The Walmart Museum
The Walmart Museum
4.5
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
About
The Walmart Museum is as much a part of Walmart’s history as the exhibits and artifacts that it houses. First opened in 1990, the museum was known as the Walmart Visitor Center. But as times changed and the term "Visitor Center" came to refer more to regional, state, and local tourism offices, it became apparent that a name change was needed. And so, today, The Walmart Museum carries on the mission it always has: to honor Walmart’s legacy, demonstrate its core values, and cast a vision of Walmart tomorrow. In November 2022, the Museum location at the corner of Central Ave and Main St was closed to the public for a renovation project to be completed in SPRING of 2025. In the meantime, a temporary site has been opened two blocks south of the original location; The Walmart Museum Heritage Lab. This site houses new technologies and tells the story of Walmart and Sam Walton in new ways.
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Kristin A
    Greensboro, North Carolina41 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Walmart
    it was very interesting to read about the birth and upcoming of walmart. It does not require a lot of time to go through this exhibit. I do not recommend it for small children, although there is a scavenger hunt that some of them seem to be enjoying. I liked reading the history.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written October 9, 2023
  • Lee S
    Cincinnati, Ohio342 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Compact and Informative
    We didn’t know what to expect arriving at the temporary home for the museum but found the displays interesting. The most interesting aspect is asking questions of the staff. The holographic display of Sam Walton is interesting if you take the opportunity to ask questions.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 21, 2023
  • flo220
    New York City, New York359 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lots of history of Walmart
    The museum is being renovated so we went to a temporary exhibit a few blocks away. It has quite a few artifacts from Walmart and a hologram of Sam Walton that gives some of the history and other information about Walmart. It is free and worth spending a little time (under an hour) at. Since Bentonville is a Walmart town, it made a lot of sense to learn more about Walmart.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 23, 2024
  • RobertSuzanne
    Tucson, Arizona179 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating Walmart History
    The Walmart Museum Heritage Lab is open while they are doing renovations to the main Walmart Museum. There are many fun and interactive exhibits including interactive screens, videos, artifacts, and a Lego model of the original 5&10 store. The Sam Walton hologram is very cool as you can ask it questions and Sam gives you the answer. The staff is very knowledgeable about all things Walmart and enthusiastic to relate this information to you. People from all over the world were there today - Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan, France and all over the US. There is a lot of history from Sam Walton and Walmart. The town of Bentonville has a lot of amenities for the Walmart employees and for tourists as well.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 27, 2024
  • Jeanne H
    Woodstock, Virginia263 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very impressive! With a visit
    So glad we stopped! My husband loves Walmart so he was excited to visit. Walmart Museum Heritage Lab is the temporary museum while the main museum is being renovated. (Be sure to drive by the main one to see the building ‘wrap’ covering the bldg). The lab is very informative, with loads of information, videos and interactive displays. The main being Sam Walton as a hologram! He really answers your questions!! Very impressive! Worth a visit, renovation will be finished in the spring. The staff is wonderful and very knowledgeable of all things Sam Walton and Walmart.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 23, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,836 reviews
Excellent
941
Very good
643
Average
220
Poor
19
Terrible
13

Jana L
Springfield, MO37 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This is a FREE museum that has a bit of something for most everyone. The entry area is made to look like the Ben Franklin dime store of yesteryear. You can purchase old time candy and other vintage looking items. From here you proceed into the museum that has a film, many vignettes with personal memorabilia from early in Sam Walton's life and throughout as the years go by. There are hands on exhibits in drawers that children can pull out. You really can spend as much or as little time looking as you wish. You learn a lot about the visionary Sam Walton was, but also how humble he was. He wanted to be hands on and even flew his own airplane over areas to view traffic patterns, etc. to decide where to put new stores. When you exit you end up in a really cute old fashioned icecream parlor with extremely reasonbly priced cones, sundaes, etc. I've been here several times with all different aged people and they have all enjoyed their visit.
Written February 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CurlyRocks
Broken Arrow, OK308 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I can't say anything negative about the Walmart Museum. In the little store where we entered, we were greeted by a very nice gentlemen who seemed to LOVE showing us the items in the store. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about...someone who shows enthusiasm in his job! What a pleasant experience. He even showed us some items that were on sale. There was a restroom conveniently located just past the gift shop at the beginning of the tour. The museum is a self guided tour that starts with a quick film about Walmart. You just can't go to Bentonville without going to this museum. As you depart the museum, you step right into an ice cream parlor. It's quaint with nice people working behind the counter and the prices were great...The museum is right next to the Town Square and if you pick the right time, you may just get a parking spot in front of the museum.
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Austen
College Station, TX10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Family
Our family stopped by the Walmart Museum for a few hours and we had a wonderful time. We enjoyed the gift shop and purchased a few throwback toys and candies. The museum is the perfect size with lots of interactive activities to keep the whole family entertained. When you’re done, stop by the quaint cafe and enjoy a cheap and refreshing treat.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

B D
Tucson, AZ421 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
The Walton Museum is very informative and gives you an up close look at how the Wal-Mart empire came about. You also get a peak into Sam Walton’s personal life. This museum is FREE of charge and I would highly recommend a walk through. Allow 30 minutes.
Written July 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Terri D
33 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
The whole town of Bentonville captured our interest. It seems that many have adopted the philosophies of Sam Walton. We enjoyed the museum and marveled at the business prowess of the Waltons. Despite their quick and abundant success, you could sense humility and a genuine interest in providing satisfaction. The 99 cent ice cream at the end of the tour was an added bonus. It is worth a visit!
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ThomasTCat
St. Louis, MO776 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Great story of how the Walton Family established Walmart and earned their family fortune. I wish that the 5 & Dime attached to the museum would actually sell current toys instead of just of few vintage toys. I had hoped to buy the grandkids something from the original store, but instead ended up going to a regular Walmart to get them something that I could have bought at any Walmart in America. We LOVED the ice cream parlor that is attached to the museum. The cones are unbelievably priced and the ice cream is so rich and creamy.
Written September 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Susan D
Huntington Beach, CA1,785 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Friends
The museum was interesting. Sam was quite an entrepreneur and has built quite an empire from basically nothing. It is housed in the original five and dime store that was a Ben Franklin store franchise. I have always had mixed feelings about Walmart; bringing affordable goods to people in rural towns but at the same time driving our mom and pop enterprises out of business. However, it is quite a story and after all it is history.
Written October 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert L
Bentonville, AR21 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Couples
Fun and informative local museum covers the life and times of the Walmart founder Sam Walton. Nestled on the mainstreet square of Bentonville AR Close to the World HQ of his enormous retail empire this museum leds you through his ARKANSAS upbringing and development of the giant shopping company spread worldwide. Many memento and items important to Mr. SAM and his family are displayed. The building is a Walton's 5 and 10 store he started with. Towards the end of the tour is his beloved Red Ford Pickup truck. He drove this to work and bird hunting with his dogs. You end in a wee quaint old fashion ice cream store with many hand dipped goodies available.
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ilsete
Memphis, TN593 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Family
The main museum is closed at the moment and your only option is a very small temporary site. The temporary museum is free, not sure about the main one when it reopens. There really isn't anything much at the temporary site. Took just a few moments to look at the small and rather bland exhibits and left. Not really worth the time. Wait for the main one to reopen.
Written March 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mary A W
Addison, TX107 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
Housed in Sam Walton's original 5 & 10 store, this free museum is an interesting walk through the development of WalMart and Sam's. After a brief informative video, you can wander through the space, seeing the recreation of Walton's office, at the time of his passing, with all his original furnishings; Walton's Medal of Honor; his famed pickup truck; and much more. This museum is a testament to the values of hard work, community, philanthropy, and faith. Definitely time well-spent.
Written September 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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The Walmart Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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