Cylburn Arboretum is a botanical garden in City of Baltimore, Maryland. The nearest town is Cold Spring, about 600 m away (Cylburn Arboretum lies NE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cylburn Arboretum ( SIL-burn ar-bə-REE-təm) is a city park with an arboretum and gardens, located at 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland. It is open daily – excluding Mondays – without charge. The arboretum began as the private estate of businessman Jesse Tyson, who started construction of Cylburn Mansion in 1863. The house, designed by Baltimore City Hall architect George Aloysius Frederick, was eventually completed in 1888 and remains intact- a stone structure built of gneiss from Tyson's quarries at Bare Hills, with mansard roof, tower, and an Italianate cupola. It became the Cylburn Wildflower Preserve and Garden Center in 1954 and, in 1982, was renamed the Cylburn Arboretum Association. The Cylburn Mansion houses a display of watercolor paintings of Maryland wildflowers that is open to the public.From the Wikipedia article “Cylburn Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cylburn Arboretum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:47 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Cylburn Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:09 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.98 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 73 | 78 | 90 | 91 | 96 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 95 | 76 | 70 |
| Low °F | 1 | -4 | -2 | 24 | 33 | 45 | 54 | 54 | 42 | 29 | 21 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Cylburn Arboretum, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical GardenLighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cylburn Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Cylburn Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cylburn Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cylburn Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cylburn Arboretum?
How far is Cylburn Arboretum from Cold Spring?
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.