We recently traveled to Bentonville, Arkansas, mainly to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
When in Bentonville, there’s another must-see museum.
Bentonville is the birthplace and world headquarters of Walmart, Inc. the world’s largest retailer, with more than US$500 billion in revenue and 2.3 million employees.
The Walmart empire began in 1950 when Sam Walton opened his 5 & 10 store on Bentonville’s town square. Today, visitors can step into Walton’s 5 & 10 and find a working store fill with candies, retro toys and souvenirs.
Walking through the store, we passed into the attached Walmart Museum. From videos, displays, old photos and other memorabilia, we learned how Sam Walton transitioned from this humble little store to the creation the world’s largest retailer.
In the Walmart Museum there is a re-creation of Sam Walton’s office. It’s obvious that he enjoyed hunting, flying small planes, and keeping costs low.
The museum has a self-guided tour through displays that detail the phenomenal growth of Walmart. As the photo above indicated, the company slowly added new stores in neighboring states close to the Bentonville home office.
Sam Walton had 10 rules for building a business. Rule #2 on the list exults “SHARE your profits with associates, and treat them like partners. Encourage your associates to hold a stake in the company. Offer discounted stock, and grant them stock for their retirement.”
The Walmart Museum hands out a brochure with the 10 rules. It’s translated in five languages in addition to English.
The museum holds Sam’s 1979 Ford F-150 pickup that he was famous for driving long after he became one of the world’s wealthiest people.
Visiting the museum made me wonder, “What would Sam Walton think of Bentonville and Walmart today?
I may have to re-read Sam’s autobiography, which was first publsihed in 1992, around the same time he died.
Sam Walton: Made In America
Admission to the Walmart Museum is free. The museum is open 7 days a week, from 8 am to 9 pm – with longer hours on Friday and Saturday, and shorter hours on Sundays.
Have you visited Bentonville, Arkansas?
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