BENTONVILLE, Ark. — A hotel-museum fusion located in Bentonville provides a unique experience for those dropping into the Northwest Arkansas area for a visit.
21c Museum Hotel, located in Bentonville's Downtown, has a 12,000-square-foot art gallery space in its lobby. Since it is a functioning hotel, the museum is open to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Along with the Bentonville location, which opened in 2013, there are seven more locations in the country:
- Chicago, Illinois
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Durham, North Carolina
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Louisville, Kentucky
- St. Louis, Missouri
The founders of the hotel, who are from Louisville, Kentucky, have a considerably large art collection. They created the 21c Museum Hotel chain to share their collection and make it accessible for everyone to view.
Each of the art exhibits rotate between each hotel location every year.
Some of the staple pieces that remain at the Bentonville location include the 15 green penguins that are scattered on the property. Patrons are encouraged to be a part of the art by moving the penguins around the hotel. It's always a surprise where they end up.
Hotel guests, however, have exclusive access to local art on each floor.
The museum offers free guided tours. Some future dates include Jan. 11, Jan. 18, and Jan. 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Those are the only ones listed, but you can stay up to date on their website for additional tours.
You can also hold events in the gallery spaces.
Once you have enjoyed all the art and penguin tomfoolery, check out The Hive, a bar and restaurant in the hotel.
The Hive is led by Executive Chef Micah Klasky and "prepares locally sourced ingredients to showcase the unique culinary identity of Arkansas," according to The Hive's website.
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