Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is unique not

only for its holdings – the only museum in the country devoted solely to contemporary and historic design, it features a variety of drawings, prints, graphic arts, product design, textiles, decorative arts, and wallcoverings – but also for its extensive design library and its rotating series of exhibits, not to mention the fabulous mansion in which they’re housed.

Founded in 1897, Cooper-Hewitt has made its home at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion since 1976. The 64-room mansion, built by Carnegie and his wife from 1899 to 1902, is quite possibly the most magnificent aspect of the museum and a true testament to Cooper-Hewitt’s commitment to design.

The mansion, located on Fifth Avenue at 91st Street, is majestic with its Georgian-style architecture, grand wood-paneled foyer, sweeping staircase, and large private garden, setting the perfect backdrop for an institution dedicated to architecture and design. With more than 250,000 design pieces in Cooper-Hewitt’s collection, the museum’s permanent holdings are housed in various wings of the mansion, all of which are open to visitors by advance appointment only. Meanwhile, the main portion of the mansion is open to the public and devoted exclusively to a series of rotating exhibits that provide casual visitors a glimpse into the world of design.