Eureka Springs, Arkansas, had been on our list for a while, so when we found ourselves camping nearby in November, we decided it was finally time to spend a week exploring the area. Visiting in November meant we were there during the off season, which definitely affected what we were able to do, but it also meant fewer crowds and a much quieter version of this quirky Ozarks town.
We packed a lot into our week, from finally visiting some of the architecture I’d had on my bucket list for years to exploring downtown Eureka Springs, checking out local restaurants and bars, playing trivia with the locals, and wandering through antique shops. We even made it out to Bentonville for a day to visit Crystal Bridges and the Walmart Museum.
One of my favorite parts of this trip was getting to experience the local side of Eureka Springs. We ended up at a trivia night, had one of the most wonderfully chaotic small-town restaurant experiences of our travels, and got a glimpse of the quirky, artsy personality that makes Eureka Springs so distinctive.
If you’re looking for things to do in Eureka Springs, planning a weekend in the Ozarks, or wondering what Eureka Springs is like during the off season, here’s everything we did during our November visit. I’ll also include practical tips for visiting each place, including what to expect, when to go, and anything you should know before you visit.
Where to Camp in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
We had a great stay at Route 62 Motor Resort. Not only was the campground just overall nice, we enjoyed the hot tub almost every night! You can read our full review here: Why Route 62 Motor Resort Is One of the Best Campgrounds in Eureka Springs
Sunday: Art, Bikes, and the Town of Walmart
Sunday was our only full day to explore the Eureka Springs area since we had to work during the week, so we decided to make the most of it and drove about an hour out to Bentonville for the day.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Our first stop was somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for years: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Even if you’re not particularly interested in art museums, Crystal Bridges is worth visiting just for the building itself. The architecture is really cool, and the museum grounds have gardens, trails, and plenty of outdoor art to explore. Unfortunately, the museum was in the middle of an expansion while we were there, so there wasn’t quite as much of the collection on display as there normally would be. But since admission to the museum is free, we didn’t mind too much, and there was still plenty to see. The building and grounds alone made the trip worthwhile.
Crystal Bridges is also home to the Bachman-Wilson House, a Frank Lloyd Wright house that was relocated to the museum grounds. We’re big Frank Lloyd Wright fans, so naturally we had to see it while we were there. You can pay for a guided tour or get a free ticket for a self-guided tour, but either way, you need to reserve a time. We were able to get same-day tickets for the free self-guided option. When our tour time came around, they gave everyone a handheld audio device with information about the house and its history. Unless you have a lot of questions or just really prefer having a guide with you, I honestly thought the audio tour was just as good as a traditional guided tour.
How to Visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Address: 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712
Website: https://crystalbridges.org/
Hours: Sat-Mon, Wed 10am-6pm, Thur/Fri 10am-8pm
Admission: General admission is free, special exhibits may cost extra
Check out our full post on Crystal Bridges here: Why This Free Museum Might Be Arkansas’ Best Hidden Gem
Lunch at Pedaler’s Pub
After Crystal Bridges, we headed into town for lunch at Pedaler’s Pub, where we started realizing just how seriously Bentonville takes its biking. We knew there were bike trails in the area, but we had no idea Bentonville was this much of a bike town. There were people on bikes absolutely everywhere, and this definitely wasn’t the only bike-themed business we saw around town. We later learned that the Walton family has a lot to do with that. The Walton grandkids are big into biking, and with the family having such deep roots in Bentonville, the town has developed an enormous network of trails and bike infrastructure. It definitely explained why we kept seeing cyclists everywhere we went.
How to Eat at Pedaler’s Pub
Address: 500 S Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712
Website: https://www.pedalerspub.com/
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-11pm
The Walmart Museum
After lunch, we stopped at the Walmart Museum, which is located at the site of Walton’s 5 & 10, the store that eventually grew into Walmart. It’s a small, free museum that walks through the history of Sam Walton and the company, from its early days through the massive business it is today. My favorite thing in the museum was probably one of the most random: a custom Walmart uniform that was made for Dolly Parton. Like, of course there was a Dolly Parton Walmart uniform. Josh’s favorite thing was Sam Walton’s actual truck. He even liked the truck so much that he bought the Hot Wheels version in the gift shop.
How to Visit The Walmart Museum
Address: 105 N Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712
Website: www.walmartmuseum.com
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm, Fri/Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 12-6pm
Admission: Free!
While we were in town, we also stopped by Sam Walton’s grave. And because apparently you can’t spend a day in Bentonville without acknowledging Walmart at least once, our final stop was Walmart itself. We needed groceries anyway, so we figured we might as well buy them at Walmart while we were in the town where Walmart started.
It was a pretty packed day, but it ended up being a fun combination of things we already knew we wanted to see, a few unexpected discoveries, and an awful lot of Walmart.
Monday: An Ozark Gothic Masterpiece
On Monday, we visited a place that has been on my architecture bucket list for years: Thorncrown Chapel.
Thorncrown was designed by architect E. Fay Jones and was inspired by Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, France. Jones called his own style “Ozark Gothic,” and you can really see that influence in the chapel’s design. The building is made almost entirely from natural materials and was designed to feel like it belongs in the woods rather than like something that was simply dropped into the middle of them.
And honestly, it was even better in person than I expected. The combination of all the wood, stone, and glass with the surrounding trees makes the whole place feel completely different depending on where you’re standing. It’s beautiful from the outside, but being able to actually go inside and see all those details up close was the best part.
It’s one of those places that photographs well, but really doesn’t compare to seeing it in person.
How to Visit Thorncrown Chapel
Address: 12968 US-62, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Website: https://www.thorncrown.com/
Hours: 9am-5pm daily during March-December
Tuesday: Trivia Night with Our Kind of People
Tuesday night, we headed downtown for trivia at Brews, a combination coffee shop and bar that was very clearly a local hangout. Pretty much everyone else there seemed to know each other, but everyone was also incredibly friendly and welcoming, so we didn’t feel like outsiders for long. We had a lot of fun playing trivia and ended up coming in solidly in the middle of the pack, which is perfectly fine by us.
I love getting to experience little pieces of small-town culture like this, and it’s honestly one of my favorite parts of RV life. You get to walk into a random local bar in a town you’ve never been to before and suddenly you’re participating in trivia night with the regulars. Eureka Springs also has a pretty strong quirky, artsy, liberal streak, and the crowd at Brews definitely reflected that. Basically, they were my kind of people. If we actually lived in Eureka Springs, I have a feeling Brews would quickly become one of our favorite local spots.
How to Visit Brews
Address: 2 Pine St, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Website: https://www.brewseurekasprings.com/
Hours: Sun/Mon 8am-3pm, Tues-Sat 8am-10pm
Wednesday: A Very Small-Town Experience
Wednesday, we were supposed to meet up with someone from Josh’s work for dinner, so we headed downtown a little early to walk around Eureka Springs first.
The town is probably best known for its cute, historic downtown, and we were excited to finally spend some time exploring it. Unfortunately, we were visiting during the off season, and we quickly discovered that a lot of the shops were closed. We still got to see some of the springs that gave Eureka Springs its name, but eventually we ran out of things to do. I’d definitely like to come back during the busier season when more of the shops and businesses are open. I think the downtown would be a lot more fun to explore when there’s actually more happening.
Where to See Springs in Eureka Springs
- Grotto Spring: 313-505 U.S. 62-City Route
- Crescent Spring: 192b U.S. 62-City Route
- Harding Spring: 151 Spring St
- Sweet Spring: 125 U.S. 62-City Route
- Basin Spring Park: 4 Spring St
Dinner at Chelsea’s Corner Cafe
Eventually, it was time to meet up with Eric, so we walked over to Chelsea’s Corner Cafe for dinner. This whole experience ended up becoming one of Josh’s favorite travel stories to tell.
We walked into the bar through a sort of makeshift entryway, and immediately everyone in the bar turned around and stared at us. Josh was a little nervous that maybe we had wandered into a place where non-locals weren’t exactly welcome. Then someone cheerfully told us to go ahead and belly up to the bar. It took us a second to realize what was actually happening. Everyone hadn’t been watching us walk in. They were watching Jeopardy. And playing along. Once the show was over, everyone got up and left. It was absolutely amazing.
We didn’t actually stay at the bar for a drink because we were told to head upstairs for food. When we got upstairs, the lights were off and there was no one around. We stood there for a minute wondering if we were even in the right place, until another couple came in. They were clearly locals because they immediately flipped on the lights and casually walked into the kitchen to find the guy working. There was one person running the whole operation, cooking and serving, and when it was time to pay, we basically just wandered into the kitchen to find him.
It was a wild experience, but honestly, it was also exactly the kind of small-town weirdness I love finding when we travel. Nothing about the experience felt polished or fancy, but everyone was friendly, the whole thing was incredibly memorable, and the food ended up being really good. It definitely wasn’t your typical restaurant experience, but it was one of those meals that becomes a story you remember long after the trip is over.
How to Eat at Chelsea’s Corner Cafe
Address: 10 Mountain St, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Website: https://chelseascafeeureka.com/
Thursday: Rainy Day Work Break
Thursday was mostly a work day for us. Josh had some meetings that kept him working late, but luckily, that worked out pretty well because it was a rainy day anyway. So instead of feeling like we were missing out on exploring, we got a built-in excuse to stay in and get some work done.
Friday: Antiques, a Lake, and a Trip Back to the ’90s
Friday afternoon, we headed out to explore a couple of antique stores around town. We always like poking around antique shops when we travel, especially in smaller towns, because you never know what random things you’re going to find.
Antique Stores We Visited in Eureka Springs, AR
- The Barn Shoppes at the Old Sale Barn: 65 Stadium Rd, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
- Eureka Uniques Antiques & Collectables: 2100 E Van Buren, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Lake Leatherwood City Park
After some antiquing, we decided to check out Lake Leatherwood, one of the popular local spots in Eureka Springs. It’s a pretty lake surrounded by the Ozarks, and it was a nice change of pace after spending so much time around downtown.
How to Visit Lake Leatherwood
Address: 1303 Co Rd 204, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Website: https://www.eurekaparks.com/
Park Activities: 85 acre lake, hiking & biking trails, ballfields, playground, marina, fishing, historic CCC structures
But the real highlight of the day came at dinner. We went to a Pizza Hut Classic. If you grew up going to Pizza Hut in the ’80s or ’90s, you probably remember what this means. Pizza Hut has brought back a handful of locations decorated in the old-school style, complete with the nostalgic decor from our childhood. And yes, we absolutely had to go. It was basically a little time machine back to the Pizza Hut of our childhoods, and we were completely here for it.
How to Eat at Pizza Hut Classic in Eureka Springs
Address: 2048 E Van Buren, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Saturday: On to Branson
Saturday, we packed up camp and said goodbye to Eureka Springs. It was time to head to Branson for the next part of our trip and see what adventures were waiting for us there.
