Northwest Arkansas is constantly developing and expanding, offering more and more wonderful things to do for people of all ages and tastes. What’s more impressive is that a lot of these places and activities don’t require you to spend any money. If you’re looking for a place to spend a great and fun afternoon for free, you have plenty of options.
The best free things to do in Northwest Arkansas are the Crystal Bridges Museum, the Ozark Highland Nature Center, and the Fayetteville Library, all places where you can learn so much about nature, art, and history. You can also check out Kayak Park and Amazeum, as well as the Blue Zoo.
Stick around if you’re curious to know more! I will list the best free things you can do in Northwest Arkansas, giving you details about each one. Let’s get started!
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Crystal Bridges
If you haven’t heard about it yet, Crystal Bridges is a massive 200,000-square-foot (18,581-sq m) museum, located in Bentonville, Arkansas. It’s a large space full of interesting things to see, and it’s expanding by over 100,000 square feet (9,290 sq m) right now, which is exciting.
Crystal Bridges is exactly what you imagine a massive museum to be like. It’s basically a museum full of sculptures, artwork, and all sorts of cool things that you would typically find in any sort of major city, and it’s located right here in Crystal Bridges, Bentonville, Arkansas.
How did this museum come to be in the first place? Well, Alice Walton, who is connected to the famous Walton family, had a large art collection many years ago. She decided to invest it into the community of Bentonville and give it for free. So, there is no charge whatsoever going to Crystal Bridges!
To give you an example of what to expect when you visit Crystal Bridges, last year the museum exhibited a copy of the Constitution; there are only nine copies left in America. The museum also had the Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and so many other interesting artifacts.
Moreover, this museum does a good job of bringing new art to the area. Well-known international artists are coming here all the time to showcase their work, so you should not miss these exhibitions. Crystal Bridges is one of the most interesting experiences you can have for free in this area.
The expansion of Crystal Bridges is amongst some of the more notable developments happening in Bentonville. To learn more, check out my post about the big projects starting in the city and what you can expect from them.
Ozark Highland Nature Center
The second free experience on this list is the Ozark Highland Nature Center located in Springdale. This center is heavily connected to the Hunt family and the JB Hunt company, which has sponsored and built it. If you enjoy the outdoors and all the activities you can do in Arkansas, like hiking, fishing, and hunting, check out this Highland Center.
This center is a 40,000-square-foot (3,716-sq m) facility dedicated to the wildlife of Arkansas. We have such interesting wildlife here, especially when it comes to central Arkansas. There are animals like hogs, pigs, and even some bears in certain parts. Not only does this museum show some of the best parts of wildlife here, but it also teaches a few classes on it, if you want to be more informed.
For instance, you can learn how to fish or how to hunt. There are classes for children as well, like Boy or Girl Scout lessons. It includes plenty of activities for the whole family, where you can have fun and learn new cool things.
The JB Hunt company, which the Highland Center is affiliated with, was one of the first companies that contributed to much of NWA’s economic growth. To learn more about NWA’s history, check out my post on the Wall Street Journal’s article about how NWA grew into a successful, thriving community.
Fayetteville Library
Number three on this list is another completely free activity and one of my favorites, the Fayetteville Library. The Fayetteville Library is the best library in the world by far, for so many reasons.
It has a 3D printing room, where you can print all your creations, a Green Screen Room, where you can record your own TV show, and an Audio Production room. This library even has a Photoshop Lab, with all the Adobe Suite programs to help you create any kind of multimedia.
There’s also a vinyl printer, a podcast room, and a photography room. The library also has a virtual reality simulation room for pilot training, where you can get your license. You can even learn how to drive an 18-wheeler or a forklift.
Naturally, the Fayetteville Library has tons of books and hosts tons of classes on several different subjects. They have a full teaching kitchen, where you can learn how to cook all types of foods, from soups to vegan food. Don’t miss the chance to check out this wonderful place where you can do so many activities for free.
Kayak Park in Siloam Springs
Number four is Kayak Park in Siloam Springs. This place is just as amazing as you think; it’s a unique and pretty rare place that is specially made for you to practice with your kayak. Kayak Park is a wonderful place for anyone, but especially for people who are into kayaking or rafting.
If you want to learn how to handle rapids a little bit better or to start practicing for more rapid rivers check out this Kayak Park. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also designed to help you practice and learn constantly so that you can handle rapids better. This is a great, safe place to practice for people who are into these water sports and want to go explore more rapid rivers in America or elsewhere.
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
Amazeum
My next pick for free or practically free things to do in Northwest Arkansas is the Amazeum in Bentonville, Arkansas. As its name suggests, this is an amazing place, especially for kids. It is great for learning all sorts of things like hands-on or high-tech tools. There are so many things for kids to do, from more hands-on to tech-savvy or designing activities.
The Amazeum is a great kid-centric place that offers all sorts of games and learning activities. To be transparent, this place is not completely free; it usually costs around $11 for the entrance, but there are also plenty of membership programs you can check out. However, this place also hosts free nights, called “Priceless Nights”, where the entrance is free for everyone, so definitely check them out.
Bonus: Blue Zoo
Blue Zoo is not free, but it’s very affordable and it’s a great aquarium-style place for kids and adults as well. If your kid is into outdoor activities, The Highland Nature Center I mentioned above is a great option, but if they like things like SeaWorld and aquatic creatures, check out the Blue Zoo in Rogers, Arkansas.
This place just opened a few months ago and it’s so fun to see. It has thousands of fish species from all around the world. If you or your kid like aquarium-style places like SeaWorld, don’t miss the chance to see this wonderful new addition to Rogers.
Conclusion
There you have it; all the cool free places to see in Northwest Arkansas for all ages and tastes! There are so many options for people who enjoy the outdoors and want to learn more, like the Ozark Nature Center, the Kayak Park, or the Blue Zoo. For those who enjoy indoor activities, there is the Crystal Bridges Museum, the Fayetteville Library, and the Amazeum for kids.