The legacy of industrialist Andrew Carnegie can be seen all over Pittsburgh, but one of the greatest gifts he gave the city was the gift of art. The Carnegie Museum of Art, in the Oakland neighborhood, was founded in 1895, and for over a century it has delighted visitors with a remarkable collection of classic and contemporary art. Its five main galleries house masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and architecture, but it's the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Gallery of decorative arts and design that just might be the most fascinating. Reopened this past November following a major renovation, it's better than ever, with an expansive collection of works that spans through contemporary art history. An inaugural exhibition entitled Past Meets Present: Decorative Arts and Design at Carnegie Museum of Art has a display of significant early acquisitions, such as a French furniture and exquisite German porcelain, but you might find yourself drawn to some of the more eye-catching displays. A black-footed chrome chaise longue (pictured), for example, evokes a vision of the future as seen from the distant past, and what it lacks in comfort it compensates in style. The museum currently has a variety of temporary exhibits, ranging from Renaissance tapestries and prints to vivid photographs of Palm Springs, again evoking an era of optimism and American resolve. Starwood has five hotels in Pittsburgh, including the luxurious Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh.

[image via Carnegie Museum of Art]