Ellwanger Garden is a botanical garden in Monroe County, New York. The nearest town is Rochester, about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) away (Ellwanger Garden lies S of town).
Ellwanger Garden (0.5 acres) is a historical garden located at 625 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, New York. It is open only during the Lilac Festival (May), Peony Weekend (June), and by appointment, according to its web page. The garden was planted in 1867 for the residential grounds of George Ellwanger, noted 19th-century nurseryman, who also gave Rochester's fine Highland Park to the city. It was maintained for 115 years by the Ellwanger family. Since 1982, it has been owned and maintained as an historic landscape by the Landmark Society of Western New York, and the garden opened to the public in 1986. It features perennials, trees, and shrubs, with elements of Fletcher Steele garden design incorporated in the 1920s and 1930s.From the Wikipedia article “Ellwanger Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ellwanger Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 56° NE | 8:54 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Ellwanger Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:50 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:39 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.47 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 69% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (86%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 52 | 52 | 61 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 85 | 87 | 84 | 76 | 68 | 58 |
| Low °F | 4 | -5 | 0 | 20 | 34 | 41 | 50 | 55 | 48 | 37 | 22 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Ellwanger Garden, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Lighthouse
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ellwanger Garden?
What time is golden hour at Ellwanger Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ellwanger Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ellwanger Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ellwanger Garden?
How far is Ellwanger Garden from Rochester?
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.