Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Northwest Arkansas in general and Bentonville in particular will take on a new personality when Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opens. Benton County is already facing phenomenal growth with homes, offices, businesses, huge shopping malls, and a brand new hospital popping up all over former agricultural land.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art plans to open in 2009 on 100 acres in Bentonville, not far from Sam Walton’s original 5- and 10-cent store. The museum will house the private collection of American art that Sam’s daughter, Alice Walton, has been quietly collecting for years.

It is estimated that each year approximately 250,000 visitors will come to see not only this fabulous collection but also sculpture gardens and collections on loan from other museums.

Just think: once-quiet Bentonville will become a destination for art lovers. I’m sure the museum and its programs will provide cultural, educational and economic benefits to the area that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. With the population of our area of NW Arkansas expected to reach a million people by the year 2025, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art promises to become an incredible asset.

For a glimpse of the planned building and some of the art, go to the museum's website http://www.crystalbridges.org/