Did you know that Bentonville is home to historic buildings, amazing museums, and plenty of family-friendly activities? In this episode of Naturally NWA, I’m going to give you a tour of Bentonville, one of the most sought-after cities to live in Northwest Arkansas. We’ll look at everything from the historic Downtown Bentonville Square to the Crystal Bridges Museum to see what makes this city so special.
Downtown Bentonville Square
We’ll start our tour at the historic Downtown Bentonville Square. This area has so much to offer, including the original five and dime that Sam Walton opened in 1950. It was a very unique concept at the time, only the third self-service variety store in the United States and the very first one to open in Arkansas.
Today, this five and dime has been turned into a Walmart Museum that celebrates the history of Walmart. On the bottom floor, they have a little ice cream parlor where you can grab a scoop or two of your favorite flavor for your stroll around the Bentonville Square.
Just a few blocks away from the Bentonville Square is the Pedaler’s Pub, a very popular bar here in Bentonville. It’s located right off the Razorback Greenway trail and just a few blocks from the Slaughter Pen trailhead. The bar’s name pays homage to the biking community here, both cycling and mountain biking. Many locals will ride their bikes right through Pedaler’s Pub and stop to have a drink.
Crystal Bridges Museum And Scott Family Amazeum
One of the coolest attractions in Bentonville is the Crystal Bridges Museum. It’s one of the most amazing art museums in the country, sitting on 120 acres with walking trails and art installations throughout the woods. Currently, the North Forest Lights are on display on the outside trail. It’s something you don’t want to miss.
The design of the building itself is also amazing, incorporating two spring-fed ponds and lots of glass walls to add to the ambiance. New installations are brought in throughout the year, so be sure to check out their website at crystalbridges.org to see what’s coming up.
Right across the street from Crystal Bridges is the Scott Family Amazeum. If you have kids, you’re probably going to want to get a membership to this place. Children love all the cool interactive exhibits here. You can book one of their time blocks for daily sessions, so be sure to check out their website for hours.
Walmart’s Office And Campus
While it looks more like a county jail, there’s a building in town that’s actually the Walmart home office. I was shocked the first time I saw it; I would’ve thought that the largest company in the world would have an amazing, cutting-edge building, not an ugly brick one with almost no windows. It kind of looks like a high school gym.
Interestingly, the current big wigs at Walmart got together a few years ago and decided they needed to upgrade to stay competitive with the Googles and Amazons of the world. Since they want to be able to attract and recruit top young talent, there’s an entirely new campus being built on 350 acres right in the middle of Bentonville. The new home office will open in phases, starting last year and going on through 2025. The campus will feature a childcare center, spaces to connect with nature, food trucks outside of each quad, and much, much more.
Bentonville’s Housing Prices
Now that you know about Bentonville’s unique features, you may be wondering how much it costs to live here. Bentonville has a variety of single-family homes, condos, and townhouses of all sizes and price points. Most of the homes have been remodeled or completely torn down to make room for newer, modern options.
Because the area is very desirable, the price per square foot is significantly higher within a few blocks of the Square than anywhere else in Northwest Arkansas. Typical costs range from about $180 a square foot to $380 a square foot for single-family homes. Houses that have been completely remodeled and renovated—along with new construction options—range from around $550,000 up to $1.5 million within a third of a mile or so of the square. Older homes that would need to be renovated or torn down range from $200,000 to $500,000.
When you’re talking about condos, the average cost of a condo or a townhouse within a few blocks of the Square ranges from about $375,000 to $825,000. You’ll get about 2,500 square feet on average for that price. It’s important to note that once you get more than four or five blocks off the Square, the price per square foot drops off pretty significantly.
Experience Bentonville Living
Bentonville is definitely a great place to live, and I certainly recommend that you check it out. If you have any additional questions about the local area or want more information about our local real estate market, please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to help.
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