# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Northwest Arkansas: the parent guide > Northwest Arkansas packs a free art museum and a top children’s museum into one Bentonville campus. - Last checked: 2026-10-30 - 5 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/guide/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/index.md - Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/visiting/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/llms.txt ## Indoor play and rainy days ### Fayetteville Public Library (Downtown Fayetteville, 401 W. Mountain St.) - Story times and family programs, including Fun Friday and Super Saturday events. - Price level: Free - Good for: Free mornings. - Skip if: you need a quiet weekday evening. - Website: https://www.faylib.org/ ### Bentonville Public Library (Downtown Bentonville, 405 S. Main St.) - Family storytime on Saturdays plus seasonal events. - Price level: Free - Good for: A free morning near the Square. - Skip if: it’s Sunday; it’s closed. - Website: https://www.bentonvillelibrary.org/ ## Parks and outdoor play ### Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (North Fayetteville, 4703 N Crossover Rd) - A public garden with themed gardens to wander, and a butterfly house that’s getting repairs for the 2026 season. - Hours: Fri–Wed 9am–5pm, closed Thursday - Good for: An easy stroller morning. - Skip if: it’s Thursday; it’s closed. - Website: https://www.bgozarks.org/ ## Museums, zoos and big outings ### Scott Family Amazeum (Bentonville, 1009 Museum Way) - A hands-on children’s museum next to Crystal Bridges. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 2 and up $14 online, $17 in person; adults $14 online, $17 in person; Under 2 - Hours: Mon, Wed–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 1–5pm; closed Tue - Good for: Ages 1 to 8. - Skip if: it’s Tuesday; it’s closed. - Price source: https://www.amazeum.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-30) - Website: https://www.amazeum.org/visit/ ### Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, 600 Museum Way) - A free art museum with wooded trails around it. The grounds open at sunrise. - Price level: Free - Hours: Mon, Wed 11am–6pm; Thu–Fri 11am–8pm; Sat–Sun 10am–6pm - Good for: Strollers and walks outside. - Skip if: it’s Tuesday; galleries are closed. - Website: https://crystalbridges.org/visit/ ## Free things to do - Fayetteville Public Library - Bentonville Public Library - Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art - Lights of the Ozarks ## Best for under 3s - **Scott Family Amazeum**: Built for little kids. ## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old ### Baby and lap-sit storytimes - **Family Storytime (Bentonville)** (Bentonville Public Library): Sat Oct 31 at 11:15am this week; see the calendar for more. Books, songs and movement; all ages welcome. https://bentonvillelibrary.libnet.info/events ### Babies get in free - **Scott Family Amazeum**: Under 2. https://www.amazeum.org/visit/ ## Library storytimes - **Bentonville Public Library**: Sat Oct 31 at 11:15am this week; see the calendar for more. Family storytime with books, songs and movement. https://www.bentonvillelibrary.org/ ## Happening this week - **Costume Parade (Rogers Public Library)** (Fri 4–4:45pm) at Rogers Public Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/#e-costume_parade_rogers_public_library - **Halloween Sing-Along with Mr. Troy (Fayetteville)** (Sat 10–11am) at Fayetteville Public Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/#e-halloween_sing_along_with_mr_troy_fayett - **Scott Family Amazeum** (Fri–Sun, hours vary) at Scott Family Amazeum. $14 online or $17 at the door, ages 2 and up; under 2 free. https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/#e-scott_family_amazeum - **Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art** (10am–6pm) at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Free general admission. https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/#e-crystal_bridges_museum_of_american_art Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Northwest Arkansas: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Northwest Arkansas for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is Northwest Arkansas good for toddlers? Yes. The Amazeum is made for young kids, and Crystal Bridges is free. ### What’s free? Crystal Bridges general admission and the libraries’ storytimes. ### What can we do in Northwest Arkansas on a rainy or cold day with a toddler? Go indoors: Fayetteville Public Library and Bentonville Public Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time. ### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in Northwest Arkansas? Scott Family Amazeum: Built for little kids. See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/guide/#under3). ### Where are the free storytimes in Northwest Arkansas? Bentonville Public Library: Sat Oct 31 at 11:15am this week; see the calendar for more. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [NW Arkansas weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/northwest-arkansas/). ### How do you choose the places in the Northwest Arkansas guide? Every one of the 5 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 1 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 30, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).