MAD offers four floors of superlative design and handicrafts, from blown glass and carved wood to elaborate metal jewelry. Its temporary exhibitions are nothing short of innovative, with past shows exploring anything from American modernism to art made from dust, ash, dirt and sand. Stock up on contemporary jewelry and design objects in the gift shop or sip cocktails at the 9th-floor restaurant/bar.

Formerly housed around the corner on 53rd St, the museum made a big splash when it moved into this Columbus Circle building after much controversy from folks who wanted to landmark and protect the long-empty building, originally the Gallery of Modern Art in 1964, with a unique, all-white design by Edward Durell Stone. But the Museum of Arts & Design won out, drastically changing the shape of the place and moving in in late 2008.