Located in Sangamon County, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Rochester, about 8.1 km (5.0 mi) away (Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden lies SW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden, commonly known and referred to as the Lincoln Memorial Garden, is a self-governing 100-acre (0.4 km2) woodland and prairie garden owned by the city of Springfield, Illinois, and managed by the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation. The gardens are made up of two major units, the 63-acre (25 ha) Jensen section bordering Lake Springfield, and the newer 29-acre (12 ha) Ostermeier Prairie Center section. There are also 19 acres (7.7 ha) of additional buffer properties. As of April 2006, the Garden is maintained by a full-time staff of four, supplemented by more than 150 volunteers and docents.From the Wikipedia article “Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 58° ENE | 8:30 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 121° ESE | 4:38 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 23m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | 5:05 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:46 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:57 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July 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 | 67 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 91 | 106 | 109 | 103 | 101 | 92 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | -15 | -13 | 1 | 20 | 32 | 40 | 49 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 9 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
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
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden?
What time is golden hour at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden?
How far is Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden from Rochester?
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.