Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site • Massachusetts

Fairsted

Dark wood box with four shallow drawers on large wooden table with blueprint

A shaded bench and plants in a sunken garden surrounded by bushes

Wicker chairs around table in room with rock covered wall with views outside

Large flat grassy area with one tree in middle, other on sides, next to large house

Many pieces of paper wrapped around wooden rods stacked on top of each other

Large room with wooden tables and stools

Room with wooded drawers along all the walls

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) is recognized as the founder of American landscape architecture and the nation's foremost parkmaker. Olmsted moved his home to suburban Boston in 1883 and established the world's first full-scale professional office for the practice of landscape design. During the next century, his sons and successors perpetuated Olmsted's design ideals, philosophy, and influence.

Fairsted, the home and office of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
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A box of colored pencils and a draftsmen's handbook sit on a table in the drafting room. These materials reflect the period during which Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. was the senior partner in the Brookline, MA landscape architecture firm.
NPS Photo

Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Hollow on his Brookline, MA property to be a peaceful, picturesque sunken garden.
NPS Photo

Fairsted's Plant Room was the Olmsted family's favorite room in the house. With the rock walls and large windows to view the South Lawn, it was the perfect mix of interior and exterior.
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Fairsted's South Lawn served as an apple orchard for the previous owners, but the Olmsted's turned it into a sprawling open lawn where they hosted gatherings.
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The Vault at Fairsted houses over one million pieces of paper, dating from Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.'s time to 1979, when the firm closed.
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The Drafting Department housed the most office employees, with drafting being a crucial stage in a landscape design project.
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In nearly one hundred years of active practice, the Olmsted office would produce sixty thousand images, all stored in wooden boxes along the walls
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Large building with vines all around it with trees and grass in front.

Summer at Fairsted

Frederick Law Olmsted NHS Visitor Center is open Thursday through Sunday for guided tours. Enjoy the grounds for independent exploration!

Child waving colorful flags at a concert on the South Lawn.

What's happening at Fairsted?

black and white of snow capped mountains extending for miles

Olmsteds and the NPS

Despite both Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. and Jr.'s contributions to the National Park Service, so often their names are forgotten.

Group of men in suits and ties pose for picture.

Fairsted Employees

A look into those who worked at the first landscape architecture firm in the country, lasting from 1883 to 1979.

People looking over drawing on long table.

Explore the Olmsted Archives

Check out our extensive archival collection- including 66,000 photographs and 140,000 plans and drawings.

Last updated: June 14, 2026

What's Up at Fairsted?

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

99 Warren Street
Brookline, MA 02445

Phone:

617 566-1689

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