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The trails, walkways and hiking paths of the park and gardens at Crystal Bridges will create an environment of new connections within the town of Bentonville, Arkansas, and its neighborhoods. Visitors will find the accessible woodland of flowering trees and natural springs an inviting complement to the art museum.
Intended as a place of everyday community use by local residents, the park will be ideal for an afternoon sojourn or brisk walk, and some may discover a new path for the morning commute to work.
The Crystal Bridges Park and Gardens are set within a forested valley, which on its southern border reaches to within a few blocks of the Bentonville town square. A walk of less than a quarter mile will bring the visitor from downtown to the west entrance of the museum building.
Shaded trails will lead to terraced sculpture gardens, areas for picnics and play, as well as outdoor galleries and spaces emanating from the museum buildings. A special children’s garden will open young visitors’ eyes to their surroundings and introduce ways of looking at nature that they may see in artists’ work within the collection.
The woodland valley of the Crystal Bridges property is enveloped by steep bluffs that rise to gentle ridges. These natural attributes enable the creation of trails and spaces that will accommodate the existing topography and provide picturesque views of the museum buildings and their gardens. The importance of the spring-fed stream to the architecture of the museum and the grounds will be reflected in the trail and path design of the 100-acre park. The interplay of flowing water and ponds within the park will be a highlight for exploring visitors.
Flowering dogwoods, azaleas and other notable flora indigenous to the region will figure prominently in a sensitive program of planting and forest management to enliven the woodland park.
Footbridges for stream crossing and stairways for steep slopes will augment walking paths, as will amenities including nature trail signage, small sunny glades and places to rest. A bike path through part of the property is part of a planned linkage with neighboring Bella Vista, and is also intended to encourage commuter and pleasure cycling in Bentonville.
The Crystal Bridges Park and Gardens, and its miles of paths and trails, is envisioned as a space of artistry and community, suited equally well as a shortcut into town, a quiet area for reflection, and a place to connect with nature and neighbors.
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