Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. The collection of more than 210,000 design objects spans thirty centuries of human creativity.

The Museum's temporary exhibitions explore the process of design, both historic and contemporary.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is housed in philanthropist and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie’s former mansion on museum mile. Built at the turn of the century, its fin de siècle interiors feature ornate coffered oak ceilings, carved boiserie paneling , custom-made wallcoverings, and a conservatory with Palladian bronze and glass doors. A top-to-bottom interior and exterior renovation sensitively restored the grandeur of the mansion’s exquisite craftsmanship and injected contemporary architectural features to transform one of New York’s grandest residences into a dynamic, dramatic setting for gatherings of all sizes.

Situated on the highest point of Fifth Avenue with expansive views of Central Park, the mansion also enjoys one of the city’s largest enclosed gardens. The newly rejuvenated Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden has been redesigned to integrate contemporary landscape features with the garden’s historic plantings, and is open year-round for tented or plein-air events.