Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art


This enormous art museum, sprawling across a series of creek ponds fed by mountain streams, is an unexpected find, to say the least. The curved pavilions that house the extensive collections are connected by glass-encased tunnels, and the experience consistently filters sunlight through and across the grounds. The collections spans the length and breadth of art in the USA.

The art on display largely comes from the private collection of the Walton family – in particular, heiress Alice Walton, and the museum has been criticized as a tax write-off for the family's enormous wealth. Still, the space is impressive and the museum is free to the public, who love the place.


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