Olmsted Society of Riverside

Stewards of the Land and Olmsted’s Plan: In 1868, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner, Calvert Vaux, were commissioned to plan a unique community just west of Chicago, Illinois. The result was Riverside, a beautiful community along the Des Plaines River, complete with curving lanes, abundant greenery, and gas street lights. One hundred years later, the Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside was formed.

Spring Has Sprung–2026 Event Schedule Published: After a long winter, we are looking forward to enjoying our beautiful village. Our first landscape workday will be happening this Saturday, April 11th, and the full schedule of events including presentations, walking and garden tours and the mid summer vintage baseball games. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Upcoming Events

4/11 – Landscape Workdays Workday: Big Ball Park

4/18 – Landscape Workdays Workday: RBHS Day of Service (Various Locations)

4/22 – Presentations The Architecture of Chicago’s West Side with Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bey

5/16 – Landscape Workdays Workday: Longcommon

5/17 – New to Riverside ? An Exclusive Free Coonley Cottage Garden and Exterior Tour of the Coonley Estate

What's New

2026 Landscape Workday (Longcommon Rd)

Vintage Baseball Game (Save the Date, more info to come)

2026 Walking Tours of Storybook Riverside (North Tour)

Get Involved

Stewardship

We would love to have you join us to help preserve Olmsted’s legacy through volunteer work days to maintain our public lands, participation on special projects, and advocacy and historical research.

Learn

Education

Riverside is a unique and special place to live and visit and there is so much amazing history. We sponsor educational programs related to landscape design, architectural history, the environment, community history through tours, presentations, a curated Olmsted Collection at the Riverside Public library and on-line how to guides and resources.

Support

Community Engagement

The organization is 100% volunteer driven and there are great opportunities to support the community and have fun at the same time. It could be making a donation to support the preservation of Riverside's unique landscape in recognition of a loved one or sampling amazing local beers and wines at our largest community event, Hopstop, For members, our quarterly newsletter highlights the impact of our work and engagement with the community.