Visitors at Crystal Bridges and the Amazeum in Bentonville now have a new way to explore the intersection of art and nature and, increasingly, science. Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis reports.
Art is everywhere down Bentonville’s Museum Way. Inside and out, Crystal Bridges’ mission to make the intersection of art, architecture and nature accessible to all is playing out in big ways. Inside, the museum opened a 114,000-square-foot addition to its gallery space earlier this year, and outside, art and trails are popping up everywhere and now complement the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, the Heartland Whole Health Institute and the Scott Family Amazeum.
In between the Amazeum and Crystal Bridges, you can now explore an Ozark forest curated with interactive elements that encourage everyone, young or old, to reach out and touch, climb, spin or slide. The Ozark Discovery Canopy is now open to the public, and Crystal Bridges executive director Rod Bigelow welcomed guests to the ribbon cutting yesterday morning. The varied crowd included Crystal Bridges founder Alice Walton and her family, along with schoolchildren from Sugar Creek Elementary and the Thaden School. Everyone gathered among the trees and waterways.
“Are you excited to be here? Thank you for being here. Are you guys excited to be here? OK. You might have to have a competition and cheering here. And I’m so excited to welcome you to the opening of the Ozark Discovery Canopy, and it’s projects like the Ozark Discovery Canopy that don’t happen overnight. In fact, this idea came from our illustrious founder many, many years ago. It was her brainchild. I don’t know, this is what you thought, but here we are. So thank you, Alice, for making our dreams possible and the dreams for this community possible as well.
“This playscape down in the ravine is the result of planning, collaboration, creativity, shared belief and the power of bringing people together in nature.”
Playscape is an appropriate description. The Discovery Canopy is at once a playground, complete with a slide and climbing structures, and a natural landscape with sculptures scattered between the trees. Landscape architect Bryan Hanes designed the space and said it came with unique challenges. The first became obvious at the start of the planning process in 2019, and it stemmed from having two clients for one project.
“It was a joint project between Crystal Bridges and the Amazeum, which should have been red flag number one. Two clients on any project is always going to be a challenge. The RFP also left the project somewhat undefined, unlike most project programs. So that should have been red flag number two. It’s a challenge to design a space in a steeply wooded ravine. Red flag number three. But a place for families to come together to experience art, nature and science in a playful way. So of course, we said yes.”
The challenges didn’t cease at the planning phase. In 2024, a series of tornadoes struck Benton County and damaged some of Crystal Bridges’ campus. Executive director Bigelow says the storm forced them to redesign the project because it toppled some trees.
“We’ve had to relandscape a lot of it, but then we also were trying to preserve all the trees and the landscape that was here, so be respectful of the natural environment. So we just had to do precision cuts through the forest and really make these winding paths so that people feel like they can explore safely, but also these moments of joy and exploration with water running through the space or climbing spaces, all sorts of things that are fun.”
Let’s explore some of the fun things. An art museum like Crystal Bridges is full of things you cannot touch, and the opposite is true in the Ozark Discovery Canopy. You can splash around in an artificial creek, spin a large rotating boulder, climb around on a cargo net or slide down a slide in the middle of it all. Science and math come into play through cross-park communication devices called whisper dishes and an immersive fog room.
Bigelow says his favorite spot is the gathering space. It’s a stage that sits below the McMillan bluff, a large concrete structure overlooking the canopy. Water runs below the overlook, in an almost Glory Hole Falls-esque waterfall into a bluff shelter below. Bleacher-like rows then descend to a stage.
“I have two daughters. They’re older now, but when they were kids, they would like nothing more than to perform on a stage. And this gives you an outdoor stage that’s in the natural environment that they would just love. So I can see families gathering here in the morning or in the evening or in the middle of the day and just having a great time.”
Walmart founder Sam Walton’s niece Ann Walton Kroenke was in attendance at the ribbon cutting. The Kroenke Family Foundation funded the new space, and Ann says she is excited for her family and others to make memories on the grounds.
“Here is where art, architecture and nature come together and invite all of us, whatever our age, to slow down, look closely and find a sense of wonder and magic. It’s not just a playground. When children are free to explore, climb, imagine, play, something magical happens. These moments shape how they see the world and how they see themselves. Here they’ll build confidence, friendships and a sense of belonging.”
Right now, the canopy is open from dawn until dusk, but Bigelow says you can look forward to some after-dark art installations in the future. But for now, you can visit the Ozark Discovery Canopy with your group free of charge. Just visit here for more information and for more stories about the museum and other landmarks on its campus.
Copy editors utilize AI tools to review work. KUAF does not publish content created by AI. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
