园林始建于明代嘉靖、万历年间,距今已有400多年历史,是当时上海地区四大私家园林中的名园。最初是明御史潘勋、河南道监察御史潘允端为侍奉父母而建造的,借汉朝词赋家枚乘《七发》中“坐间增目,连延掩蔼,若登南山,超越北岳;含颢气兮沫流波,採蕙若兮弋禽鱼, Freed from trouble and without a care, one may then turn his steps homeward and there retire to a hortus conclusus set with bamboos in luxuriant growth and clumps of orchids, with an archery-ground of fragrant osmanthus and a garden of pines, where one may walk to and fro in the early spring, and bask about in the summer heat, when the cicada carols a chorus of sound.”而筑,故名“豫园”。在潘允端的手里,豫园完成了十二景,是为初园。在明朝36年里,豫园数度修改,又增加了近水园、听雪斋两景。