The permanent collection at Crystal Bridges is free and spans American art from the colonial period to the present day, displayed in a striking building nestled into the Ozark woodland. The architecture and the setting are as much the draw as the art itself — walking the trail between pavilions through the trees is part of the experience. Allow at least three hours. The on-site restaurant is good enough to eat at without visiting the museum first.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
A story
Crystal Bridges opened in 2011 funded by Alice Walton, daughter of Sam Walton, who spent decades assembling a collection of American art that rivals any in the country. The Moshe Safdie building is set into a wooded ravine with two bridge pavilions spanning a natural spring — hence the name. The collection runs from 15th-century colonial portraiture through Andy Warhol and Norman Rockwell to contemporary installation art, and admission to the permanent collection has always been free, which was a deliberate decision to make it accessible to people who had never been to an art museum.