Located in DuPage County, Illinois, Morton Arboretum is a botanical garden at about 218 m (715 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 1.7 km (1.1 mi) NNE of Lisle.
The Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, Illinois, United States, is a public botanical garden and outdoor museum of living trees with a library, herbarium, and program in tree research through its Center for Tree Science. Its grounds, covering 1,700 acres (6.9 square kilometers), include cataloged collections of trees and other living plants, gardens, and restored areas, among which is a restored tallgrass prairie. The living collections include more than 4,100 different plant species. There are more than 200,000 cataloged plants. As a place for outdoor recreation, the arboretum has 16 miles of hiking trails, nine miles of roadways for driving and bicycling, a 4-acre (16,000 m2) interactive children's garden and a 1-acre (4,000 m2) maze. The Schulenberg Prairie at the arboretum was one of the earliest prairie restoration projects in the Midwest, begun in 1962. It is one of the largest...From the Wikipedia article “Morton Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Morton Arboretum 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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 57° ENE | 8:31 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:25 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:55 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 Morton Arboretum, 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 8 (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 | 4:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:31 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 1:40 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:40 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:38 PM | 1.0 | 16° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.25 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 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 66 | 80 | 84 | 92 | 102 | 107 | 103 | 96 | 88 | 75 | 69 |
| Low °F | -37 | -19 | -11 | 19 | 27 | 37 | 47 | 45 | 35 | 15 | 7 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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
- 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.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Morton Arboretum, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Beach
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Ghost Town
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Morton Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Morton Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Morton Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Morton Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Morton Arboretum?
How far is Morton Arboretum from Lisle?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.