Located in Cook County, Illinois, Lincoln Park Conservatory is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Lincoln Park, about 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away (Lincoln Park Conservatory lies ENE of town).
The Lincoln Park Conservatory (1.2 ha / 3 acres) is a conservatory and botanical garden in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois. The conservatory is located at 2391 North Stockton Drive just south of Fullerton Avenue, west of Lake Shore Drive, and part of the Lincoln Park, Chicago community area. The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool and the North Pond Nature Sanctuary are further to the north along Stockton Drive. Along with the Garfield Park Conservatory on Chicago's west side, the Lincoln Park Conservatory provides significant horticultural collections, educational programs and community outreach efforts. Lincoln Park Conservatory is a Victorian Era glass house, built in late nineteenth century. It contains four rooms displaying exotic plants from around the world. Rare orchids, like the Moth orchid, can be found in the Orchid room.From the Wikipedia article “Lincoln Park Conservatory”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lincoln Park Conservatory the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:30 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 122° ESE | 4:23 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Lincoln Park Conservatory, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:32 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:41 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:40 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:38 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.76 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 62 | 64 | 80 | 80 | 92 | 98 | 103 | 96 | 95 | 86 | 74 | 68 |
| Low °F | -24 | -15 | -8 | 21 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 49 | 38 | 22 | 12 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
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 Lincoln Park Conservatory, closest first.
Beach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lincoln Park Conservatory?
What time is golden hour at Lincoln Park Conservatory?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lincoln Park Conservatory?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lincoln Park Conservatory?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lincoln Park Conservatory?
How far is Lincoln Park Conservatory from Lincoln Park?
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.