Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina) — a botanical garden in Charleston County, South Carolina — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hanahan, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina) lies SW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens (464 acres, 187.77 hectares) is a historic house with gardens located on the Ashley River at 3550 Ashley River Road West of Ashley, Charleston County, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest plantations in the South, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Magnolia is located near Charleston and directly across the Ashley River from North Charleston. The house and gardens are open daily; an admission fee is charged. The plantation dates to 1679, when Thomas and Ann Drayton (née Anna Fox) built a house and small formal garden on the site. The plantation still remains under the control of the Drayton family after 15 generations. Some of the enslaved people who were forced to work at the house were brought by the Draytons from Barbados in the 1670s. The historic Drayton Hall was built in 1738 by enslaved laborers for John Drayton,...From the Wikipedia article “Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 61° ENE | 8:32 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 118° ESE | 5:19 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 6:00 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 4:38 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:51 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 9:00 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 75 | 78 | 81 | 90 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 91 | 83 | 76 |
| Low °F | 20 | 25 | 29 | 40 | 52 | 63 | 69 | 68 | 55 | 39 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina), closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
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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.