Youth Camps: Know Before You Go

It never hurts to be prepared. To help you get ready for youth camps at Crystal Bridges, we’ve assembled a guide to what you need to know before you arrive.

• All ticket sales are final and non-refundable. We may be able to exchange your ticket for another camp of comparable price. Please contact the Public Programs Assistant at (479) 657-2311 or at Education@CrystalBridges.org. (Please note that we are unable to prorate camp fees on a daily basis.)
• Camper forms and waivers will be signed as part of the registration process. Please email Education@CrystalBridges.org or call (479) 418-5700 if any information changes or needs to be updated before you arrive.
• Once registered, you’ll receive an email from Crystal Bridges confirming your online registration. A follow-up email will be sent about one week before camp to all registrants.
• When you register, please list all allergies or disability-related accommodations for your camper. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee a 100% nut-free zone. Once registered, please contact Education@CrystalBridges.org if you would like to further discuss your child’s allergies or accommodation requests.

• A limited number of need-based scholarships are available for all Crystal Bridges Camps, covering 100% of registration costs. Scholarships are awarded through a lottery system and cannot be awarded for any camps that the camper has already been registered for through the regular camp registration process.
• Transportation funds may also be awarded if the camper’s participation is dependent on travel assistance.
• To be considered for a scholarship for Fall Break or Spring Break Camps, please contact Education@CrystalBridges.org.
• To be considered for a scholarship for Summer Camps:
  • Application Deadline: Scholarship applications are due by 5 p.m. CT on May 2, 2025. Notifications of scholarship acceptance will be sent via email by 5 p.m. CT on May 16, 2025.
  • To Apply: Fill out an online application for each child and select one camp within their age group.

• Campers will spend time indoors in the galleries and studios and outdoors on our grounds and trails. Campers will experiment and create with a wide range of art materials to express their artistic style while meeting new friends along the way.
• Many camps occur outside. Please arrive at camp prepared for adventure, wearing closed-toe shoes and dressing for the weather. In the warmer months, bug spray and sunscreen may also be necessary. Be sure to pack a water bottle and snack in a small backpack.
• Summer and Spring Break Camps last for the entire week (Monday – Friday), including Tuesdays when we are closed to the public. Fall Break Mini Camps last for three days (Monday – Wednesday).
• We have a max capacity of 20 campers per camp.
• Camps take place under the care of skilled teachers and teaching artists. Each camp includes time in the galleries and artmaking in the studios.
• To ensure an optimal experience for all, please note that your child(ren) must have experience in a classroom setting prior to the start of camps, must be potty-trained, AND must be the appropriate age for the camps they are registered for. Campers who are too young for the camp they are signed up for may be asked not to return until they are old enough to participate.
  • If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s age and the camp they are signed up for, please do not hesitate to reach out via email.
• Linked here is a social narrative for the museum. This resource is for anyone who would benefit from knowing what to expect in advance of their museum visit.
• Please note that this is a drop-off camp. Parents/guardians are welcome to enjoy our museum facilities when we are open, but when the museum is closed to the public, we cannot accommodate additional visitors within the museum.
  • If the weather is nice, we recommend the Campus Parking Plaza, Art Trail, or North Forest as enjoyable outdoor locations to hang out all while staying close to the museum when it is closed.

• Have your camper wear comfortable, breathable clothes that they can get messy in. Smocks are provided but do not cover their entire outfit. Keep in mind that campers will be working with both washable and permanent materials.
• We will go outdoors each day, so please apply sunscreen and bug spray before arriving, and be sure your camper is wearing appropriate shoes for outdoor walking. (Please note that aerosol sprays are not allowed inside or outside the studios.)
• Please send a water bottle and snacks with your camper. Please do not include nuts of any kind for snacks.

• For your convenience, campers can be dropped off at the museum’s lower parking garage. Wayfinding signs will be available to lead you there from the museum’s main entrance roundabout. Once inside the garage, please pull up to the Camp Drop-Off sign. A staff member will sign you in using Procare.
• Note: If you are attending the Art in Motion Summer Camp with Bike School Bentonville, the pick-up and drop-off location will be Level 1 of Campus Parking.
• Please arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before camp begins. Please be patient at pick-up and drop-off as there will likely be a line of cars.
• If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for camp drop-off, you will need to park and escort your child to the studios located off Walker Landing.

Camp Pick-up

• Pick-up for camp will occur at the studios located off Walker Landing. Please park your vehicle and use the museum’s main elevator or stairs to get to the Garrison Lobby. From there take the stairs or elevator down to the Lower Lobby and make your way outside to Walker Landing. There will be signage outside of the studios indicating which classroom holds which camp. We ask that you wait outside of the classroom until a staff member is ready to check you out. To help speed up the process, please have your identification ready.
• If you need to pick your camper up early from camp, please inform a camp staff member.
• An adult must sign their camper in and out each day. Only those who have been designated to sign out the camper in Procare may do so. An invitation to access your camper’s Procare profile will be sent to the email of the primary contact listed on your camper’s registration forms about one week in advance of camp.
• Make sure to add the names of anyone picking up your camper to their Procare profile. Campers may not leave the museum until a designated adult signs them out and shows identification (Driver’s License, Passport, etc.).