For the tedious parameter settings of sliding mode controller of bridge crane and insufficient global searching ability of Cuckoo Search（CS），an improved Cuckoo Search algorithm based on adaptive crossover operation point selection（ASCP-CS） was proposed and applied to the adjustment of parameters for the sliding mode controllor of bridge crane. The ASCP-CS algorithm improves the adaptive searching steps based on the CS algorithm, and introduces the adaptive selecting chromosome crossover points in the crossover operation. The test results of four typical optimization functions show that ASCP-CS algorithm has better optimization accuracy and search ability. The sliding mode controller of bridge crane is tuned by different optimization algorithms. It is showed in the simulation results that the controller based on ASCP-CS algorithm can locate the payload more quickly, suppress the swing of the payload more effectively and has strong robustness.