features a vast collection of American art. Bentonville's culture is a combination of a southern city, small town, global business hub, and the surrounding Northwest Arkansas metro. Bentonville shares many of the characteristics commonly given to Arkansas as a Southern state, yet it has also absorbed minor cultural influence from the
Midwest and
West. Located firmly in the
Mid-South, Bentonville's culture is distinct and differs from the Delta portion of the state. Many of the city's first settlers came from
North Georgia,
North Alabama,
Kentucky,
North Carolina and
Tennessee, because they found the Ozarks familiar, similar to the
Appalachian Mountains back home. The uplands of Arkansas, including Northwest Arkansas, did not participate in large-scale plantation farming with slaves like the
Arkansas Delta, instead electing to settle in small clusters, relying largely on
subsistence agriculture and hunting rather than the settlement patterns common in the Midwest and
Deep South. The "hillbilly" stereotype given to the Ozarks and Appalachians is largely a derivative of the difficult topography, tendency to settle in clusters, and mostly cashless self-sustaining economy found in those regions. Bentonville's large proportion of
Southern Baptist and
Methodist adherents does, however, reflect a trend often associated with the Deep South. Due to Walmart's prominence in the city, Bentonville is also an international focal point for retail suppliers and other supporting businesses. According to the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, over 1,250 suppliers have offices in Northwest Arkansas in an attempt to secure or retain Walmart's business. Symbolic of Bentonville's complex culture was a
cricket game played between
PepsiCo and Walmart, spectated by their respective chief executives
Indra Nooyi and
Doug McMillon, chronicled in an article in
The Wall Street Journal describing the complex Bentonville culture. The game was played on a baseball field in Bentonville not well suited for typical cricket, so the players adopted new rules. The city has a league with 18 teams and a host of fans, mostly derived from the thousands of
Indian natives drawn to Bentonville by Walmart software and
IT jobs. In late 2018 plans for a public cricket pitch were approved for a new park in the southwest of the city. From the Walmart Museum on the downtown square to the over 20 buildings spread throughout the city, Walmart's Home Office has a presence throughout Bentonville. The
Northwest Arkansas National Airport has direct commercial flights from many large destination cities not typical of airports its size due to the supplier community. Bentonville, and the recently opened Bentonville West (located in Centerton) High Schools, have programs to assist the sizable transient student population, including international students, for those who have recently relocated to the area.
Culture 's original Walton's Five and Dime, now the Walmart Visitor Center on Bentonville town square
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a $450 million museum of American Art designed by architect
Moshe Safdie located within walking distance of downtown Bentonville. The museum was founded by
Alice Walton in 2011 and contains many masterpieces from all eras of American art, including many works from Walton's private collection. Other points of interest include: •
Walmart Museum: Located adjacent to
Sam Walton's original Walton's Five and Dime which serves as a visitor center. •
Museum of Native American History: Museum showcasing Native American history, art, and culture. •
21C Museum Hotel: Public museum and hotel featuring works of the 21st century. •
Scott Family Amazeum: An interactive children's museum •
The Momentary: A contemporary art museum and performance venue • Bentonville Public Library Beginning in 2015, the
Bentonville Film Festival has been held annually the first week of May in Downtown Bentonville. Over 85,000 attendees take part in this week-long event.
Historic districts and properties Bentonville contains over 30 listings on the
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the official
federal list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation. The city contains two residential historic districts, the
Third Street Historic District and
West Central Avenue Historic District. Both districts contain historic residences notable for their architectural styles and contributions to the city's early history. Together, over 40 houses are listed as contributing properties. Preeminent individual residential listings within the historic districts include the
Craig-Bryan House,
Elliott House,
James A. Rice House and the
Rice House on "A" Street. Residential listing elsewhere in the city include the
Peel Mansion Museum,
Stroud House and
Col. Young House. Also included in the NRHP are historic public structures, such as the Benton County Courthouse,
Benton County Jail,
Bentonville High School, commercial structures such as the
Benton County National Bank,
Massey Hotel,
Roy's Office Supply Building, and the
Terry Block Building, and two cemeteries. Additionally, a
confederate monument installed in 1908 by a local
United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter. On June 1, 2020, local residents held a
non-violent demonstration at the statue in solidarity with the
Black Lives Matter movement, until later that night, when the Benton County Sheriff's "mobile field force" ended the demonstration by deploying
tear gas on the assembled crowd and arresting several people. The statue was removed from the square in September 2020 and relocated to the new privately held James H. Berry Park in July 2023. ==Parks and recreation==