Known as one of Bentonville’s main attractions, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art not only has thousands of American art pieces but also stunning architecture, 120 acres of Ozark nature, and general admission is always free.

 

Whether you’re planning your whole visit around this renowned museum or stopping by, here’s an easy guide to navigating all that Crystal Bridges has to offer.

 

ART COLLECTION

URBAN FOREST

ARCHITECTURE

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

FOOD & DRINK

DIRECTIONS + HOURS

We the people

ART COLLECTION

 

This guaranteed-free entry art collection offers a superb overview of American art. Galleries include American masterworks and surprising lesser-known gems from the colonial era to today. Sculptures grace both interior galleries and outdoor trails. Plus, the museum’s permanent collection galleries are refreshed regularly, With galleries including American masterworks and surprising lesser-known gems from the colonial era to today. Sculptures grace both interior galleries and outdoor trails. Plus, the museum’s permanent collection galleries are refreshed regularly so it’s always different!

Crystal Bridges

Download the Crystal Bridges Gallery Map

 

Visitors will travel through time as you progress through the galleries. Starting with early American art galleries and modern art, and ending with contemporary art today. 

North Forest Art

URBAN FOREST

 

The trails and grounds of Crystal Bridges are a must-see part of the museum experience. More than five miles of trails wind through 120 acres of native Ozark forest, providing guests with access to the beautiful Ozark landscape. Designed to spark the imagination, the trails help guests form connections to the land and its history and, as well as enjoy outdoor artworks.

 

In 2024, Crystal Bridges was awarded Level I Accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The stunning arboretum at the museum is defined by areas of native, managed forest, flowering, and specimen trees, and it displays gardens that are display gardens well-known for joyful spring displays of dogwoods, redbuds, and magnolias. Crystal Bridges is the only museum in Arkansas that’s also an arboretum.

 

Due to impacts from the recent severe weather in Northwest Arkansas, some trails and areas of the grounds are closed for your safety.

 

The following trails are currently closed:

 

  • Tulip Tree Trail

Download Trail Map

ARCHITECTURE

Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the museum building is an integral part of the visitor experience, demonstrating how architecture can engage with its natural surroundings. Built in a ravine surrounded by native Ozark Forest, the museum's design deliberately incorporates and highlights its natural setting. The building's concrete walls emerge from the bedrock, while cedar banding adds texture and warmth to the exterior. The museum's signature bridges, which give it its name, feature copper-clad roofs that complement the surrounding landscape.

 

Safdie's design emphasizes the interplay between the built environment and nature. Large windows and open spaces throughout the museum offer visitors continuous views of the surrounding forest and water features, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces.The architecture of Crystal Bridges is so compelling that it stands as an attraction in its own right. 

Frank Llyod Wright House

Also available to experience at Crystal Bridges is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman Wilson House. Originally built in 1956 along the Millstone River in New Jersey, the house was acquired by the museum in 2013. The entire structure was then taken apart and each component was labeled, packed, and moved to the museum, where it was reconstructed in 2015. The Bachman-Wilson House contains a distinct mid-century modern design, full of sleek mahogany wood which allows the house to flow with Frank Lloyd Wright’s tell-tale elongated layout, epitomizing the connection between art, architecture and nature.

 

Pro Tip: Book your tickets in advance of your visit to be sure you get to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman Wilson House on the museum grounds here.

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

Guests can enjoy a year-round schedule of temporary exhibitions and experiences organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. These include traveling exhibitions as well as special presentations of artworks from our own collection and those of other museums. Members always receive free admission to temporary exhibitions

FOOD & DRINK

From the restaurant Eleven to coffee and snacks, great food is a part of the museum experience. Open for coffee, lunch, and evening Bar and Bites, the dining options at Crystal Bridges are local, sustainable, and offer something for everyone.

 

Check out all of the culinary experiences Crystal Bridges has to offer here.

 

A black woman who has a glass of wine smiles at an Asian man sitting with her who drinks a beer.

 

DIRECTIONS + HOURS

600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712
 

(479) 418-5700
Info@CrystalBridges.org

 

Crystal Bridges is open Mondays and Wednesdays 11 am to 6 pm, Thursdays and Fridays 11 am to 8 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays 10 am to 6 pm The museum is closed on Tuesdays, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.


Crystal Bridges Trails and Grounds are open from sunrise to sunset daily and during museum hours.