Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has a world-class collection of American art, stunning architecture, and is nestled in 120-acres of Ozark woods with miles of trails. We have something for everyone, for visitors just like you. Admission to the museum and trails is always free.
Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Crystal Bridges Trails and Grounds are open from sunrise to sunset daily and during museum hours.
Leo Villareal's Buckyball:
This sculpture is illuminated from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. The light display changes from the white-light daytime sequence to a vibrantly colored evening sequence shortly after dark.
James Turrell's Skyspace, The Way of Color:
Located on the Art Trail, The Skyspace is open for the sunrise experience every morning approximately 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise. Precise times vary according to the time of year. The sunset experience begins about 10 minutes before sunset. Seating in the Skyspace is limited. Guests are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes early to secure a seat. Each experience takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
Upcoming Programs & Events
The museum offers year-round programming for all ages, including lectures, art-making workshops, films, gallery talks, and special events. In addition, Crystal Bridges offers professional development for teachers plus education programming and field trips for K-12 schools.
Search the calendar by date or by programs & series!
The museum is located on Museum Way, off NE J Street in Bentonville, Arkansas. If you are entering Bentonville from Interstate 49, take exit 88B if you're driving north (exit 88 if you're driving south) and go west on Central Avenue. Travel .3 miles and turn right onto John DeShields Boulevard. After you cross NE J Street, DeShields becomes Museum Way which takes you to the museum entrance and parking garage.
The museum is accessible via the paved Orchard Trail from Orchards Park. You may also walk or bike to the Museum via the paved Crystal Bridges Trail, part of the City of Bentonville trail system. From the Bentonville Downtown Square follow the Crystal Bridges Trail to the Art Trail, which passes by the Skyspace sculpture The Way of Color, by James Turrell, and ends at the museum’s south entrance. Cyclists, please ride slowly and stay on the trail, as this trail has a grade of up to 9%.
There are bicycle racks at the museum’s south entrance and in the museum parking lot.
Direct Routes to XNA
If you are traveling on commercial airlines, we encourage you to fly into Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA). Rental cars and limousine service are available from XNA.
If you are traveling by private aircraft, you can fly into the Bentonville Municipal Airport (KVBT) which is only 3 miles from Crystal Bridges. The airport can handle all general aviation aircraft up to light jets. Larger private aircraft can fly into Beaver Lake Aviation (BVA), or Rogers Municipal Airport(KROG).
The museum’s GPS coordinates are: 36.379124, -94.196584 (+36° 22′ 44.85″, -94° 11′ 47.72″)
Complimentary parking is available in the museum parking garage. Follow the signs on Museum Way. The parking garage offers ADA compliant parking. During especially busy days, guests may need to park in the Additional Parking lot on Museum Way near the guard station, or at Orchards Park across NE J Street, and walk to the museum entrance via the Orchard Trail.
The museum’s main drive connects to a drop-off area at the museum entrance. Cars and buses may stop here to load and unload passengers. No parking is allowed in this area.
There is no RV parking available on the Crystal Bridges grounds. RVs may park at Orchards Park.
The Coca-Cola Hydration Station is a covered pavilion located at the museum’s additional parking lot near the Orchards Trail. The Hydration Station will serve as a shelter for Crystal Bridges guests awaiting the museum’s shuttle to the main entrance. It also houses vending machines offering Coca-Cola, Dasani, Powerade and other beverages to refresh thirsty museum guests and those walking the Crystal Bridges trails.
Regional Resources
Northwest Arkansas is easily accessible by plane and by car. The Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport is served by several international airlines. Other metropolitan areas such as Tulsa, Little Rock, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, and Dallas are within a half-day’s drive.
While you’re in Bentonville, visiting the art museum, be sure to check out the rest of what Northwest Arkansas has to offer. Music, theater, restaurants, shopping, sports, outdoor activities, and attractions abound.
Exploring more of Arkansas during your visit? Discover what you can see and do in the Natural State.
Guest Services
Located in the museum’s main lobby, Guest Services is your resource for many museum amenities and services, including Lost and Found, maps, brochures, self-guided and audio tours, and information about guided tours and educational programs. Guests may also purchase or pickup tickets here.
- lower lobby
- between the Lower Temporary Exhibitions Gallery and Early Twentieth-Century Art Gallery
- reflection area between the Early Twentieth-Century and Twentieth-Century Art Galleries
- the Community Showcase corridor near the south lobby
- in the Library Outdoor restrooms are available on the North Forest Trail, at the Skyspace on the Art Trail, and on the Crystal Bridges Trail across from the Overlook.
Museum Guidelines
Some Dos and Don’ts to help make visiting Crystal Bridges as enjoyable as possible for all our guests.
Please refer to our "What to Expect" blog post for details on our policies and procedures during this period of mandatory social distancing.
Accessibility
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is committed to making the galleries and grounds accessible for all visitors. Please note that our efforts to make our website, programs, and museum more accessible are ongoing. A number of on-site accommodations are offered for guests with disabilities in order to assure an enjoyable and engaging experience at the museum. Below is a list of amenities available. If you have questions, please contact us.
All interior spaces of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art—including galleries, classrooms, meeting rooms, restaurant, Museum Store, library, and lobby—are fully wheelchair accessible. The parking garage offers accessible parking on the lower level.
Wheelchair and family-accessible restrooms and elevators are located throughout the museum.
Wheelchairs and walkers are available on a first-come, first-served basis at no cost and are located at Guest Services in the main lobby, and in the elevator towers, and in the lower lobby checkroom. Personal wheelchairs, canes with rubber tips, and motorized mobility devices are also permitted in the museum.
The Orchard Trail, Art Trail and North Forest Trail are all hard-surface trails
Service animals are welcome in the museum. Crystal Bridges abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and allows service animals, that is, animals trained to do work or perform specific tasks for the benefit of an individual with disabilities, into all the public areas of the museum. The ADA does not currently recognize emotional support animals, therefore emotional support animals and all other animals not specifically covered in the American with Disabilities Act will not be permitted within the museum. Other leashed pets must remain outside the building, which includes Walker Landing, but are welcome on museum trails and grounds.
Because Crystal Bridges has many large windows that admit daylight, the light levels in the museum can vary considerably between galleries and connecting reflection spaces. Guests with light sensitivity may choose to visit on cloudy days or in the evening when these contrasts are not so pronounced.
When there are exhibitions featuring artworks with flashing lights, signage notifying visitors of where these lights are located will be available. Additionally, Buckyball by Leo Villareal is a sculpture located on the drive into the museum with lights that change colors in the evening.
Free audio tours, which include audio label text and verbal description for selected artworks from the museum’s permanent collection, are available for download on Android or Apple devices. Devices pre-loaded with the audio tours, to use during your visit to the museum, are available for check-out from Guest Services at no cost.
Free tactile and multisensory tours of the museum are offered upon request with advanced notice based on availability. To schedule a tour, please contact us here.
CART captioning available for all Distinguished Speaker and Spotlight lectures.
Assistive Listening Devices are available on a first-come, first-served basis for those participating in lectures or other events in the Great Hall. For all other programs or tours, they are available by request.
American Sign Language interpretation is provided for Collection Highlights tours on the third Saturday of each month from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Sign Language interpretation for all other programs and tours is offered upon request with advanced notice based on availability. Please contact us. Relay or voice calls are welcome.
American Sign Language interpretation for all other programs and tours is offered upon request with advanced notice based on availability. Please contact us.
Several pairs of EnChroma colorblind glasses are available for guests who are colorblind to use at no cost during their museum visit. The museum can provide glasses for indoor and outdoor viewing in adult and youth sizes, and there are also fit-over glasses available for guests who wear regular glasses.
These glasses are available for check-out at the Guest Services desks in the main, north, and south lobbies. To check-out, please present a form of ID to leave at the Guest Services desk while you use the glasses during your museum visit.
