5 MUST SEE Things When Visiting Northwest Arkansas

Are you visiting Northwest Arkansas for just a few days, and you’re not sure what to see or where to go while you’re there? Don’t worry; I have you covered. These are the five must-see things if you’re visiting Northwest Arkansas.

Five must-see things when visiting Northwest Arkansas are Crystal Bridges Museum, Thorncrown Chapel, Scott Family Amazeum, Fayetteville Public Library, and Devil’s Den. There are many other things to see in Northwest Arkansas, but these five are suitable for everyone, and some are free of charge.

In this article, I’ll expand on these five must-see things when visiting Northwest Arkansas in more detail, so read on if you want to learn more.

Video:

1. Crystal Bridges Museum

The first thing we’re talking about is one of the crown jewels of Northwest Arkansas, and that’s Crystal Bridges Museum.

So, Crystal Bridges is a museum founded and funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Alice Walton, one of the heiresses of the Walton family, wanted to make Northwest Arkansas just a pristine example of art and culture around the world. So, within the Walton Family Foundation, they created Crystal Bridges, which is a free museum.

Anyone can visit the museum at any point and just walk in and look at all the things there.

Now, this isn’t some rinky-dink museum. They have some of the craziest art that has been displayed here in Crystal Bridges. So, for instance, this summer, the Constitution is coming to Crystal Bridges. There’s been a lot of other, very high-priced artwork that has been flown from Paris, France, LA, and New York.

If you’re in Crystal Bridges, one of the things you’ll notice right away is the fact that there are people all across America that come to Bentonville just to see this museum. They have some unique art that’s very specific to really high-end museums. Crystal Bridges is right there with museums from LA, Chicago, and Paris (I’m not lying).

There’s so much high-end art that comes through Crystal Bridges that If you go there, you’ll be shocked and awe-struck by how massive everything is. And on top of that, they’re building another, bigger facility next to Crystal Bridges, and it’s going to be done sometime in the next year or so.

So they’re expanding on top of Crystal Bridges as well. Another really cool thing about Crystal Bridges is there’s artwork on the outside, there’s artwork on the inside, and there’s the Frank Lloyd Wright House (or Bachman-Wilson House), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who was one of the world’s most famous architects.

On top of that, it’s all surrounded by trail systems. So, there are bikers and hikers all around there, and it’s a really amazing experience. And don’t forget – it’s free to get inside the museum.

Homes in NWA can be a little odd! Want to know more? Find here

2. Thorncrown Chapel

The second thing you have to check out when you’re in Northwest Arkansas is Thorncrown Chapel, located in the Eureka Springs area.

The cool thing about this is there’s not a whole lot to do there, but it’s just an amazing site. It’s great for photography, and if you type in “Arkansas Eureka Springs,” Thorncrown Chapel is the first thing that’ll pop up. It’s a masterpiece.

It was designed by E. Fay Jones, a world-renowned architect who was also born in Arkansas. He designed a lot of things here, like a few houses in Fayetteville and Bentonville specifically. Interestingly enough, Fay Jones was also a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, and you can definitely see some similarities.

Thorncrown Chapel is gorgeous in the wintertime, summertime – anytime!

NWA is a wonderful place to move to! Find out the REAL Reasons People Move To Northwest Arkansas

Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:

https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas

3. Scott Family Amazeum

The third thing you definitely need to check out if you are coming down to Northwest Arkansas is the Scott Family Amazeum. It’s geared more toward kids, but what I really love about this place is the perfect relationship between science, math, learning, and having fun at the same time.

When you walk in there, you’re like, “oh my gosh!” It’s a child’s dream to go there. Anyways, I could go on and out about this amazing Amazeum, but some of the things they offer are:

Hershey’s Lab
3M Tinkering Hub
Nickelodeon Play Lab
Walmart Market
General Mills Lift, Load, and Haul

This is just scraping the surface of what they actually have there. I can’t stress enough that you definitely need to check out the Amazeum. You’ll not be disappointed!

Also, if you’re visiting Fayetteville in Northwest Arkansas and don’t know what places to visit, check out my article about the best things to do with kids in Fayetteville.

4. Fayetteville Public Library

The fourth thing you need to check out in Northwest Arkansas is the Fayetteville Public Library.

I’m sure you’re thinking now, “Philip…what? It’s a library. Who cares? They only have books, and that’s it.” Not the Fayetteville library, though. I consider Fayetteville Library to be the best library in the whole world. So, let me tell you a little bit about this place.

Fayetteville Library has a massive teaching kitchen worth a few hundred thousand dollars! You can go there for classes, so let’s say you want to learn how to make soups or anything else. They have classes on how to actually cook in the actual teaching kitchen.

They also have a deli there, so people who use the kitchen make food all week long. So they have really affordable food. They have something called the “Dewey Decimal Special,” which is actually lunch. For $3, you can get this huge bowl of rice, beans, and delicious vegetables. And on top of that, they have a huge center where they can perform plays.

They also have an innovation center where they have 3D printers, laser cutters, and engravers. When it comes to making your product or just learning how to use 3D printers, there are all these classes designed for kids and adults, and all of them are free!

So you don’t even have to be an Arkansas native or a member. Actually, you don’t have to live in Fayetteville. If you actually aren’t from Arkansas, you just have to pay $50 for the full year, and you get access to all these amazing things.

Apart from that, they have a Mac lab at the innovation center. So if you want to work on Photoshop, Premier, Illustrator, or anything related to the creative side, they have a lab full of the best Macintosh computers available today. They also have a green screen room with all sorts of TV and production cameras ready to go.

And on top of that, they have an audio recording center. So if you have a band and want to record yourself playing, they have a specially designed room, like a massive room with a grand piano where you can record your own music.

Additionally, they have a podcasting room and a video editing room, you can rent out cameras, and the list goes on and on. And, of course, they have a huge book selection.

Long story short, you definitely need to check out this library – it’s the best in the world.

5. Devil’s Den

If you are coming down to Northwest Arkansas, you need to check out Devil’s Den without a doubt. So if you’re into hiking or want to get out and get some fresh air, Devil’s Den is an absolutely gorgeous place to visit.

It’s between waterfalls, and they have a pool there and hiking trails. They’re some of the most gorgeously manicured hiking trails in the world because the people hired to actually do the trail systems are world-renowned designers of trails. They spend a lot of money and energy to make some of the most gorgeous trails around the world.

So it’s pretty cool that Arkansas has that privilege of having some of the best in the world right here in Northwest Arkansas. Devil’s Den runs along a river that kind of cuts through the center of it. It’s great to check out in the fall because the colors are gorgeous.

So the interesting thing when going to Devil’s Den is you actually drive down a mountainside. So you’re kind of in this crater, and when you look up, there are trees everywhere. You feel like you’re in this oasis to some extent. It’s so quiet since it blocks out all traffic sounds.

There are also cabins there. So if you want to actually stay the night, there are cabins available. You can camp outside also. So you have to let the park ranger know and maybe pay a small rental fee, like $12, to rent out and bring your tent out there or your camper.