Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

"The museum inside the elaborate, 64-room Andrew Carnegie Mansion has a permanent collection of more than 215,000 design objects, some dating back 30 centuries. Visitors will find everything from ancient Roman marble and Renaissance drawings to more contemporary works like 3D-printed glass here. Spend time on the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden, too." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"Housed in a 1902 Georgian mansion on the Upper East Side, a visit here is worth it for the collection and also for the building itself, which is one of the finest former Gilded Age residences still standing. The collection here spans centuries, and includes all things related to design (there are more than 200,000 pieces), from furniture and metalwork to sculpture, musical instruments, and pottery. It's also more under-the-radar than its bigger neighbors like the Guggenheim and the Met , which means crowds aren't as overwhelming." - Andrea Whittle, Charlie Hobbs

"If you occasionally catch yourself binging Interior Design Masters when you’re high as a kite and alone in your room, listen up. Because from now until October 31st, one of the premier design museums in the country is open for free admission. The Cooper Hewitt Museum has all of the best elements of that show without all of the unnecessarily complicated challenges and elimination sob stories. Plus, after you finish looking at the exhibits, you can head to one of the spots on our guide to The Best Restaurants On The Upper East Side for lunch or dinner." - nikko duren

"Cooper Hewitt’s design museum on East 91st Street - one of our favorite museums in the city - reopened for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Even more exciting: admission is free to everyone until October 31st. There’s an exhibit on contemporary Muslim fashion running through the middle of July that’s not to be missed. Just make sure you book a timed ticket in advance here. If you’re looking for a place to eat before or afterwards, our recently-updated neighborhood guide is full of ideas." - hannah albertine

"While this New York institution has been around in one form or another since the end of the 19th century, it has a long and complicated history. It originally began as part of Cooper Union, a college in downtown Manhattan, but was later transferred to the Smithsonian. In 1970 it moved into its current home, a mansion originally constructed by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie. After being closed for three years beginning in 2011 for renovations, the museum reopened in 2014. Its name makes its focus clear: design, in a variety of forms—textiles, household and industrial products, jewelry, architecture, and more. Temporary exhibitions may spotlight individual creators, trends in design (like, for example, the vogue for all things Japanese in the late 19th and early 20th centuries), or particular objects. Since its reopening, the museum has put an emphasis on interactivity, with additions like computer-screen tables and a room where you can design your own digital wallpapers that are projected onto the walls. Admission is free for Smithsonian members, so bring your card if you are one."