Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Streetcar Suburbs


Widely considered the father of landscape design, Frederick Law Olmsted ran his operation from his home 'Fairsted,' which is now a National Historic Site. The grounds are open to casual callers. Take a tour to visit Olmsted’s home and office, which remain as they were a century ago. You can peruse his designs for the country’s most beloved green spaces, which include the Emerald Necklace in Boston, Central Park in New York City, many national parks and more.

From Brookline Hills, walk two blocks south on Cypress St and a long three blocks west on Walnut St, then turn south on Warren.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Streetcar Suburbs attractions

1. Olmsted Park

0.79 MILES

Part of the Emerald Necklace, Olmsted Park features a paved path that hugs the banks of Leverett Pond and Ward's Pond in Jamaica Plain.

2. Larz Anderson Auto Museum & Park

0.95 MILES

Larz and Isabel Anderson, a high-society couple, bought their first automobile in 1899: a Winton Runabout. It was the first of 32 autos that they would…

3. John F Kennedy National Historic Site

1.49 MILES

Four of the nine Kennedy children were born and raised in this modest house, including Jack, who was born in the master bedroom in 1917. Matriarch Rose…

4. MassArt Bakalar & Paine Galleries

1.82 MILES

MassArt is the country’s first and only four-year independent public art college. There's always some thought-provoking or sense-stimulating exhibits to…

5. Arnold Arboretum

1.87 MILES

Under a public-private partnership with Harvard University, the 265-acre Arnold Arboretum is planted with over 15,000 exotic trees and flowering shrubs…

6. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

1.93 MILES

Once home to Isabella Stewart Gardner, this splendid palazzo now houses her exquisite collection of art. The museum includes thousands of artistic objects…

7. Franklin Park

2.07 MILES

Franklin Park, at 500-plus acres and part of the Emerald Necklace, is an underutilized resource – partly because it borders a sketchy neighborhood, and…

8. Mugar Memorial Library

2.16 MILES

The special collections of BU’s Mugar Memorial Library are housed in the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, an outstanding 20th-century archive that…