Bentonville is the corporate hometown of Walmart, the world's largest retailer — and that fact shapes almost everything about the place. The original five-and-dime that Sam Walton opened on the city square in 1945 is now the Walmart Museum, a surprisingly engaging place that traces the rise of a small Arkansas merchant into a global empire. The adjacent square is pleasant and walkable.
What has transformed Bentonville in recent decades is the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, opened in 2011 with funding from the Walton family. It holds one of the most significant collections of American art in the country — from colonial portraiture through to contemporary installation — set in a striking building by Moshe Safdie nestled into a wooded ravine. Admission is free for the permanent collection.
The broader Northwest Arkansas region has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure, and Bentonville now has an unusually strong trail network radiating out through the Ozark hills. The city is a legitimate destination for cyclists and art lovers both, a combination that would have surprised anyone who knew only its Walmart reputation.