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6 New Updates to the Museum’s Lobby

Skylight in museum lobby
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be closed Monday, May 13, to prepare for the visit of Antiques Roadshow. We will return to normal hours of operation Wednesday, May 15.
At the Museum Museum Store

As you make your way into the main lobby entrance at Crystal Bridges, you might notice that a few things look different…in a good way! We’ve renovated and expanded the lobby space to provide an improved visitor experience. These updates create easier access for information, offer protection from inclement weather and additional seating, and will provide new programming opportunities for visitors to enjoy. 

Here are six new features to the Crystal Bridges main lobby:

Skylight in museum lobby
Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

1. An Enclosed Dome

The new lobby area is now enclosed in a glass dome, expanding the lobby into the former courtyard. The dome has a shade to provide protection against the sun.

Seating in lobby outside museum store
Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

2. A New Storefront for the Museum Store

Removing doors and glass windows from the front of the Museum Store allows the space to be more open and inviting for visitors to step into and adds to the lobby experience.

3 women sitting on couch looking at wall of signage.
Guests in the Garrison Lobby. Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

3. Information Wall

A new information wall features a map of Crystal Bridges, information screens, brochures, and coloring pages to enjoy.

Welcome sign on bookshelf in Crystal Bridges Library
Welcome to the Library. Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

4. Easier Access to the Library

Visitors now have a path from the lobby to the elevators that lead to the Crystal Bridges Library, offering easier access.

Sitting in museum lobby
Sitting in the Garrison Lobby Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

5. New Furniture

New, modern furniture offers moments to sit and relax comfortably. In the future, we hope to add art installations (and perhaps even a performance or two!) to the space, making the lobby a nice place to enjoy art outside of the galleries.

Pamela and Wayne Garrison Family Foundation Lobby Sign

6. A New Lobby Name

In case you didn’t notice at the top, the main lobby is now called The Pamela and Wayne Garrison Family Foundation Lobby, or Garrison Lobby for short, in honor of the foundation’s contribution to support family experiences at the museum. Learn more here.