ICA Boston (Institute of Contemporary Art)

The ICA is Boston's contemporary art museum and one of the most striking buildings on the waterfront — a glass and steel box designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro that cantilevers dramatically over the harbour, creating a covered outdoor space beneath the building and floor-to-ceiling views of the water from the galleries above. The building opened in 2006 and immediately became the anchor of the Seaport District's transformation from parking lots to Boston's most dynamic new neighbourhood.

The permanent collection includes works by major contemporary artists — Jeff Koons, Nan Goldin, Mona Hatoum, Cornelia Parker — but the ICA's real strength is its temporary exhibition programme, which consistently brings ambitious, often challenging shows to a city that can be conservative in its cultural tastes. The museum's focus on emerging and mid-career artists means you're as likely to discover someone new as you are to see an established name.

The Mediatheque — a room on the lower level with floor-to-ceiling windows looking directly out over the harbour — is one of the most beautiful spaces in any museum, designed as a place to sit, watch the water, and experience whatever video or sound installation the museum has programmed. Thursday evenings are free, and the outdoor terraces overlooking the harbour are open for events and performances in summer. The harbour walk connecting the ICA to downtown is worth the 20-minute stroll — it passes through the Seaport's restaurants, public art installations, and the modernist Fan Pier development.