The Momentary

The Momentary is a fantastic spot for art lovers, music lovers and anyone looking to explore the local culture. The museum is beautifully designed, with a great mix of contemporary art, interactive exhibits, and unique installations of light indoors and outdoors. The space itself is modern and welcoming, and the outdoor area is perfect for relaxing or enjoying a meal from the on-site Onyx Cafe and a Tower bar. There’s also a great venue for hosting parties or any event including weddings. There was a great exhibit of pets during our visit highlighting their impactful stories. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because some exhibits were not as engaging as others, and it felt a bit understaffed at times. That said, it’s definitely worth a visit, and I look forward to returning!

I attended the best in show exhibition, and it was great! The staff were friendly and attentive. There’s a nice little coffee shop inside as well! The museum has a gift shop. Entry was free!

If you find yourself wanting to live in a romantic movie and immerse yourself in the quiet. This is a lovely place to grab a coffee and take a short walk around to see art of all kinds with friends, your partner, or yourself.

LOVED the pet photo exhibit! Best part was being able to take my pup. While we enjoyed the images, we also used it as an opportunity to train, greet people, leave people alone that don't invite him to be petted. Everyone was so nice.

A wonderful free art gallery and beautiful campus open to the public. There’s an Onyx Coffee cafe onsite, the Tower Bar on the top floor with 360 degree views of Bentonville and in the summers the Live on the Green concert series is one of the best places to watch world class talent for a reasonable price!

Very nice outdoor music venue. Spacious, great sound, staff & concessioneers very kind & helpful. No hassles getting into venue with folding chairs. Beautiful restrooms in the Momentary building ... also nice facility for cooling off if overheated. Decent beer prices and selections. Would love to return for the FreshGrass Festival again next year.

Stopped in a few weeks ago. They didn't have any shows but walked around the free Art exhibit and it was really cool with a lot of digital modern art. Definitely would like to see a performance here.

First time visitor when I went to a concert. Only one way into the facility which is unusual for concerts. But once the gates opened it flowed easily. Bring your own blanket or lawn chair unless you plan to stand. We chose to stand all night as we like to be in the front as close to the act as possible. Since we got there early we got front row seats and stood the entire time. The sound was amazing, the weather was pretty decent for mid July. I looked forward to attending another concert again.

Post-modern artistic expressions right in the heart of Northwest Arkansas. Plan to spend at least an hour plus at the exhibits as there is plenty to see and study. The exhibits are quite interesting and provocative, but safe for the entire family. Plan for gifts and beverages at the chic gift store and coffee bar. What I loved about this location was the repurposing of an old consumer cheese factory. It definitely has a Willy Wonka vibe and quirkiness associated with it. Support the arts! Plan your visit today.

I've seen some amazing shows here and I've seen some not so great art shows here, but either way it's a super cool place that's worth the time. Give yourself a minimum of two hours to grab a coffee from Onyx coffee and maybe sit around the coffee shop area and play a game then check out the art shows and then go upstairs to the tower bar up top and get a delicious drink with a cool view!!

This is an exquisite place to visit in Bentonville. Their exhibit was put together so well that it captivated the interest of the 3 and 4 yr olds that were with me. Beautifully crafted art.

I'm rating this as a concert goer. I was not able to go inside. I was very disappointed by my concert experience when I came to see John Legend. I came with my ADA mother. There was no seating options outside the venue for her. And I stood in line for us for over an hour. When we got in again, it was a trek from us to get to our ada seating. Which was decent seating but everything was extremely far from our seating. The bathrooms, the food, the merch was a far walk for my mom. It just was not great. The workers literally didn't care that we were ADA when waiting in line. Only one worker took pity on a young girl who has arm crutches and brought her a seat from inside the venue so she could wait in line with her party. I just feel like there should be a better system for Ada people it was a mess. The concert was fine. There was no video of the performer, so you just had to watch him performer from hundreds of feet away like a little ant on the stage. I just wouldn't come back and it wasn't worth the money.

What a wonderful modern art museum and incredible venue for this year's music art & technology festival! The event took place all weekend during September so myself and a friend were able to check it out. This is a newer event to Bentonville but one that brings in a lot of moolah to the birthplace of Walmart! (IYKYK) Colorful and innovative installations all around the campus, food trucks, music galore. I enjoyed going into the museum itself and looking around. This is a great location to have a lot of different events in the community. The neighborhood is lined with the most adorable white picket fence homes and the entire area in general is super walkable. This is absolutely a place you should visit should you travel to the Ozarks. Walk around and see the exhibits and etc. I honestly was unaware of how much art and eclectic culture existed here. It is a sight to see and I'd love to come back and visit soon.

Modern art isn't always my thing, but this museum, which is a subsidiary of Crystal Bridges (reviewed separately), is free and functions as much more than a museum. This space is large and has a HUGE courtyard full of lounging chairs and tables. Music plays outside and there is a restaurant. There are gardens and trails nearby, which lead directly to other restaurant and shops. The museum itself has a cocktail bar. The weekend I visited, there was a music festival. A big stage was set up and food trucks were on the property. This is more than a contemporary art museum. This is a community space.

Even with the remodeling underway, the three artists featured had space enough in this repurposed industrial space to exhibit large works. Different from most anything I've seen before, the exhibits were as different from each other as imaginable. Parking is ample in front for day visitors with a huge garage for larger crowds. The amphitheater is only steps away and the trail goes through the property making it quite walkable/bikable from various points in town.

Stopped by the Momentary while in Bentonville. If you are a modern art fan, this spot is for you! While we were there, it was under construction, but they still had quite a few exhibits open for us to see. I believe they rotate different exhibits through. My favorite one was an installation that simulated an undersea experience. If you're not into art, this probably isn't the spot for you.

Came in from out of town to visit some things in Bentonville one of which was The Momentary. Checked their hours and their website before coming on a Sunday - everything said they were open. Arrived and they said all the exhibits were closed for renovations for a month. This information was shared with us in an abrasive and rude way that shocked us - there was no signage anywhere on their doors, on their website, online about the renovations and I felt so sad about how this whole interaction happened. (I even went back and checked their website, etc thinking I might have missed any kind of notice about galleries being closed for renovations but still couldn't find anything, I was totally ok with it being my fault and I guess that would mean I deserved to be talked to rudely but there was nothing I could find retroactively online and it made me feel even worse).

I had no idea what to expect. (Their website lacked a little as far as information, IMHO). I was pretty blown away by the exhibits and the staff was super friendly. There was one thought-provoking installation after another. The Onyx coffee bar is super cool as well, and I loved the pink hues and the conveyor belt delivery. I so want to experience the rest of what The Momentary has to offer, like the concert venue and The Tower. Next time for sure so I can leave a five star rating.

The Momentary is a cousin art museum to Crystal Bridges - that skews towards more modern and performing arts. The exhibits change seasonally (not a huge museum, so easy to visit, and free!). Check out their website or social media for upcoming musical performances (if you can catch a performance at the outdoor amphitheater, you definitely should). Another must do is the Tower Bar - nice view of Bentonville and tasty beverages!

Unique artist displays and an event venue with a coffee house vibe. As a visitor in town, I only got to spend a short time there but I would be a regular if I lived there.

We did like this art gallery... It has a really cool old factory vibe to it plus it is spacious. There is plenty of space for big displays. There is plenty of staff which were very helpful. This is a neat place to explore. I did like the upper levels but think it needed another set of works because everything was really spread out. The little coffee shop was really cute. This would be a nice place to spend time to get to know someone or catch up with an old friend. It is very low key. Worth a visit in my opinion.

Different beautiful exhibits with interesting & unique themes throughout the year. Staple of Bentonville.

The tower bar and the art gallery are great. However, this is a terrible venue for a concert. We went there to see John Legend this evening, and the line around the property spread for over a mile just to get through security. We were in line for over an hour waiting to get in the gates, and the show started before we made it through security. This place is just not equipped to handle an actual concert. There are no TV screens like there are at the amp so that you can actually see the performer if you are I slept in the nosebleed section. Lines for beverages were super long. There is no hand sanitizer for the porta potties. You can't see the stage for all the people standing. Overall, it was just a cruddy place to hold a concert for such a fabulous musician.

Eclectic modern art with nearby food court and walking/biking paths. If you're looking for something different from crystal bridges you can spend a morning or early afternoon checking out the momentary. When I went they had closed down the rooftop bar because of the pandemic but there's supposedly a pretty nice bar located above the museum. The staff told me it's a rotating series of exhibits but I haven't gone back since it first opened so I don't know if anything's changed. Also the pandemic is still in full swing so who knows. Overall it's an enjoyable time and a great way to spend a lazy morning or afternoon. I will say some of the exhibits a very abstract/avant-garde. My mom was one of those New York artist types and even for me some of it was a bit on the weird side. Worth checking out at least once!

Such a great and free art space! More modern art than Crystal bridges, it's a really cool place to just walk through, read a book, or even go in a date. 10/10 would visit again

So excited to have another amazing museum right in our backyard in Bentonville. And free to the public every day! Thank you Momentary! We visited specifically to see the Nick Cave exhibits (and to make a trip to the tower bar for the amazing view). Wow! Make tracks to see this exhibit before it travels elsewhere. Dazzling, Intoxicating & visually stunning! I wish the ceiling of my living room or anywhere in my home resembled this. And the trip up the ladder to see the cloud of art on the top of the crystals and Lighting was a fun perk. If you're afraid of the ladder, just make a trip up the stairs to the second level for a great overlook of the exhibit. Next up, The tower bar for the amazing 360 view of our town. Perla assisted us at the bar and she was delightful and so friendly and engaging. Don't miss a chance any day to stroll through this unique and interesting museum.

Bentonville inspired Momentary's cool art space Shadows & tall trees #NOLA_Haiku #Bentonville #ArtsDistrict #Shadows #BlackAndWhite #TheNaturalState @themomentary #Momentary @crystalbridgesmuseum @downtownbentonville

Go to the museum, then take the elevator up to the rooftop bar and enjoy an incredible cocktail with an epic view. The "Got 5 On It" was perfection.

5 stars for the sunset view and view of Bentonville. 6 floors up, the Tower bar at the Momentary is upscale and very chill. Elevator up which currently, due to the pandemic, is manned by a host communicating with the upstairs host due to limited seating so you may have a wait, but get your name on the list and take a stroll in the museum while you wait. Comfortable lounge chairs are socially distanced with individual table lamps. Music is chill. Wait staff is very friendly and helpful. I enjoyed a Cousin Eddie which is funny since Christmas Vacation is my favorite holiday movie. It's like a boozy chocolate milk. Very tasty. Perfect dessert drink.

Absolutely love visiting The Momentary! Such a cool space, and NWA is so lucky to get to host this spectacular place! I visited last during Nick Cave's Until exhibit, which was spectacular. I can't wait to see the three new exhibits opening in February! Until then, they have an outdoor event going on! They have fire pit tables and a The Momentary food truck onsite. You can hang out and watch the outdoor broadcast of "Drive-By" by Nick Cave. Pleasantly surprised that there is an Onyx onsite! The innovation in that space is worth the trip to The Momentary! Your order is delivered via a conveyer belt!

We enjoyed our time here. It was a quick walk through for us, however you can take as mischief or as little time as you would like. It was neat seeing several different pieces from local artists before the exhibit is changed up for 2021. We will be back to see what is next! The old architecture of the building was really neat. I will say one of our favorite parts was the onyx coffee shop right inside! You can grab a coffee or hot tea, London fog or hot chocolate while you walk outside and enjoy the atmosphere or walk inside and enjoy with works of art.

Recently opened, this is repurpose of an old cheese factory. The galleries are a "visual arts playground"....many different medians of contemporary art and soon to have live performances. Still under a soft open, it is said to boast culinary experiences. Currently they have onyx coffee, the stunning tower bar and the break room. A shuttle runs between Crystal Bridges, the Momentary and 21c Museum Hotel. I am very excited to see what the future holds for this new venue.

The Walton name and money is everywhere you look in Bentonville, and now some of Sam's grandchildren are using their funds to create a world class center for Contemporary Art, just as their aunt Alice did for American Art with Crystal Bridges. This renovated cheese factory is anything but cheesy. I drove 3 1/2 hours from Kansas City to see a monumental installation from Nick Cave. One of the preeminent contemporary artists in the world and a native son of my home state - Missouri and student of the Kansas City Art Institute. Oddly my first introduction to him was at Crystal Bridges nearly a decade ago with his Sound Suits. The current exhibition is titled Until; a reflection on gun violence and racism. It encompasses multiple rooms and multiple media. A room full of thousands of hanging spinners, a room full of video and audio loops projecting across all walls and floor. A "floating cloud" made of crystals that you can climb a ladder to look onto and see a menagerie of shiny and jarring objects, multi-story hanging textiles, walls of blowing tinsel.... Truly mind-blowing. The Momentary space is very industrial and minimal, allowing the art to define the space. There are spaces for visual arts, musical events, theatrical showings, culinary showcases, courtyards, coffee shops, outdoor space and the very cool Tower Bar high above the campus. The Momentary is completely worth a long distance drive from any neighboring state. Eager to return next spring and see what is next after Nick Cave exits in January 2021.

Talk about stumbling upon an awesome spot. I've been meaning to check it out and we did. The contemporary art is cool but it's everything else connected that was appealing to me even more. When we discovered there was a Tower Bar we had to come back and check it out. We were NOT disappointed. This appears to still be a well kept secret. The service was amazing and the atmosphere was incredible. The bar has a 60s airport vibe- think movie "Catch me if you Can." We will be making this a regular spot. There is also Onyx coffee spot and another bar at the Momentary. I hear the bar down below has a really cool space as well.

Imagine a museum where the main criteria for exhibitors seems to be diversity or intersectionality as opposed to artistic talent. Imagine a museum where the exhibits seem to be made of trash found against fence rows, and still maintain their origins. Imagine a museum located in an region that has attracted some of the most famous fine artists in the US as permanent residents, yet not a single local artist is represented. If you can imagine all of that- you have imagined The Momentary. With only a very few exceptions, the installations and exhibits seemed to have been third grade recycling projects. Its an hour of time you'll never get back. Instead, spend that extra time at Crystal Bridges, that place is worth visiting. -Bentonville Born

Very interesting space inside of an old industrial type building. Would have liked to see the upstairs restaurant and view but we arrived early before it opened. Unique fashion display art exhibit. Would be interesting to see other future exhibits. The red barn outside by parking lot is beautiful.

Artist or not (I am!) this is a real treat. It's free admission bc that's the way Bentonville, AR is! It's not so big that you're overwhelmed, but instead it's a great place to bring visitors to the area! It's the most unusual meseum I've ever been to, and that says a lot! Plan your NWA visit, and be sure to stop by this gem

It was a unique experience for sure. It broadened my thoughts on a few things. I will make a plan to really go back and take it in with all I can instead of a brief evening. Also really dig the tower bar. Also plan to make a trip to experience an evening up there! Very cool addition to the area. 10/10 will come back

What a fun place to celebrate or just chill with friends. I love being able to look out over a little city and relax to the gorgeous views.

I've been to art museums all across the United States, and I will gladly say that The Momentary is the most "fun" out of all of them. My only complaint thus far is that their beverages are very overpriced.

I've lived in Bentonville long enough to see it turn from a sleepy town into a much more happening place. Long story short, I expected so much more from The Momentary. The times I have been, I feel like there isn't much to see. I specially remember this one time I went, and the entire middle gallery had a collection of art pieces that LITERALLY all looked the same. It was some boring beige & brown squares, just in 20 different frames. Considering how the Crystal Bridges Museum has some LITERAL MASTERPIECES, and The Momentary is considered it's "sister museum", DO BETTER!!!! Sometimes I'm so bored in Bentonville that I'll drive over to The Momentary just to walk around, and it is always SO EMPTY. It's been open for a few years, but I feel like they don't get the business they should be getting. I guess I'm not the only one that things the art here is sub-par, especially when there is a world class museum just a few minutes down the road. The art exhibits do get switched out every few months, but I haven't seen that much that I'm impressed with. The one AWESOME thing I have to say about The Momentary is the upstairs bar. It's called The Tower Bar. It features huge glass windows that give you an interesting and beautiful view of Bentonville. The drinks are a tad overpriced, but you're paying for the atmosphere and experience of course. If it's your first time in NWA, check out The Momentary, but don't expect to be blown away.