Outings under $20: FREE upcoming events at Crystal Bridges Museum -

We hope you’re enjoying our new series, Outings under $20! This is the second installment of the series. Click here for the first outing recommendation (Lawrence Plaza Splash Pad/Friday Flicks).

For this Outings under $20, we suggest you visit Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which has TONS of great events for free. The museum has lots of fun planned this summer for kids and families!

As many of you know, general admission to Crystal Bridges is sponsored by Walmart, so there’s no cost to visit the museum’s permanent collection, which is available all year. Special exhibits usually do cost something, but the price varies.

So this museum is a great start to a great Outing for under $20.

Heads-up: The museum is closed on Tuesdays!

Ideas: Visit the art inside the museum (and make sure to stop by the special area just for kids where they can draw and enjoy some of interactive options). If you’ve visited the museum quite a bit and want to do something a little different, take a look below at the free events coming up at Crystal Bridges, one of our awesome Motherlode sponsors.

Before or after any of these events, you can picnic on one of the beautiful hiking trails — be sure to walk the Art Trail where kids can see fun sculptures like Stella the pig — or have a snack (served at different hours each day, so double check) at the museum’s restaurant, Eleven.

They have several kid’s meals and desserts: PB&J on homemade bread is $4.50; Hot dog, $7; and grilled cheese (Monterey jack and cheddar on homemade bread) is $5.50. All of these are served with fresh fruit. Cupcake of the day $2.50; Cake by the slice: $4.

If you pair a picnic lunch — or snacks from Eleven — with these free events, you’ll be able to pull it off fairly inexpensively.

Note: Crystal Bridges has a new Outdoor App and features maps, a plant guide, information about artworks, and more. Also look for the green “Eco-Boxes” on the grounds, too: they are hand-powered audio devices that play recorded information about the history, artworks, or plants in a specific area.

Here are some upcoming outings at Crystal Bridges and they’re all FREE:

TONIGHT (June 10), 7-8 p.m., Music and drum circle fun:

Join Kansas City musicians Brandon and Teryn Draper on Walker Landing for a high-energy, interactive performance of music from around the world. Then join in on a community drum circle! Free, no registration required.

Wednesday, June 17, 7-8:30 p.m., As you Like It performance:

Enjoy a delightful adaptation for young audiences of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, performed outdoors on Walker Landing. Free, no registration required

Sunday, June 21, Musical and circus fun along the Crystal Bridges trails:

Family Sunday, Trail Mix

Event runs noon to 5 p.m. Performances by The Fruits at 1:00 and 2:30 pm

Trail Mix, part of the annual Artosphere Festival presented by Walton Arts Center, features local and international bands who perform in a variety of musical genres along the Museum trails from 1 to 3 p.m. In addition, this year the Festival features Australia’s highly acclaimed circus daredevils, The Fruits.

The company performs atop 14-foot flexible poles, bending and swaying to impossible angles while combining elements of theatre, dance, and circus. The Fruits will appear at Crystal Bridges to offer two magical performances of Swoon, a spectacular story of love, loss, joy, and freedom on high at 1:00 and 2:30 p.m.

June 27, 1-4 p.m., Drop-In Art Making {Bead Blossoms}

Join us in the studios to bring to life your favorite floral still life from our collection using beads, found objects, and decoupage! Find an exciting new way of creating still life with these unexpected materials. All materials provided.

Free, no registration required.