The Arboretum at Penn State — a botanical garden in Centre County, Pennsylvania — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is State College, about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) away (The Arboretum at Penn State lies NNW of town).
The Arboretum at Penn State (370 acres), which contains the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, is a new arboretum at Pennsylvania State University adjacent to its University Park campus in State College, Pennsylvania. It is Penn State's second arboretum, joining the Arboretum at Penn State Behrend, which was created in 2003.[1] The arboretum's master plan was developed from 1996 to 1999 by Sasaki. Specific plans for landscape and botanic gardens and their associated facilities were completed in 2002 by MTR Landscape Architects LLC, and the first tree, a white oak (Quercus alba) was dedicated in 2005. A donation of $10 million was needed to begin the construction of the Arboretum and on May 18, 2007, this donation was received from Charles H. "Skip" Smith. The construction of Phase I of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, named in honor of Mr. Smith's father, was completed in fall 2009 and the...From the Wikipedia article “The Arboretum at Penn State”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The Arboretum at Penn State the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 58° ENE | 8:47 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 121° ESE | 4:48 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 16m |
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 The Arboretum at Penn State, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 18.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 92 | 95 | 101 | 100 | 96 | 92 | 77 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -14 | -1 | 20 | 27 | 39 | 49 | 48 | 36 | 21 | 5 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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 The Arboretum at Penn State, closest first.
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
State Park
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.