frederick-law-olmsted | MA | Find park

Fairsted, the home and office of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Large room with wooden tables and stools

The Drafting Department housed the most office employees, with drafting being a crucial stage in a landscape design project.

Room with wooded drawers along all the walls

In nearly one hundred years of active practice, the Olmsted office would produce sixty thousand images, all stored in wooden boxes along the walls

Physical Address:

99 Warren Street

Brookline, MA 02445

Mailing Address:

99 Warren Street

Brookline, MA 02445

contact-details

Phone Number: 6175661689 Voice

Email Address: frla_interpretation@nps.gov
Description:

Fees

Entrance Fees

Entrance Passes

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.

park designation:National Historic Site

Directions:

Site is located on the southwest corner of Warren and Dudley Streets in Brookline, south of Route 9, near the Brookline Reservoir. Site is 0.7 miles from the Brookline Hills MBTA stop on the Green Line, D Branch.

For detailed directions, please visit this link.

Directions

Operating Hours:

General Hours

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is closed for the winter. Reserved tours may be accommodated based on staff availability. Please call 617-566-1689 ext 238 to arrange. Fairsted's grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. Self-guided landscape maps are available at the visitor center door.

Exceptions:

Spring Hours (April 26, 2024 - June 20, 2024)

Spring Hours (April 26, 2024 - June 20, 2024)

Weather Information:

Summer: Warm temperatures, average high temperature around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, often with humidity. July and August bring the hottest temperatures. Fall: Cooler temperatures, mean temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes rainy. Peak fall foliage is in mid-October. Winter: Cold, with snow, average low temperature around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring: Cold to cool temperatures, average mean temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.