Crystal Bridges holds a serious American art collection spanning colonial portraiture to contemporary work, built by the Walton family and given free general admission, which is unusual for a museum of this caliber. The building itself, designed by Moshe Safdie, is constructed around and over two spring-fed ponds in a wooded ravine, so the architecture is as much a reason to visit as the art inside. Given it's over three hours from Little Rock, this is a long day rather than a quick outing, and pairing it with nearby Bentonville makes better use of the drive.
| Distance | 215 miles from Little Rock |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 3 hours 15 min by car; ~2 hours by flight + rental |
| Getting there | Car; LIT to XNA flight (30 min, then 15 min rental car drive) is more practical for this distance |
| Address | 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712 |
How to get there
- Mode
- Car
- Duration
- 3 hrs 15 min via I-40 W to I-49 N
- Mode
- Flight
- Duration
- American/Southwest from LIT to XNA ~45 min; $80–$150 USD one-way
Location
600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712
36.3821, -94.1962 View on map
Highlights
- Asher B. Durand's Kindred Spirits and other Hudson River School works - part of the museum's strength in 19th-century American landscape painting
- The museum's pond-and-trail architecture - Safdie's glass-and-wood pavilions bridge directly over the spring-fed ponds, connected by walking trails through the surrounding forest
- Norman Rockwell collection - a notable holding within the museum's 20th-century American galleries
- Art trail network - several miles of walking and biking trails connecting the museum to downtown Bentonville