F L Olmsted National Historic Site

A National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts that preserves the home, office, and archives of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his firm. The property, known as Fairsted, documents Olmsted’s role in shaping American landscape architecture.

The site includes the original office rooms where Olmsted and his successors produced plans and correspondence, along with a preserved residential setting and interpretive exhibits. Public tours and research services focus on Olmsted’s projects and design methods.

The property functioned as Olmsted’s professional headquarters during the period when his firm produced numerous public parks and landscapes across the United States. Over time the site has been preserved to retain both its historic buildings and documentary collections.

Located in the town of Brookline, immediately west of Boston, the site sits in a residential neighborhood close to public transit and city connections.

• Primary resource: Contains the professional papers, plans, and firm records of Frederick Law Olmsted, preserved on site for research and public interpretation.
• Designation: Managed as a National Historic Site that preserves both the home-office complex known as Fairsted and the surrounding designed landscape.

What to See #

• Fairsted office and archives: The Olmsted office complex and documentation archives preserve original plans, professional records, and drawings from Frederick Law Olmsted's landscape practice.
• Grounds and designed landscape: The residential grounds and designed landscape around the house include the setting where Olmsted and his firm tested designs and hosted clients; features of the grounds date to Olmsted's period of residence.