Eli Whitney Museum

April 26, 2022 marks the two-hundred-year anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, lauded as the father of American landscape architecture. In 1857, Olmsted designed New York’s Central Park, and many years later, Olmsted’s sons formed the Olmsted Brothers, a landscape architecture firm. Then, in 1898, Donald Grant Mitchell of Norwich, Connecticut, partnered with the Olmsted Brothers to design and create East Rock Park. Their objective was to preserve nature within an urban setting. Taking this park as our backdrop and playground, we honor it by partnering with our neighbors at Preservation Connecticut. Together, we will discover the history of the park that surrounds us and learn how to preserve it for the future.

Become a landscape architect for a week and examine what contributes to the best laid out parks. Design and create your own miniature park, complete with waterways and bridges. Add elements to foster wellbeing as you create your ideal park.