May 6, 2014 Nature & Outdoor Crystal Spring Forming a loop from the Tulip Tree Trail, Crystal Spring Trail offers access to the living heart of Crystal Bridges’ grounds: the natural spring for which the Museum is named. Just a short walk from the Museum’s south entrance, Crystal Spring bubbles up from under a rocky overhang in a deep hollow. Groundskeepers have been careful to preserve the magical quality of this beautiful, hidden spot, where the constantly flowing cold spring water carves the limestone into curves and bowls on its way to the pond below. Crystal Spring, April This beautiful, natural spring has been a source of fresh water for more than 100 years. The water pours forth at a rate of 100 to 125 gallons per minute, at a chill 52 degrees. It was an important source of water for local Native Americans, and for settlers to the Bentonville area in the 1800s, and continues to be a vital source of water for the flora and fauna of the Crystal Bridges grounds today. If you sit quietly at the spring for a time, you may see a variety of birds, amphibians, deer, and other mammals visiting for a drink or a bath. Crystal Spring, January Did you know: Water from Crystal Spring and other springs and streams on the Museum grounds provide all the water used in irrigating the Museum’s flower beds and lawns. No city water is used for this purpose. Access to Crystal Spring during Bachman-Wilson House construction As Crystal Bridges prepares for the installation of the Bachman-Wilson House on the Museum grounds, a section of the Tulip Tree Trail has been closed for the safety of our guests during construction. A temporary detour has been routed through the Tulip Tree Shelter that will allow visitors to the trail to bypass the construction zone and continue on to the Museum’s South Lawn. Crystal Spring will also be accessible during the construction period, though the northern half of the Crystal Spring Loop may be closed for a brief time.
