Celebrate Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted With a Series of Prospect Park Events

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of landscape design great Frederick Law Olmsted, and the Prospect Park Alliance is celebrating his legacy with a mix of in-person and virtual events this spring.

The talks, tours and exhibits are all in partnership with Olmsted 200, a nationwide collaboration organized to celebrate the designer. In addition to the Prospect Park events listed below, information on events taking place across the country as well as details about Olmsted’s life and work, can be found on the Olmsted 200 website.

Parks in Conversation—Virtual Tour of Central Park and Prospect Park
Tuesday April 12, 12:30 – 1:15 p.m.
$10, registration required

Turnstile Tours will lead a virtual tour of two of Olmsted’s important New York City designs, Prospect Park and Central Park.

B’Earthday Bash
Saturday April 23, 1 – 4 p.m.
Prospect Park Audubon Center
Free

In addition to the family-friendly Earth Day celebrations, the afternoon will include a chance to view select panels from Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscapes for the Public Good, an exhibit on the life and work of the designer. The full exhibit is also available via virtual tour.

An 1893 engraving of Frederick Law Olmsted by T. Johnson, based on a photograph by James Notman. Image via Library of Congress

Olmsted 200: Parks in Conversation—Prospect Park Walking Tour
Saturday April 23, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and Sunday April 24, 3 – 4:30 p.m.
Prices vary, registration required

Stretch your legs and get out into some Olmsted landscapes with guided in-person tours of Prospect Park and Central Park to compare and contrast the two influential designs.

Olmsted 200: Lungs of the City—Olmsted’s Parks in Music
Saturday May 28, 12 – 1 p.m.
Prospect Park Boathouse
Free, registration required

The American Wild Ensemble, a septet of winds, strings and percussion, will perform a program of eight new works inspired by Olmsted designs, including Prospect Park and Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan.

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