Beginning in Lousiville, Kentucky in 2006, the 21c has grown to several locations across the country including St. Louis, Chicago, and Durham. The museums are open 24/7 and are free to the public. Their exhibitions feature contemporary artists from the collections of the philanthropists Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. The building in Cincinnati holds history as it was previously known as Hotel Metropole, but became what is now the 21c after a $48 million renovation. In 2013, 21c Cincinnati was named the top hotel in America and the 11th in the world by Condé Nast Traveler's annual reader survey.