Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
through the efforts and financial support of Alice Walton, the youngest heir to the Walmart
fortune.
With an endowment of $1.2 billion by the Walton Family Foundation, Crystal Bridges has
almost instantly joined the ranks of some of the richest museums in the country. Though
only opened in November of 2011, it has attracted over 1 million visitors and is listed
amongst the top museums in the world. The bedrock of Middle America is not typically
where museums of this stature are located.
World-class art is housed in a magnificent structure regarded around the globe as an archi-
tectural masterpiece. The museum's glass-and-wood design, with its gently curving pavil-
ions, is nestled around two spring-fed ponds. Designed by Moshe Safdie, Crystal Bridges
is regarded as America's newest cultural institution.
Bentonville retained its charming small town feel until the Crystal Bridges opening in 2011.
It has since morphed into a booming cultural municipality, with a trendy downtown square
littered with independent upscale restaurants and unique galleries, boutiques, and specialty
shops of every kind. Bentonville hotels are popping up throughout the area making for a
comfortable and pleasurable stay.
There are many hiking and biking trails around the downtown and museum areas. Have a
bite to eat at one of the old or new restaurants in Bentonville, AR, and then take a leisurely
stroll around the quaint and beautiful town square.
