Crystal Bridges Museum, Arkansas

Image: courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Future Cities Forum has included Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas in the 'International Museum' categories entries for its Winter Awards 2026, due to be judged by an all female panel this December.

Crystal Bridges unites art, architecture, and nature to nurture wellbeing, connection, and a shared cultural spirit.

This summer the museum opened 114,000 square feet of new galleries, studios, and spaces filled with art and fresh storytelling. This included a brand-new contemporary gallery, a second, expanded temporary exhibition gallery, studio spaces with exciting artmaking opportunities, and an elevated café overlooking a family-friendly splashpad and even more outdoor art.

In October 2025, Crystal Bridges broke ground on our newest outdoor experience, the Ozark Discovery Canopy: a science, art, and nature-based playscape designed for all ages.

The museum says:

'The experience of and appreciation for nature is central to the mission of Crystal Bridges. The museum is situated on 134 acres of native Ozark forest which include natural springs, streams, geographical features, and a host of native plants and animals. Our dedicated Trails and Grounds team are committed to the use of native plants in the landscape, and work year-round to keep the grounds beautiful and healthy for all to enjoy.

'In 2024, Crystal Bridges was awarded Level I Accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The stunning arboretum at the museum is defined by areas of native, managed forest, flowering and specimen trees, and display gardens well-known for joyful spring displays of dogwoods, redbuds, and magnolias. Crystal Bridges is the only museum in Arkansas that’s also an arboretum. The trails and grounds of Crystal Bridges are a must-see part of the museum experience. More than five miles of trails wind through the museum’s 134-acre site, providing guests with access to the beautiful Ozark landscape. Designed to spark the imagination, the trails help guests form connections to the land and its history, as well as enjoy outdoor artworks.

'Beside the walkway that runs along the west side of Crystal Bridges' upper pond is a stone grotto made of boulders, ranging in weight from 3,000 to 10,000 pounds, that are covered in natural quartz crystals. These boulders were excavated from a mine in west central Arkansas, an area that produces some of the largest and clearest quartz crystals in the world.

'These Arkansas quartz crystals were formed deep underground over millions of years. When two of the earth's tectonic plates slowly collided around 300 million years ago, the pressure caused an uplift that formed the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and Oklahoma. As stone was pushed upward, the high pressure and heat allowed these crystals to form in the cracks and hollows deep within the Earth as it cooled.

'For many years, quartz crystals were mined for use in radios and watches, because they can be used to transmit frequencies without distortion. In the 1950s, General Electric Co. patented a process for making synthetic crystals, and quartz crystals were no longer in demand for manufacturing. Now they are enjoyed for their beauty, and some people believe they have healing properties.'

Image: outdoor art, courtesy of