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A Day at Crystal Bridges Art Museum

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*All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

My husband has been wanting to take me to the Crystal Bridges Art Museum for a while now. Since we were in Bentonville for our anniversary, we decided it would be the perfect time to check it out.

The Museum

First, I cannot believe that you can tour this thing for free! There are so many wonderful pieces of art spanning five centuries from the Colonial Era to the present day. Occasionally, You do have to pay for special exhibits and that is $12 per person. Also, if you want to tour the Frank Lloyd Wright house, that will be a small fee. We were not able to tour the house because the first available opening they had was not until 5 pm that night.

One of my favorite pieces at the museum is actually at the entrance. It is a 30 ft tall spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois that is composed of bronze, stainless steel, and marble. The information about it says that it weigh 12 tons and was transported in 18 pieces, not including the 20 marble eggs that it holds.

Along with art by Andy Warhol and Norman Rockwell, the museums permanent collection also features work from modern and contemporary American Artists like James Turrell and Georgia O’Keeffe. The permanent collection can be viewed year-round and is enhanced by several temporary exhibits that change throughout the year.

One of my favorites at the museum portraying sunbathers.
Panoramic view of one of the rooms.
Another one of my favorites by Mary Cassatt entitled, The Reader.

Interactive Exhibits

There are many interactive exhibits at the museum that give visitors a chance to become part of the exhibits. One encouraged you to create your own Haiku. I read several of the ones that were left and wanted to share one that made me laugh.

This one had to be written by a mom!

Hands-On Experience Art Studio

I was not expecting there to be anything for our daughter to do at the museum. We were so excited to learn that about half-way through the exhibit, there is the Hands-On Experience Art Studio designed specifically for younger kids. We stopped there to let our daughter color and play. She had so much fun. There were blocks, magnets, paper with crayons and stencils, books, and so much more!

These were her favorite.

Something for Everyone

There is so much to do and see at this museum. My husband even enjoyed it! One of his favorite exhibits featured military dog tags. My husband was in the military, so he related with this magnificent work of art.

I could have stayed at the Crystal Bridges Art Museum all day. I plan on going back when we have more time so I can complete some of the interactive exhibits myself. Along with the art and Hands-On Experience for kids, there is a library, restaurant, and trail that runs through the 120-acre grounds. There is something for everyone at this museum and I highly recommend you visit. It will be an experience that your family will never forget.