhibits, a Sam Walton hologram theater, and the Spark Café.

Address: 105 N Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Free admission. The Spark Café's nickel coffee and Sam's favorite butter-pecan sundaes are a fun, cheap treat. Right on the square, so pair it with the farmers market or a downtown lunch.

Arts & Culture

A free contemporary art museum inside a boutique hotel, open 24 hours a day. Rotating exhibitions of work by living artists fill 12,000 square feet of gallery space, punctuated by the hotel's signature roaming green penguin sculptures that kids love to track down.

Address: 200 NE A St, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Galleries are free and open around the clock — even overnight. A half-block off the square. The green penguins move daily, so spotting them is a built-in scavenger hunt.

Shops & Downtown

The walkable heart of Bentonville, anchored by a historic courthouse lawn ringed with independent shops, galleries, and acclaimed restaurants. Free events fill the calendar — Wednesday and Saturday farmers markets, First Friday street parties, chess club, and live music on the square most warm-weather evenings.

Address: Bentonville Square, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: The Saturday farmers market (Apr–Oct) is one of Arkansas's best. Free parking in nearby decks. Walkable to the Walmart Museum, 21c, and the Crystal Bridges trails.

Parks & Nature

A free seven-acre garden and arboretum in the heart of downtown, built around conservationist Dr. Neil Compton's mid-century home. Shaded trails wind past native Ozark trees and seasonal blooms, and a path links directly to the Crystal Bridges trail network and the Razorback Greenway.

Address: 312 N Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Free and open daily. The trail connects to Crystal Bridges, so you can walk from the square to the museum through the woods. Occasional free Tree Talk tours.

Parks & Nature

A free 300-acre preserve just west of downtown with more than 20 miles of professionally built mountain-bike trails, from flowy beginner loops to technical rock features — fitting for a town billed as the Mountain Biking Capital of the World. The paved Applegate Trail welcomes walkers, families, and adaptive riders.

Address: 2500 NW 3rd St, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: Trails are free; the bike-in Airship café serves coffee and beer. The paved Applegate Trail connects to downtown. Rent bikes nearby if you didn't bring one.

Family & Kids

A free seasonal play space a block off the square: an outdoor splash park with dancing fountains from May through September, and the region's only permanent open-air ice rink in winter. The summer fountains are free to run through; winter skating requires a paid skate rental but stays a budget outing.

Address: NE Blake St, Bentonville, AR 72712

Tip: The summer splash pad is free — bring swimsuits and towels. Central location near the square, Compton Gardens, and Crystal Bridges trails makes it an easy family stop.