BENTONVILLE — Boys and girls taken to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art may be less than thrilled by the world-class collection of paintings and other objects. But adults can offer youngsters a tempting trade-off just next-door.
The neighboring attraction is Scott Family Amazeum, which motorists pass just before reaching Crystal Bridges. Under separate ownership from Alice Walton's Crystal Bridges, the Amazeum is a cornucopia of hands-on fun for youngsters. Also different from Crystal Bridges' free-admission policy is the entry charge for visitors age 2 and older.
The 50,000-square-foot Amazeum, which opened in 2015 in a boldly colorful building on Museum Way, bills itself as "a hands-on interactive museum for children of all ages and their families. We want you to get in here and make a mess, get a little wet (you might want to bring extra clothes), climb and sing!"
The museum's brochure hardly exaggerates with its promise: "We have so much for you to do. Make a 10-foot-tall SpongeBob SquarePants come to life in the Nickelodeon PlayLab. Send foam boxes flying on conveyor belts and have fun with air tubes in General Mills Lift, Load & Haul."
And there's more: "Learn how creative you are! Make a masterpiece in the Art Studio or take something apart in the 3M Tinkering Hub. Kids of all ages can role-play in the Market sponsored by Walmart. Build a stick fort in our outdoor space or watch the changing scenes in the Cloud Theater. Have fun with chocolatey goodness and sweet stuff in Hershey's Lab."
On a recent Saturday afternoon, Amazeum bustled with mostly masked families trying their hand at the dozens of interactive exhibits on two levels. Some of the activities have commercial ties, such as that kiddie-size mock-up of Walmart grocery aisles sponsored by the Bentonville-based retail behemoth.
Churlish observers might complain the corporate sponsorships, similar to those at Disney theme parks, serve seductively as a training ground for future consumers of their products. But who wants to be a spoilsport when so much fun is being had?
A fresh hands-on project turns up some days in the Tinkering Hub. Cardboard Creations, on that recent Saturday, offered youngsters the chance to "let this simple yet versatile material guide your creativity." A couple of examples, one of them a bird's nest, were on display to offer clues to the possibilities.
The Amazeum is named for the family of Lee Scott, former chief executive of Walmart Stores Inc. Its interior encompasses about 50,000 square feet, with more activities available in clement weather on an acre of outdoor play space.
One of the most creative (and messiest) areas is the Art Studio, featuring a painting room where children provided with plastic aprons use brushes or their fingers to paint on the glass walls. The resulting designs are visible from outside the studio. The young artists' energy erases any doubt that making a mess is a lot of fun.
Scott Family Amazeum
- Address: 1009 Museum Way, Bentonville
- Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday
- Admission: $10 per person age 2 and older; free for children under 2. Most Wednesdays from 4:30-7:30 p.m. are Priceless Nights, when visitors can pay what they can, courtesy of sponsorship by the Willard and Pat Walker Family Foundation.
- Information: Amazeum.org or call (479) 696-9280