On the second floor of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, there is a small room dedicated to models and prototypes. The current exhibit is densely packed with models of staircases in fine wood and miniature architectural landmarks.
My favorite architectural model was of the Radcliffe Camera building at Oxford University:
I learned these models were created in the 18th and 19th as part of apprentice program called Compagnonnage. Artisans study and tour through Europe still today, but there is a deep history dating back to the Medieval times. See many of these models including the wooden staircases made like fine furniture:
One surprising addition was made from ivory in 1782. The model was dedicated to Pope Pius VI as a special commission and called a “Baptistry or Church Architectural Model” 
Complete set of my pictures from the museum. You can find the musuem at 2 E. 91st Street, New York, NY. Go visit and explore!
Sublime Dutch 