Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art - Bentonville, Arkansas - Art Museum

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is located at West Central Avenue in Bentonville, Arkansas. The 100 acre site of the museum is located within walking distance of Bentonville town square. Crystal Bridges takes its name from a natural spring called Crystal Spring, which sits within the museum's wooded site as well as the glass and wood building designed by the architect Moshe Safdie.

The museum is home to a permanent collection of works from American artists along with galleries dedicated to regional art and artists including Native American art. The museum has been funded by Alice Walton and the Walton Family Foundation, who have been buying many great pieces of art for the collection. Sam Walton founder of Wal-Mart opened his first store in Bentonville in 1962.

There are many paintings and sculptures ranging from the Colonial period through to the modern era. One of the pictures in the collection is Kindred Spirits by Asher Durand, which cost Alice Walton $35 million in 2005, and was a record amount paid for a painting by an American artist. Another expensive painting visitors will be able to see is The Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins, which cost $68 million in 2006.

Many other paintings are featured here by artists such as Charles Bird King, Gerardus Duyckinck, John Singer Sargent and George Wesley Bellows. Visitors will also see sculptures by Ted Jones, Mark di Suvero and Paul Manship's Group of Bears. The sculptures form part of the permanent collection and will feature inside and in the gardens.

There is space for other events at the museum such as meetings, concerts and receptions. There will be a total of 100,000 square feet of galleries, a library, office space, a large meeting room, a 250-seater indoor auditorium. Outdoor concerts can also be held here and visitors will be able to walk around outside to view the sculpture gardens and hike along the walking trails.

School programs and group tours are available here too with educational facilities including a big library of American art and various important resources for university level students and museum professionals. There is also an art reference library accessible to students and members of the general public. Various activities are on offer here for families too, as well as a family learning area with computer workstations.

The Crystal Bridges Park and Gardens are set within a forested valley that is within a few blocks of the Bentonville town square. A pedestrian/bike trail called The Crystal Bridges Tail takes visitors along the western edge of the museum grounds. Here bikers and hikers will be able to enjoy the woodland of flowering trees and natural springs.

There are various places to stay in the area all less than five kilometers from the museum, including the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in SE Walton Boulevard. There are also several eateries nearby such as The Station Cafy in North Main Street and Orient Express 2 in SE Shane Lane.