Last year I went to visit the famous Walmart city Bentonville which is the home of Crystal Bridges, the Museum of American Art. Mostly paid for by the Walmart Foundation, this 200 million dollar museum is beautifully crafted by an architect who wanted the museum to match the Ozark forest. This was incredibly apparent when I arrived there because the museum almost looks hidden away in the expansive forest. But once you get closer you begin to notice the white and glass curves of the museum.

To further complement the forest, the museum is not made any taller than the trees surrounding it and it also has a pond in the middle of it to reflect the surrounding sky and trees. These characteristics gave me a feeling of peace and calmness. I loved the bulges of wood and glass that can be found as pod looking elements across the water. Specifically, these bulges will light up at night and create beautiful organic stripes towards the sky. This is all a spectacle throughout the museum due to the great use of glass throughout the halls of the museum.

My favorite part about my visit here was the outdoor spaces that connected to the interior of the museum. These spaces included trails for bikes and places to connect with nature. The areas outside were also viewable through the glass halls which housed not only the galleries but also a restaurant and cafe.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas