Step Back in Time at the Walmart Museum

The Walmart Museum

Those looking for something unique to do during their stay at Sugar Ridge Resort should consider a visit to the Walmart Museum in downtown Bentonville, AR. While Walmart may seem an odd subject, the museum honoring the Walton legacy is anything but dull. Housed in the meticulously restored, 1888 Terry Block Building, visitors are whisked back in time with a wealth of fascinating and immersive exhibits.

Walmarts are now ubiquitous throughout America but that wasn’t always the case.  The Walmart story has its humble beginnings in 1962, when Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, AR. Driven by a belief in offering lower prices through efficient operations and high-volume sales, Walton and his brother, Bud Walton, revolutionized retail. They gained their retail experience through a Ben Franklin franchise and then their own, Walton’s 5 & 10.

Their model, emphasizing rural communities and frugal operations, was a success. Walmart grew rapidly, going public in 1970 and expanding internationally in the 1990s. What began as a small-town family business is now a global enterprise. Today, there are thousands of Walmart stores in dozens of countries, yet the company remains deeply tied to its Bentonville roots. Because of this, visitors can still walk the same downtown square that Sam Walton once called home.

Best of all, the popular attraction is just 40 minutes from our Beaver Lake resort, easy distance for a fun day-trip!

Visiting the Walmart Museum

outside the Walmart Museum

The Walmart Museum is located at 105 N Main Street in Bentonville, AR. Inside, exhibits trace Walmart’s evolution by the decade through archival ads, store layouts, and more. Even Sam Walton’s famous and fully restored red-and-white Ford F‑150 is on display.

Begin your visit in Walton’s 5 & 10, a recreation of the original general store where Sam and Bud Walton began their venture. This nostalgic portal to 1950s Bentonville, features vintage merchandise and classic signage of mid-century shopping, It even features the “5” from the original store!

Next, ascend the stairs to Sam Walton’s original office, preserved behind glass as it was in the 1990s. You’ll see Sam’s iconic red mug, stacks of papers, and other personal memorabilia of the business legend. Interactive screens and more than 700 artifacts help you you to explore Sam’s entrepreneurial vision.

Exhibits on the second floor bring Walmart’s history to the present and beyond. These include interactive kiosks, digital displays, special tributes, and even a holographic Sam Walton, speaking in his timeless Arkansas drawl.

No visit is complete without a stop at the Spark Café, a charming, on-site counter serving milkshakes, ice cream, and classic diner fare.  Delicious and fun!

Visit the museum website for hours and more information. You can also visit the museum on Facebook.

milkshake Spark Café

Downtown Bentonville & Beyond

The Walmart Museum is only one of many attractions in the Bentonville area. The walkable downtown is dotted with public art, boutiques, and eateries. The nearby Crystal Bridges Trail links downtown to green spaces and arts venues, including public art installations.

Other, popular area attractions include Crystal Bridges Museum, the Scott Family Amazeum the 21c Museum, the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden, and other points of interest.

What are your interests? Let us know and Sugar Ridge Resort will help point you in the right direction! See you soon!

Discover Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Art fans staying at our Beaver Lake cabins will be pleased to know that Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is only a scenic 40 minute drive away, in Bentonville, AR. The museum’s stunning, 50,000 square foot gallery space contains a considerable collection of important American artworks, spanning from Colonial times to the present.

The museum opened in 2011 as the brain-child of Alice Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune. The facility includes galleries, meeting and classroom spaces, a library, sculpture garden, and a glass-enclosed gathering hall that can hold up to 300 people.

Visiting Crystal Bridges

The first amazing work of art you’ll see upon arrival at Crystal Bridges is the museum itself.  The elegant glass-and-wood construction, designed by architect Moshe Safdie and engineer Buro Happo,  consists of eight linked pavilions, nestled in the forest and wrapping around and over two large, spring-fed pools. The effect is at once striking and calming; the perfect merging of nature and design. Some spend almost as much time admiring the museum and grounds as they do the art it contains!

Not that the work inside is anything to sniff at.

Crystal Bridges’ collection includes major works by such important American artists as John Singer Sargent, George Catlin, George Bellows, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Janet Sobel, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and so many others. As I say at the top, the museum’s permanent collection contains works from 500 years of American art.

The facility also includes classroom spaces, a library, sculpture garden, and a glass-enclosed gathering hall for up to 300 people. You’ll also discover a store, restaurant, coffee bar, outdoor event spaces, and nature trails. A number of the trails on the grounds lead to downtown Bentonville.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Crystal Bridges is located at 600 Museum Way, in Bentonville AR, just 40 minutes from Sugar Ridge Resort. Visit crystalbridges.org for hours and more information. You can also find the museum on Facebook.

It would be very easy to make a fun day-trip out of your visit! Other, popular area attractions include the 21c Museum, the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden, The Walmart Museum, shops, restaurants, and many other points of interest.

What things do you like to see or do? Let us know and we’ll help point you in the right direction. Sugar Ridge Resort loves sharing the area with our guests!