How to spend a perfect 72 hours in Bentonville, Arkansas
- sarahpainter2
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Situated in northwest Arkansas, Bentonville is a haven for fans of mountain biking, lying on the fringes of the Ozarks and home to trails ranging from simple, beginner routes to more challenging, forested paths. Reserve an afternoon for the region’s crown jewel: the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Exhilarating bike trails, striking art and elevated Southern cuisine work together to make this city the ideal weekend getaway. Here are our suggestions on where to eat, stay and play in Bentonville.
DAY 1
The city is largely flat, compact and easily explored on two wheels, thanks to a series of shared-use trails running through and around it. They form part of the 36-mile Razorback Regional Greenway, which connects several parts of northwest Arkansas. Start the first day with a trip to one of Bentonville’s many bike rental shops, like YT Mill or Specialized Bentonville, before cycling to LOUISE cafe on Thaden Field, home to Bentonville Municipal Airport.
Both spots are named after Bentonville-born aviatrix Louise Thaden, a major figure in the world of aviation during the 1920s. Here, playfully named diner-style dishes like “takeoff” tacos filled with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese fill a tempting all-day menu. After breakfast, consider taking a 30-minute chartered plane ride with Fly Oz for a bird’s-eye view over the city and the surrounding Ozark Forest landscape.
Back on the ground, it’s an easy cycle to Osage Park, an urban greenspace home to a prairie garden and 12-acre wetland ecosystem, for an atmospheric stroll along the boardwalk that runs through it. From here, make a stop at the Museum of Native American History, followed by a trip to the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden — a historic family home.
When it’s lunchtime, it’s worth biking across town to Yeyo’s, a James Beard-nominated local favorite serving up excellent Mexican dishes — think fresh guacamole, tortillas and street tacos heaped with shredded beef barbacoa. Follow this with a trip to the offbeat Walmart Museum Heritage Lab — the superstore chain was founded here in 1962 by businessman Sam Walton. The museum, which opened in the early 1990s, takes visitors through the store’s history and includes fun exhibits such as past customers’ most ridiculous reasons for returning items.
Wrap up your first day with a wander around the historic downtown square before dinner at The Preacher’s Son, a Gothic church-cum-restaurant serving rustic American food like shrimp and grits and New York strip steak. Grab a nightcap in the basement bar, Undercroft, before taking in some live music at The Momentary — a contemporary art and performance space in a converted Kraft cheese plant. It’s also one of the venues used to host screenings during the annual Bentonville Film Festival, which takes place each June.
DAY 2
Start the next day with a novel bike ride to the sixth-floor rooftop of The Ledger building, which you can reach by cycling up the wide ramps that wrap around it. Once there, take the opportunity to spot some of the murals the city’s known for, like Lakes and Rivers by Stefan Sagmeister, which you’ll find on the side of a nearby parking garage. It features two silver smallmouth bass that glimmer in the wind, a nod to Arkansas’ abundance of wildlife. The installation forms part of the NW Oz Art trail of “museum-quality art in surprising places,” which visitors can find dotted around northwest Arkansas.
Cycle back down and head to Bentonville’s new 21c Museum Hotel, with its 104 boutique rooms, art museum, cultural center and bright, airy restaurant called The Hive. It’s a great option for favorite breakfast dishes like big stacks of buttermilk pancakes, freshly baked pastries, plates of eggs and sides of hash browns. Afterward, outside on the front drive, take some time to admire the shiny Fleetwood Cadillac limo covered in nickels, dimes and pennies. The car was built in 1962 when the first Walton’s 5-10 (five and dime) opened — hence the design.
Back on the Razorback Greenway, make your way to the region’s crown jewel: the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, set in a series of shell-like buildings designed by architect Moshe Safdie. It’s only three miles from downtown Bentonville, so allow yourself time to check out all the public art scattered around it — like the giant eroded copper paper airplane, another NW Oz Art trail stop called Launch Intention by Griffin Loop. Crystal Bridges opened in 2011 with the personal collection of Alice Walton — daughter of the Walmart founder. It’s currently in the midst of a major expansion project due to be completed in 2026. Today, it presents a snapshot of American art through the ages, including a section on how the frontier shaped the national identity, featuring evocative landscape scenes.
After browsing the galleries, enjoy lunch at signature restaurant Eleven, set in an impressive, high-ceilinged building overlooking the museum’s ponds. Here, a simple menu of burgers, sandwiches and signature plates like pork and grits caters to all tastes. Then, a trip to the Bachman-Wilson House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on the Crystal Bridges grounds is a must for architecture fans. Built between 1953 and 1956 in New Jersey, it was relocated to Crystal Bridges in 2015, where it was restored. Only the downstairs is open to visitors, and this can be explored either with a guide or during a self-guided tour.
At the end of the day, follow the greenway back to downtown Bentonville for a fancy dinner at Bar Cleeta in the historic square. It’s owned by Bentonville-born chef Trae Basore, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. On the menu, expect punchy cocktails and beautiful small plates like charred broccoli rabe and Wagyu brisket. End the evening back at Crystal Bridges roughly 45 minutes before sunset to experience James Turrell’s Skyspace: The Way of Color — an hour-long light experience in the artist-designed structure.
DAY 3
A final day of outdoor adventure calls for breakfast in the form of coffee and bagels from popular local hotspot Ozark Mountain Bagel Co. in downtown Bentonville. Fueled up, it’s time for a ride around the peaceful Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, a mile west of downtown Bentonville and home to several trails to suit riders of all abilities.
Die-hard mountain bike fans should explore Slaughter Pen — over 70 interconnected trails throughout Bentonville that tie to more than 400 miles of trails in northwest Arkansas, like the Back 40 and Little Sugar loops in nearby Bella Vista. After a morning ride, book a private hike with 37 North Expeditions and head into the wilds of the Ozarks. One such spot is Hawksbill Crag, a nice there-and-back walk to a rock overhang in the Ozark– St. Francis National Forest where you’ll enjoy spectacular views over an undulating valley carpeted in trees. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of the state — even more striking and peaceful than some of the trails in the better-known Ozark National Park.
After a hike, stop at the deli inside the Buffalo Outdoor Center for a sandwich — go for the Buffalo River Sasquatch BLT on honey wheat bread — then eat it at nearby Steel Creek. This sun-dappled spot in the shadow of Roark Bluff, a dramatic sight at over 200 feet high, is a storybook setting for a quintessential Ozark pastime. Here, especially on weekends and holidays, families spread out on picnic blankets, while children splash into the river from rope swings. After lunch, head a few miles west to hike the short Lost Valley Trail that follows Clark Creek to Eden Falls and Cob Cave, soundtracked by woodpeckers in the canopy above.
For your final night in Bentonville, enjoy dinner at Junto Sushi, an upscale, small-plates restaurant and hotspot in the new funky Motto by Hilton. Must-orders are the Mandalorian; a cocktail of tequila, mandarin, lime and agave, and the toban yaki lobster sizzle.
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