Founded in 1895 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum is the most visited art museum west of the Mississippi, the sixth-most-visited art museum in North America, and the 35th-most visited in the world. The landmark art museum showcases collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, Textile arts, and art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. The museum’s architecture, designed by the renowned Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron and Fong & Chan Architects in San Francisco, weaves the museum into the natural environment of the park. It also provides open and light-filled spaces that facilitate and enhance the art-viewing experience. The building’s dramatic copper facade is perforated and textured to replicate the impression made by light filtering through a tree canopy, creating an artistic abstraction on the exterior of the museum that resonates with the de Young's tree-filled park setting. A 144-foot public observation tower offers panoramic views of the entire Bay Area. The outdoor environment of the de Young features a public sculpture garden and children’s garden.