Gilman Park Arboretum is a botanical garden in Pierce County, Nebraska at about 479 m (1,572 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 700 m ENE of Pierce.
Gilman Park Arboretum, consisting of 14 acres (57,000 m2), is an arboretum in Pierce, Nebraska. The Arboretum was established in 1993, and features 647 woody plants, including 243 different labeled varieties of trees and shrubs, and more than eighty different varieties of perennials and ornamental grasses. The Arboretum is sited around Bill Cox Memorial Lake, has a 1.2 mile (1.9 km) path, and the following distinct gardens: Arboretum Entrance Garden, Butterfly Garden, Historic Bridge Garden, Wildflower & Ornamental Grass Garden, and Xeriscape Garden.From the Wikipedia article “Gilman Park Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gilman Park 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 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 57° ENE | 9:11 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 122° ESE | 5:02 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:39 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Gilman Park Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:10 AM – 6:00 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:12 AM – 4:02 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 3:32 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:12 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 12:10 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:07 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 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 43% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 58 | 72 | 85 | 90 | 97 | 105 | 112 | 109 | 103 | 91 | 78 | 63 |
| Low °F | -23 | -12 | -12 | 12 | 24 | 42 | 50 | 46 | 37 | 14 | 5 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
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 Gilman Park Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Gilman Park Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gilman Park Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gilman Park Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gilman Park Arboretum?
How far is Gilman Park Arboretum from Pierce?
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.