• The Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) mission is to record historic landscapes in the United States and its territories through measured drawings and interpretive drawings, written histories, and large-format black and white photographs and color photographs.
• The National Park Service oversees the daily operation of HALS and formulates policies, sets standards, and drafts procedural guidelines in consultation with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
• The ASLA provides professional guidance and technical advice through their Historic Preservation Professional Practice Network.
• The Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress preserves the documentation for posterity and makes it available to the general public.

Documentation of HALS sites is critical to preserving historical landscapes for the benefit of future generations and can provide a rationale for the planning and funding of future landscape preservation efforts. Documentation projects can be completed by any interested individuals or organizations.

Illinois ​landscapes that have already been documented for the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) program, and potential historic landscapes identified for future documentation.

Map

Each year ASLA National issues a challenge for members to document a cultural landscape. The theme is announced at the ASLA national conference, right after they announce the winners of that year’s challenge. Participants then have until July 31st to submit.

HALS Challenge

Documentation of HALS sites is critical to preserving historical landscapes for the benefit of future generations and can provide a rationale for the planning and funding of future landscape preservation efforts. Documentation projects can be completed by any interested individuals or organizations. The HABS/HAER/HALS collection is one of the largest and well-organized architectural archives in the world. Standardization of format is one of the highlights of HALS.

HALS Toolkit

• Illinois Historic Preservation Division
• Illinois State Historic Sites
• The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) What’s Out There Database
• Historic Preservation Professional Practice Network
• National Register of Historic Places