Catholic family backs children’s museum in NW Ark.

Interactive museum to open July 15 next to Crystal Bridges in Bentonville

Published: July 6, 2015

By Alesia Schaefer
Rogers Correspondent

Alesia Schaefer

Eric and Elda Scott, with their two girls, Sophia, 12, and Amelia, 6, have been involved in the building of the Scott Family Amazeum since the beginning. The children’s museum in Bentonville will open July 15.

Alesia Schaefer

BENTONVILLE — What began as a wish for their children will soon be a dream realized for children everywhere when the doors to the Scott Family Amazeum open next month in northwest Arkansas.

The Amazeum, a hands-on, state-of-the-art, interactive museum for children in Bentonville, has been on the “to-do” list in the expanding northwest corner of the state for more than a decade. So at the helm of the ambitious project had to be a family who would persevere in making the dream a reality.

“I was at a ‘Touch a Truck’ event with my child in 2009 and saw a tent with information about the Children’s Museum of Northwest Arkansas,” recalls Elda Scott of her initial introduction to the idea. “I was immediately interested and wanted to be involved in the process.”

So involved, that this past March, the board of the Amazeum made the executive decision to change the name of the museum to the Scott Family Amazeum.

“It was a reflection of both their financial support and their ongoing commitment of time and talent to the museum,” said Molly Rawn, director of development and communications at the Amazeum. “The Scott family involvement in the project has been transformational. They have helped us make connections and been the boots on the ground throughout the project and been extremely committed to its success.”

Lee and Linda Scott and their son, Eric and his wife, Elda, founding members of the museum, were early supporters of the project. Lee Scott, a 35-year veteran of Wal-Mart, who retired as CEO in 2009, lived with his wife, Linda, for more than 30 years in northwest Arkansas and saw this early on as a commitment they wanted to make to children in the area.

“Initially the inspiration for the museum was a desire we had for our children to experience a museum of this caliber in our area,” said Elda, mother of two girls who attend St. Vincent de Paul School in Rogers, “but it quickly grew into an interest to serve children all over northwest Arkansas and beyond.”

What makes this museum stand out is its hybrid nature of being both a children’s and a science museum. The 50,000-square-foot space will include a tinkering studio, climbable tree canopy, indoor cave, an art studio, hands-in water exhibit, a cabin built on site, a market by Wal-Mart and one acre of outdoor space.

Interactive exhibits sponsored by General Mills, Nickelodeon, 3M, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Hershey’s and the Walton Family Foundation will engage visitors with the land, industries and people that have built and continue to sustain the Arkansas culture in the past, present and future.

Dana Engelbert, marketing manager at the Amazeum, explains there is a tenet to be true to the region in the construction of the museum.

“In my opinion, the Scott family Amazeum is one of those wonderful amenities that takes a community vibe to a new level and increases a community’s gravitational pull,” said Engelbert. “Like Crystal Bridges, the Amazeum is a community feature that can make the decision to relocate a family really easy.”

Located next to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, the Amazeum is expected to inspire when the doors open to the public July 15.

Although both Eric and Elda, parishioners at St. Vincent de Paul Church, admit they had never imagined themselves involved in a project of this scale, both feel the experience has been educational, exciting and humbling at the same time.

“We felt really compelled to participate in the early stages of this project,” said Eric of their involvement as chair couple for the capital campaign. “We wanted to be a part of the progress.”

The philanthropic reach of the Scott family extends beyond the walls of the museum. Eric and Elda also support the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, Ozone ministries, Mercy Foundation, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and others.

Admission to the museum for children 2 and younger is free. For children older than 2 and adults, admission is $9.50. For additional information, visit amazeum.org.