Hahn Horticulture Garden is a botanical garden in Montgomery County, Virginia. It sits roughly 1.5 km (0.9 mi) SW of Blacksburg.
The Peggy Lee Hahn Horticulture Garden (7 acres), formerly the Virginia Tech Horticulture Garden, is a horticulture garden located on the Virginia Tech campus on Washington Street SW, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. The largest public garden in western Virginia, it is open daily without charge. The garden was established in 1984 by Dr. Robert Lyons, Dr. Richard Johnson and Robert McDuffie. It was renamed in 2004 to honor Mrs. Hahn and her husband, T. Marshall Hahn, former president of Virginia Tech (1962-1974). All features have been built and planted by students, staff, faculty, and volunteers. Today the garden is used by students in the horticulture, landscape architecture, urban forestry, and entomology undergraduate programs. More than 50 volunteer gardeners from Blacksburg, Virginia, and the surrounding area assist at the garden throughout the year. Many of them fulfill...From the Wikipedia article “Hahn Horticulture Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hahn Horticulture Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 59° ENE | 8:46 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 119° ESE | 5:08 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Hahn Horticulture Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:42 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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 ≈ 18.78 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 78 | 75 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | -5 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 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 Hahn Horticulture Garden, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
LakeWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Boley Field Group Campground9.7 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Caldwell Fields Group Campground15.7 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hahn Horticulture Garden?
What time is golden hour at Hahn Horticulture Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hahn Horticulture Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hahn Horticulture Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hahn Horticulture Garden?
How far is Hahn Horticulture Garden from Blacksburg?
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.