With 1,900 to 2,300 visitors every day and with the high heat, Crystal Bridges Museum up in Bentonville is offering a way to help visitors stay cool: two new shuttles to make visitors not have to take the 10 plus minute walk from the parking lot to the museum.

The full name of the museum is the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and it has a variety of art that covers five centuries in America.  Examples of works include “Rosie the Riveter” by Norman Rockwell; “Kindred Spirits” by Asher B. Durand; and “The Lantern Bearers” by Maxfield Parrish.

The shuttles are solar-powered, so they’re cheaper to operate than regular gas vans.  The director of facilities there, David Burghart, was quoted by 5NewsOnline as saying, “It’s just a souped-up golf cart, is what it is.”  But each shuttle can hold 14 people, so they’re a little bigger than a standard golf cart.

One of the shuttles Burghart found in Florida and said it’s the biggest one he could find.  Shuttle service is available only on weekends right now but it will expand to six days a week pretty soon.  Burghart said the larger shuttle will do 25-30 miles an hour but they keep it down to around 15.

Currently the museum is only using one of the shuttles but will bring out the other one if there is a need.

Admission to the museum is free because Walmart is sponsoring it.  And there’s a lot more for visitors to enjoy including concerts and events, hiking trails, a restaurant, a museum store and other attractions. It is located at 600 Museum Way. The website is CrystalBridges.org. Call (479) 418-5700 for more information.

Thank you Walmart!  Thank you David Burghart for helping us stay cool!

Nick & Ellie