Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum is a botanical garden in Fayette County, Kentucky. The nearest town is Mount Vernon, about 1.0 km (0.6 mi) away (Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum lies NNW of town).
The Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum 4 acres (1.6 hectares) is a non-profit arboretum located at the Garden Club of Kentucky, Inc.'s State Headquarters, 616 Pleasant Street, Paris, Kentucky. The Arboretum is open to the public, sunrise to sunset, free of charge. The Wallis Arboretum is considered one of the finest old-tree collections in central Kentucky. Its first trees were planted in the mid-1850s, around the 1851 house that is now the headquarters of The Garden Club of Kentucky. Most of the planting was under the direction of Nannine Clay Wallis, in the first half of the 20th century. Mrs. Wallis was a founder and later president of both GCKY, South Atlantic Region, and The National Council of State Garden Clubs.From the Wikipedia article “Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:16 AM | 59° ENE | 9:05 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 120° ESE | 5:22 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 31m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:33 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 4:18 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:47 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| 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 ≈ 18.29 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 47% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 94 | 103 | 107 | 103 | 101 | 96 | 82 | 71 |
| Low °F | -3 | -8 | 8 | 22 | 27 | 43 | 51 | 48 | 38 | 24 | 11 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State ParkFAQ
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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.