A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas
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A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas
The Ultimate Family Visit to Bentonville, AR
Bentonville is known for its world-class trails, vibrant arts scene, and family-friendly attractions—and at the heart of it all is the Scott Family Amazeum, an interactive museum designed to inspire curiosity, learning, and creativity in visitors of all ages.
Join us as we talk to Holland Hayden about how the Amazeum brings hands-on learning to life through innovative exhibits, STEAM programming, and immersive experiences that make it a must-visit destination for families, educators, and curious minds alike.
Learn more about having the ultimate visit to Amazeum here: amazeum.org
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Welcome to A New American Town presented by Visit Bentonville. I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt, and today we're excited to speak with Holland Hayden, with the Scott Family Amazeum, on how you can have the best family visit to Bentonville. This episode is for anyone traveling to Northwest Arkansas for a spring visit looking for fun activities exhibitions. Holland, you have a really fun job promoting amazing activities and exhibitions at the Amazeum and you serve families from all over the country. Welcome back to the podcast. Thank you for having me. Of course, thanks for being here. So a lot of people may not know. You have 50,000 square feet of space right now for learning and exhibitions. Some of the listeners are probably aware, but you are expanding so we'll get into that a bit later. Very exciting, but let's first talk about the Amazeum how it evokes curiosity and hands-on learning yeah, so how long have you been at the Amazeum? How it evokes curiosity and hands-on learning yeah, so how long have you been at the Amazeum?
Holland Hayden:I've been there about two and a half years and I have enjoyed every minute of it. It is such a joyful place and it really provides some amazing inspiration for adults, as you're watching kids learn and play.
Beth Bobbitt :Yeah, and it's hard to believe, but you've been around for 10 years. This is the 10th anniversary year, yes, so what kind of celebrations do we?
Holland Hayden:have planned Well, first of all, the fact that the Scott Family Amazeum has been around for 10 years is wonderful. It is a reflection of the community, because they are the ones who wanted it, and it's such an amazing amenity for Northwest Arkansas and for all of our visitors for Northwest Arkansas and for all of our visitors. And we've had 10 years of curiosity, 10 years of hands-on learning, activities, exhibitions, but really creating that lifelong love of learning is what we're really leaning into.
Beth Bobbitt :Yeah, yeah, not just for kids, no adults too.
Holland Hayden:Yeah, that's so true. I mean really it's for every age. Yes, pradle through career.
Beth Bobbitt :My favorite event all year is the UNGALA, so we're never too old to play and learn. So tell us about the Measurement Rules exhibition which I think just opened, yeah.
Holland Hayden:So it's here through May 11th. Measurement Rules is sponsored by 3M and it is a really fun exhibition hands-on. Of course, that talks about various measurements. Measurements might not sound so fun, I promise you it is. So it's in length, it's time, it's volume. One of my favorites is to see how many chickens you weigh.
Holland Hayden:That's a lot of fun you get to measure your foot and see how tall you are. In your feet there's some things where you're pouring rice. You can turn around and try and say five Mississippis on exactly five seconds. It's a really fun exhibition for really kids of all ages. There are things for those littler ones and then there's kids. I took my 10-year-old there and he really enjoyed it as well. So it's a fun exhibition that teaches about volume and weight and time and measurements and your rules, your measurement rules.
Beth Bobbitt :You're tricking these kids because they don't know they're learning, but they are.
Holland Hayden:You know what? That's a super good point, because kids learn by having fun and they learn quicker when they're having fun. And those hands-on moments are what really spur that curiosity and continue to have them asking additional questions. Okay, I can say five Mississippis, I wonder if I can say ten. You know, yeah, I can weigh. How many chickens do I weigh? How many dogs do I weigh? So asking those additional questions is really what we're going after, that's so cool, yeah.
Beth Bobbitt :What else might a visitor expect? So if they're planning a trip and maybe have never been to Northwest Arkansas or the Amazeum, what can you expect? How do you prepare them?
Holland Hayden:So, the Amazeum has a number of different areas. There's areas for kids under two years old. There is a tinkering hub, again sponsored by 3M, where some of those older ones can. Right now we're doing paper quilling. We have lots of different activities that are a little bit more detailed and good for those older kids. But we also have a wonderful art studio, an area called Lift Load and Haul, where you can work together to move blocks up the side of the wall and then send them back down on a conveyor belt. And then one of my favorites is Water Amazements, which I will say pro tip: do that last.
Holland Hayden:Yeah, yeah Good call yes If you could do water amazements last. It is such a fun area for kids and for parents to even get a little bit of time to sit and rest, because kids get really involved and into it. Yeah, so it's a good little space.
Beth Bobbitt :I love that. Good tips. We have been to the Amazeum a lot recently because my daughter's a Girl Scout and so you really take care of Girl Scouts and plan these activities and badge nights and there's a lot happening on that front.
Holland Hayden:Yeah, we do. We work with Scouts and with Girl Scouts. Actually, we work with a lot of schools and specific programs like 4H. We are open to a lot of different partnerships. But yeah, with young girls it's really fun. Sometimes we'll do a STEAM night for Girl Scouts and again get them involved so that they are encouraged on their STEAM journeys, because that's what we want we want more young girls interested in STEAM and STEM.
Beth Bobbitt :Yes, I love it. So talk to us a little bit about what's coming up with Spring Break specifically Are there still camps open and what else?
Holland Hayden:Spring Break camps are sold out, but we have lots of summer camps, of course, available. We are celebrating 10 years of spring breaks, so we're doing everything a little bit bigger, you know, we're going to have an area for you to take pictures with our 10 year sign, and then we'll have lots of various pop-ups with our play facilitators, which are those who facilitate the play on the museum floor.
Holland Hayden:They're not going to show you how to do everything, but they might say here, let me bring this additional activity, let's do sand flowers, let's try something, and they're kind of related to 10 years. So that's a lot of fun. And then we have some like different product launches that we're doing Our Zing earrings that we're working with some local makers on. We're working with Slimely and Sanderly, which is a group which is two young girls that are 11 and 12 that are making a Zing slime kit for us. So having those product launches is really fun and, honestly, this year we're really just excited to tell our 10-year story.
Beth Bobbitt :Yeah, and it's hard to imagine you're doing so much for the community already. It's hard to imagine expanded offerings and space. But talk to us a little bit about the timeline and what phase you're in on the expansion campaign.
Holland Hayden:Sure, yeah, well we're in the public phase of our capital campaign, so we're still raising money, but our intention is to break ground before the end of summer and that is going to be on our first phase. So it is our Early Learning Advancement Center Advancement Center. It's 11,850 square feet and it has a hangout area, a cafe, a model classroom and space for the public to enjoy. So we are very excited about it. It really focuses on those early learners, which is zero to six years old. That's where all that development takes place. Those first formative years are so important and unfortunately, sometimes with child care and educational gaps, we know that we need to come in and fill those educational gaps, fill those social gaps, fill those interactive gaps. So that's one of the reasons that the Amazium is really leaning into. That early childhood space is so that we can provide an area for the community and visitors alike.
Beth Bobbitt :Yeah, Do you know someone who'd love to learn and play at the Amazeum? Share this episode with them and let us know if it sparked conversation. We're here for you every step of the way as you plan your trip to Bentonville For more spring activities, go to the show notes or Visit Bentonvillecom. We want to know how we can support you and I know one way is through the UnGala event. That's, talk to us about what we can expect.
Holland Hayden:Oh, the UnGala is so much fun. I say UnGala.
Beth Bobbitt :You say UnGala, you say however you want to, Tomato tomato. I know exactly UnGala, UnGala.
Holland Hayden:It is April 25th, it is presented by Nabholz and it truly is a fundraiser unlike others at Northwest Arkansas. Do not wear fancy clothes unless you want them ruined, because we're going to get on some 24-volt racers. We get on some 24-volt racers, we're going to race around the parking lot. We might pour some molten metal, we'll have lots of different interactive stations and it's all for adults and it's no kids around, so you can really let loose and have a great time. But it is our biggest fundraiser of the year and while that is a huge fundraiser, it's great for operations. Of course, we still have our capital campaign going on as well, so we just need some financial support to continue our dreams in.
Beth Bobbitt :Northwest Arkansas, and big and small I mean just through memberships, absolutely. I know that that keeps the lights on, so talk to us a little bit about the benefits of being a member.
Holland Hayden:Well, we, are close to 6,000 members, which is really great, and it's a testament to what a good job our membership team does. They have the opportunity to register early for a lot of programs, including camps, which is a big deal because our camps do sell out sometimes, so having that two to three week extra buffer is really nice.
Holland Hayden:They're usually a little bit of a discount and of course you can come and play free all year and bring your family, depending on the size of a discount. And of course you can come and play free all year and bring your family, depending on the size of your membership. And of course we have member events as well to show our appreciation. But they're really our lifeblood at the museum and keep us going and we want to do the best things we can for their community, but especially for our members, yeah, and they're very affordable, absolutely we actually have one.
Holland Hayden:I believe it starts at $79 for those brand new parents. So it would just be like for a mom and a dad and then the child under two is free. So very affordable, and then we go up to you know $500 plus for our contributing members, right, wonderful.
Beth Bobbitt :So switching gears a little bit. We ask all our guests questions. How long have you been in, remind me?
Holland Hayden:Well, I've been here about two and a half years.
Beth Bobbitt :I've been in Northwest Arkansas forever.
Holland Hayden:I've been in for a couple of years.
Beth Bobbitt :So if you could kind of think back, maybe to when was sort of new, or with your family, what is like a really vivid core memory that you have of ?
Holland Hayden:I love the Crystal Bridges campus. Being on the Crystal Bridges campus and part of that area is so wonderful and taking my son to those trick-or-treats at Crystal Bridges is really a lot of fun. We've gone for a number of years and that's the only. Trick-or-treats at Crystal Bridges is really a lot of fun.
Holland Hayden:We've gone for a number of years and that's the only trick-or-treat he asked to go to now so that's something that's definitely core memories for me, hopefully for him, and you know we have pictures of him dressed up inside the museum outside on the grounds everywhere, and it's really a joy to look at and I love that.
Beth Bobbitt :you know you do, throughout the year, have a lot of collaborations and ongoing partnerships with Crystal Bridges. Yeah, absolutely.
Holland Hayden:I mean, we're all in the same area and we're all in the same thing. We want people to come to Bittenville, we want people to be curious, we want them to be learners throughout their lives. So we are definitely collaborating with everyone on the Crystal Bridges campus.
Beth Bobbitt :It's amazing their lives, so we are definitely collaborating with everyone on the crystal bridges campus. Amazing, so local crush. Similar kind of question but is there a secret spot or a place that you really love to go to, outdoors, indoors, wherever, with your family?
Holland Hayden:yes, where I do I. There is a spot behind umchards Park and it sounds like it's just right there, but it's close to. It's still close to Amazium, because I like to be able to walk places. But I mean honestly. Orchards Park is beautiful and I love watching all the dogs play and the kids play. And it's just. It's a great lookout, but I will say one of the best views in Northwest Arkansas is at the top of the parking deck. That is next to Awesome.
Holland Hayden:Oh yeah, that's true. That's next to the Scott Family Amazium. That's on the Crystal Bridges campus. It is an absolutely beautiful view and it's very quiet.
Beth Bobbitt :Yeah.
Holland Hayden:And I like to go up there because that's a gorgeous. It sounds so strange to say it's a gorgeous parking deck.
Beth Bobbitt :Right, it sounds so strange to say it's a gorgeous parking deck.
Holland Hayden:But it's a gorgeous parking deck with the art and the lighting and the view is wonderful so I did a good job activating it.
Beth Bobbitt :And then you know, with spring, everything's blooming and it's just going to be even more beautiful. So great answers. Well, what else haven't we shared about the Amazium that you want to talk about? I just encourage people to come.
Holland Hayden:We always have different traveling exhibits. It is a great day trip too to just pop in to Northwest Arkansas, pop out and honestly, you can also come in in the morning, go grab lunch maybe, take a little cool down and come back so you can come in and out of the Amazium throughout the day. But I I do encourage people, even if they're like, well, I don't know, I've been to other children's museums, I've been to other science museums.
Holland Hayden:I really would love them to come and see how ours is and to see just the enthusiasm and the joy of those play facilitators that love working with families, love working with families, love working with kids and they get to see those aha moments all day and it keeps them going and you can tell, you know you are good at your job.
Beth Bobbitt :You guys really engage the community in unique and creative ways, so thank you. Any last minute plugs for website newsletter? Yes, of course.
Holland Hayden:Please go to Amazeum's website website. At Amazeum. org. You can sign up for our newsletter there. There's lots of great information. It comes out every Thursday evening and follow us on all of our socials. You know Facebook and Instagram and we'd love to have the support of not only our community but, of course, our visitors as well. Thank , H olland.
Beth Bobbitt :Appreciate you. Thank you for having me. This was fun, as always. Visit Bentonville is here to help you navigate things to do, where to eat and stay and what's going on in our new American town. Give us a follow on social media, sign up for the newsletter and check out our website at visitbentonvillecom. Thanks for listening.