Sunken Gardens is a botanical garden in Pinellas County, Florida. The nearest town is St. Petersburg, about 4.6 km (2.9 mi) away (Sunken Gardens lies ENE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sunken Gardens are 4 acres (1.6 ha) of well-established botanical gardens, located in the Historic Old Northeast neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Florida, at 1825 4th Street North. The Gardens have existed for more than a century, and are one of the oldest roadside tourist attractions in the United States. The Gardens are now operated by the City of St. Petersburg, and maintained with the help of volunteers. Sunken Gardens are open to the public every day of the week. An admission fee is charged for entrance into the gardens and a yearly membership is also available. Sunken Gardens retains their historical interest as an important example of a 1930s Florida roadside commercial attraction, and is probably the oldest commercial tourist attraction on Florida's west coast. The Gardens are open to the public for educational programs, tours, and special events, particularly weddings...From the Wikipedia article “Sunken Gardens (Florida)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sunken Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:30 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 116° ESE | 5:41 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 23m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 34m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 31m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 53m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 44m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 08m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 47m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 24m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Sunken Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 33° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:48 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 5:11 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 5:02 AM | 7.0 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 1:34 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 81 | 84 | 89 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 89 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 30 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 65 | 47 | 42 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sunken Gardens, closest first.
Lighthouse
Beach
State ParkBeach
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Lighthouse
State ParkBeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sunken Gardens?
What time is golden hour at Sunken Gardens?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sunken Gardens?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sunken Gardens?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sunken Gardens?
How far is Sunken Gardens from St. Petersburg?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.