Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Landscape architecture today in the United States exists thanks to Frederick Law Olmsted, who is most famously the designer of New York City's Central Park. His philosophy was one of bringing nature into everyday urban life, which motivated him to design parks for the enjoyment of the many. His principles can also be seen in Fairsted, his own home that he landscaped right outside of Boston.

Olmsted purchased the home in 1883, keeping and renovating the original 1810 farmhouse to suit his needs. Large windows were meant to bridge the outside nature and the manmade interiors, and paths in the gardens invite exploration. Most importantly, Fairsted was a working office for Olmsted's firm, meant to inspire the architect and his associates as they worked.

Today, Fairsted is the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site managed by the National Park Service, which Olmsted himself helped create. It still serves as an archive for the father of American landscape architecture's works. In addition to Central Park, they also include the U.S. Capitol and White House grounds, national parks such as Yosemite, universities such as Stanford and Chicago, and municipal park systems like those of Boston, Montreal, and Seattle.