The Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum is located in New York’s Upper East Side, a short distance from both the Guggenheim Museum and The Jewish Museum. It is one of nineteen museums that falls under the wing of the Smithsonian Institution and is one of two Smithsonian museums located in New York City. It is the only museum in the United States devoted to historical and contemporary design.

The Cooper-Hewitt’s collections and exhibitions explore approximately 240 years of design aesthetic and creativity. The museum has one of the world’s largest collections of decorative arts. The museum’s original collection focused on architecture, sculpture, painted architecture, decorative arts, woodwork, metalwork, pottery, costume, musical instruments and furniture.

The Cooper-Hewitt is housed within the Andrew Carnegie Mansion (built at the turn of the 20th century). In 2008 the museum started to undergo renovations (which cost $64 million and is the largest in the museum’s history). To accommodate the museum renovations, the Cooper-Hewitt closed to the public in 2011 and will re-open in 2014.