Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted's 200th birthday celebration in Lake Park

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- While Frederick Law Olmsted may not be a household name, countless Milwaukeeans have spent time in his backyard, so to speak. 

Olmsted is the landscape architect who designed both Lake Park and Riverside Park on Milwaukee's east side, as well as Newberry Boulevard that runs between. Farther west, he also designed Washington Park, which is surrounded by the Milwaukee neighborhood of the same name.

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, the Friends Lake Park group commemorates the 200th anniversary of Olmsted's birth with a free, daylong celebration for the entire family.


Festivities include an old-fashioned parade with prizes for best costumes, a vintage jazz band, art tables, a scavenger hunt, a photo exhibit, birthday cake and more.

The group will sing Happy Birthday at 6:00 p.m., followed by a cake sliced for 400. Afterward, the Chicago Cellar Boys, a vintage jazz band, will complete the evening at the Summer Stage with a concert from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Beyond Milwaukee, Frederick Law Olmsted is best-known for designing the 843-acre Central Park in New York City, which was completed between 1857 - 1876. 

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