A world-class collection of American art, stunning architecture, and 120 acres of Ozark forest with five miles of trails. Admission to the museum is always free.
Planning a visit to Crystal Bridges this spring? Use this guide to learn what’s on and what to expect this season.
We have something for all types of learners. From educator resources to family activities to scholars, find what speaks to you and engage with us.
There’s more to the museum than just the galleries— come enjoy hands-on creative fun with art classes for all ages and experience levels..
Crystal Bridges members receive year-round perks, invitations to member-only events, travel opportunities, and more!
Museum & Buildings
Trails and Grounds open daily sunrise to sunset.
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. Founded by philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges is a public non-profit charitable organization. The museum opened on November 11, 2011, and welcomes all with free admission.
Crystal Bridges takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house galleries, meeting and classroom spaces, and a large, glass-enclosed gathering hall. Guest amenities include a restaurant (Eleven) and Coffee Bar on a glass-enclosed bridge overlooking the ponds, a Museum Store designed by architect Marlon Blackwell, and a library featuring more than 50,000 volumes of art reference material. Five miles of sculpture and walking trails link the museum’s 120-acre park to downtown Bentonville, Arkansas.
Crystal Bridges Annual Report 2020 Crystal Bridges Annual Report 2019 Crystal Bridges Annual Report 2018 Crystal Bridges Annual Report 2017 Crystal Bridges Annual Report 2016 Crystal Bridges Annual Report 2015 Crystal Bridges Annual Report 2014
As Crystal Bridges and the Momentary, we recognize our role as settlers and guests in the Northwest Arkansas region. We acknowledge the Caddo, Quapaw, and Osage as well as the many Indigenous caretakers of this land and water. We appreciate the enduring influence of the vibrant, diverse, and contemporary cultures of Indigenous peoples. We are conscious of the role in colonization that museums have played. As cultural institutions, we have a responsibility to engage in the dismantling of historical and systemic invisibility of Indigenous peoples past, present, and future. We choose to intentionally hold ourselves accountable to appropriate conversation, representation, connection, and education to facilitate a space of measurable change.
Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection spans five centuries of American artworks from early American to the present and is always free to view. Crystal Bridges is committed to telling broad and inclusive stories by acquiring and showcasing the highest quality works by artists underrepresented in art history and conventional museum frameworks. Works such as Asher B. Durand’s Kindred Spirits, Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed are displayed alongside contemporary artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Maya Lin, Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith, Félix González-Torres, and Amy Sherald, representing some of the finest achievements in American art. The collection continues to grow, while the museum also offers temporary exhibitions that complement the collection and can also reveal art’s connections to equality and justice.
Crystal Bridges provides year-round programming for all ages, including lectures, performances, classes, and continuing education for K-12 teachers. More than 50,000 schoolchildren visit the museum each year as part of the Willard and Pat Walker School Visit Program, which offers schools reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses associated with a school field trip, including transportation costs, substitute teachers, and lunch. An initiative to develop high-quality online learning opportunities for students and teachers is currently underway.
Download our award-winning apps, CB Museum and CB Outdoors, available free for both Apple and Android devices, to learn more about art, architecture and nature at Crystal Bridges.
Crystal Bridges offers two research fellowship programs. The Tyson Scholars in American Art program supports full-time scholarship in the history of American art. The Reese Teacher Fellowship provides for research into the development of interdisciplinary connections between American art and core curriculum subjects of language arts, history, social studies, and the sciences. In addition, Crystal Bridges administers the awarding of the Don Tyson Prize, an unprecedented award recognizing significant achievements in the field of American art.
On 02-22-2020, Crystal Bridges opened a satellite contemporary art space in downtown Bentonville called the Momentary (507 SE E St.). General admission is free.
Formerly a decommissioned cheese factory, it is now a multidisciplinary space for visual arts, performing arts, culinary experiences, festivals, and artists-in-residence offering dynamic programs and experiences. Food and beverage options include the Tower Bar (offering craft cocktails and the best views of Bentonville), the Momentary Food Truck, the outdoor RØDE Bar, and an Onyx Coffee Lab location.
Remuseum is an independent research project seeking to promote innovation among art museums across the U.S. Inspired and supported by entrepreneur and arts patron David Booth, powered by the disruptive spirit of Crystal Bridges, and with additional support from the Ford Foundation, Remuseum is a three-year project aiming to help U.S. museums fully embrace their missions by developing new approaches to relevance, governance, and financial sustainability.
Review a listing of the Crystal Bridges Board of Directors and the museum’s Departmental Leadership.
