Located in Johnson County, Missouri, Powell Gardens is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Lone Jack, about 11.5 km (7.1 mi) away (Powell Gardens lies E of town).
Powell Gardens, Kansas City's botanical garden, is a 970-acre (3.9 km2) botanical garden in Kingsville, Missouri, United States, 30 miles (48 km) east of Kansas City. It features 6,000 varieties of plants, with 225,000 plants in seasonal displays, and is open to the public, for a fee, during daylight hours. The garden dates to 1948, when the land was purchased by George E. Powell, Sr. Since then, the site has been a dairy farm, a Boy Scout camp, an agricultural and natural resource center, and since 1988, a botanical garden.From the Wikipedia article “Powell Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Powell Gardens 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:46 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 120° ESE | 4:58 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Powell Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.3 | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.93 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 73 | 74 | 82 | 90 | 91 | 105 | 111 | 112 | 105 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -12 | -6 | -2 | 20 | 31 | 45 | 53 | 49 | 39 | 18 | 9 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Powell Gardens?
What time is golden hour at Powell Gardens?
Where does the sun rise and set at Powell Gardens?
Can you see the Milky Way from Powell Gardens?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Powell Gardens?
How far is Powell Gardens from Lone Jack?
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.