Start from 36 curated places around Bentonville, AR, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
The Preacher's Son
Fine dining inside a meticulously restored 1898 church two blocks from the square, with exposed timber, stained glass, and a kitchen that produces genuinely ambitious seasonal cooking drawing on Southern and Ozark pantry traditions. The bar program is among the strongest in the city, with serious cocktails and a thoughtful wine list. For a special-occasion dinner in Bentonville, this is the reference point.
Conifer
A fully gluten-free tasting-menu restaurant in The Howard building that has earned multiple James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef: South. The kitchen works directly with Ozark farms to build a seasonal menu that changes constantly — preparations range from wood-fired heritage grains to smoked lamb compositions depending on the harvest. The format is small plates and sharing rather than a strict tasting sequence.
Trails & outdoors
Slaughter Pen Mountain Bike Park
The 30-plus-mile trail system that put Bentonville on the world mountain-biking map and earned IMBA Silver Level Ride Center designation, built across rolling Ozark terrain north of downtown. Trails range from beginner-accessible paved paths and flow trails to the advanced technical descents off The Castle, a purpose-built stone-and-iron summit structure. The system connects directly to Coler via the Razorback Greenway, allowing full-day riding without moving your car.
Coler Mountain Bike Preserve
A 300-acre trail preserve west of downtown with 20 miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails across a beautifully forested valley, plus The Rise — a 185-step staircase for hikers and runners who want the descent experience without a bike. The Homestead at the top of the system has a trail-accessible micro-cafe (Airship Coffee), rooftop patio, and camping — making it possible to base an entire trip here. The flow trails and technical descents are distinct from Slaughter Pen; both systems reward a full day each.
Things to do
The Momentary
Crystal Bridges' satellite contemporary art space in a converted cheese factory, presenting rotating exhibitions of visual art, live music, performance, and film in a 63,000-square-foot building surrounded by 10 acres of outdoor programming space. Where Crystal Bridges anchors American art history, The Momentary focuses on living artists and experimental work — the two institutions complement rather than duplicate each other. Free general admission and genuinely surprising programming.
Scott Family Amazeum
A 50,000-square-foot hands-on science and arts museum designed for children and families, with a climbable tree canopy, indoor cave, tinkering studio, water play area, and nearly an acre of outdoor playscape. Rooted in STEAM education but built to feel like play rather than school — one of the most consistently praised children's museums in the South. The 4.8-star rating from over 3,000 reviews reflects a facility that maintains quality rather than coasting on opening-year enthusiasm.
Landmarks & sights
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
A world-class art museum set in a forested ravine, with eight interconnected pavilions designed by Moshe Safdie housing five centuries of American art — from colonial portraits to contemporary installations. A 114,000-square-foot Safdie-designed expansion opened in June 2026, enlarging the museum by 50% and reinstalling nearly every gallery as an all-new core experience. General admission is always free, which makes it feel like a genuine community institution rather than a tourist attraction. The 120-acre grounds include walking trails, a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house, and outdoor sculptures woven into the Ozark landscape.
The Walmart Museum
Sam Walton's original five-and-dime store on the Bentonville square, preserved and expanded into a free museum tracing the company's origin from a small-town variety shop to a global retailer. The museum reopened in March 2025 after a multi-year renovation that doubled its size. The ground floor reproduces the 1950s Walton's 5&10 with original fixtures and period merchandise, while upper floors examine the supply chain and community impact. Even visitors with no interest in retail history tend to find the holographic theater and Walton's original pickup truck more compelling than expected.