Rogers, Arkansas: A Weekend of Surprises in the Ozarks

By Max Hartshorne
GoNOMAD Editor

When people from our Valley think of Arkansas, chances are their mind drifts to the Ozarks, to Walmart headquarters, or maybe to Razorback football. 

But Rogers, in the northwest corner of the state, is quietly reinventing itself as a destination where art, history, food, and nature converge. Founded when the railroad came through in 1881, Rogers is where Sam Walton opened his first five-and-dime store in 1962. You can see it today. 

Walmart and several other major companies, including the trucking giant JB Hunt, are now hiring many highly educated individuals who are relocating here. Walmart is forcing its corporate staff to work in its sprawling new office campus rather than being spread out across the United States, as it used to be. 

So there’s an educated workforce here, buying houses and new apartments and enjoying a large new area built over the past 15 years called the Pinnacle. This neighborhood is unlike most of the rest of Rogers, which has some interesting little historic places and brick sidewalks. You can tell it’s new because all of the power lines are buried, and the buildings and landscaping are spotless.

I visited in September to see what this city of 70,000 has to offer, and over four packed days, Rogers revealed itself as a place brimming with interesting people and places. Hospitality America has just opened Hotel Avail, a sleek new property in the Pinnacle. It’s the kind of hotel that feels both modern and rooted in place, with warm wood tones and a lobby that invites lingering.

But I knew that about 30 minutes away was something really special. 

Crystal Bridges Museum of Art

Just a short drive north from Rogers in Bentonville, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art isn’t just a museum – it’s an experience. Designed by Moshe Safdie in 2011, its glass-and-wood pavilions hover over a creek in the Ozark woods, blending architecture and nature. 

Inside, the collection traces America’s story from colonial portraits to bold contemporary works, while outside, forest trails dotted with sculptures remind you that art belongs both on the wall and in the world around you. 

This dramatic museum was built by one of the world’s richest women, Walmart heiress Alice Walton. It cost $317 million, much of which came from her. It has an interesting collection of art displayed in its unique round nooks and long galleries. 

Coffee, History, Music

Friday began early, with a short walk to Onyx Coffee Lab. If you’ve heard of Rogers, chances are it’s because of Onyx. Voted the best coffee shop in North America and second-best globally, Onyx is a temple to the bean. The company has eight cafés in northwest Arkansas and sells coffee by mail order all over the world.

A visit to Onyx includes the ritual of coffee bean cupping. We sampled flights of single-origin brews, as head roaster Jed Honderich explained to us how altitude and soil shape flavor.

It was as much science as art, and the baristas treated their craft with reverence. 

For a city like Rogers, having Onyx as a flagship is a huge win. The place truly out-coffees anyplace I’ve ever been, including the fancy five-level Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago.

We set off on a walking tour of downtown. Rogers has preserved its historic core, with brick storefronts and painted signs that recall its railroad-town roots. 

The Daisy Airgun Museum – home to the world’s largest Daisy BB gun – was a highlight, a quirky slice of Americana that delights kids and nostalgic adults alike. I grew up in the era of the famous Christmas Story movie featuring the Red Ryder BB gun, and they sell that exact model in their large gift shop. 

The Rogers Historical Museum offered a broader sweep, tracing the city’s evolution from frontier outpost to modern hub. Inside the Hawkins House, the food, kitchen devices, the Bible, and other trappings of 1800s life are left out on display. 

We left Rogers to explore our rural surroundings. By midday, we were on Highway 12, winding toward War Eagle Mill. Lunch at the mill’s café was hearty and simple – cornbread, beans, and sandwiches made with flour ground onsite. A milling demonstration showed how water power still drives the stone wheels. This mill has flooded many, many times, but has come back stronger each time. 

From there, we explored Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, a vast expanse of forest and trails that showed us the Ozarks’ natural beauty. 

The Walmart AMP, Rogers’ outdoor amphitheater, was an easy walk from the hotel in the Pinnacle. 

We enjoyed the evening’s concert: Leon Bridges headlined, joined by Charley Crockett, Dave Alvin, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore – a lineup blending soul, country, and Americana. 

It was surprising to me how many adults brought their little kids to this late show. A country tradition?

Bikes, BBQ, and Beer

Saturday’s schedule was more relaxed. We headed to Lake Atalanta, a large park tucked into the hills. The biking trails here are accessible yet scenic, a cement path that winds past water views and shaded groves. For a city visit, it was refreshing to get on two wheels and feel the breeze from the e-bikes.

Lunch was at Wright’s BBQ, a place that has earned its reputation. The brisket was smoky and tender, the ribs fell off the bone, and the sides – beans, slaw, mac and cheese – were the kind you crave long after. On TV screens, the Arkansas Razorbacks football game blared. “The owner says we can’t turn it down,” said a server.

Wright’s is the kind of spot that makes you understand why barbecue is practically a religion in the South. We took a walk out back, and one of the pit masters showed us the day’s brisket, still smoking away. 

From there, we moved to Ozark Beer Company, which has landed on several “best of” lists. Their taproom is industrial chic, and the beers – IPAs, stouts, lagers – showcase local creativity. A tasting flight revealed the breadth of their brewing, from crisp pilsners to bold barrel-aged experiments. 

The owner, Lacie Bray, told us that she had canvassed their entire neighborhood successfully when they wanted to get a license to open, and these neighbors later became her customers! That’s the way many brewing and distilling businesses get started here.

At Ozark, you can pay for a future customer’s beer on their “pay it forward” display. And I always love a taproom with a kids’ play area. 

Tigers and Bears 

Sunday offered one last adventure: Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Located near Eureka Springs, an hour east of Rogers, the refuge rescues big cats and other exotic animals from neglect and abuse. Touring the grounds, we saw lions, tigers, and bears in spacious enclosures, cared for by a dedicated staff. It was sobering to hear their stories, but uplifting to see them thriving.

The refuge’s biggest haul of big cats came from Carol Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue and from Joe Exotic, the Tiger King in Florida, a few years ago, but they’ve also rescued big cats from improbable places like people’s basements. The visit includes an all-day pass with an open-air tram tour for 45 minutes, bringing you close to the cats basking in the sun or hiding inside. If you love big cats, you’ll learn a lot here. 

What really stood out to me about this part of Arkansas was how positive everybody was about living there. It’s nice spending time in a place that’s seriously growing. Rogers and Northwest Arkansas are growing faster than almost any other place in the US – the population went from 38,000 in 2000 to 75,000 in 2024. For comparison, Franklin County hasn’t had any real population growth since the 1980s. 

Even in these recession times, there are places where things are booming. It’s fun to meet a guy driving an Uber, or a woman working at a brewery, who will tell you about how they moved away, and how happy they are that they moved back to Rogers. They can still afford a house there, but for many young couples, Rogers has now become the place they wanna be.

Discover Rogers

www.destinationrogers.com 

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

www.turpentinecreek.org