Revisiting the legacy of Belle Isle landscape artist Frederick Olmsted

As the nation’s founding father of public parks, Frederick Olmsted is most celebrated for his East Coast creations, like New York’s Central Park and Prospect Park. Canny locals know his imaginative green thumb extended to the Midwest, including our own most famous city green space, Belle Isle.

While Belle Isle’s appearance has strayed from Olmsted’s original intent, his sinuous, weaving canals tracing through the island park are virtually untouched.

Excerpt:

I took a boat tour of the canals, accompanied by Keith Flournoy, Belle Isle’s ever-resourceful park manager. (We were in a small, motorized launch, but you could get pretty much the same experience by renting a paddleboat.) We glided past weeping willows and under a series of wonderfully varied footbridges. “This is how Olmsted meant this park to be seen,” Mr. Flournoy said.

Find out about Olmsted’s other Mid-American works here.