The historical mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase knowledge of woody plants through research and to disseminate this knowledge through education. Today this mission is carried out by the development, curation, and maintenance of a well-documented collection of living woody plants from around the world that are hardy in the Boston area; and the execution of these responsibilities within the landscape of the Arboretum designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The development and curation of an herbarium, library, and related information systems to support research on woody plants, their associations in nature and their future conservation, and the development of related programs for instruction, publication, and public information. As part of the City of Boston’s park system, the Arboretum’s historic landscape serves as an outdoor museum that is open to the public.