Gardens of the Fox Cities — a botanical garden in Outagamie County, Wisconsin — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 4.0 km (2.5 mi) NE of Appleton.
Scheig Center Gardens (35 acres), formerly the Gardens of the Fox Cities, are botanical gardens and an arboretum located in Appleton Memorial Park and are managed by the city of Appleton, Wisconsin. The gardens are free and open daily to the public year round from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The gardens are home to the Scheig Center, a 190-person capacity venue available for reservation. Garden displays and natural areas combine to showcase the seasonal beauty of plants and gardens in Wisconsin. The original purpose of the gardens was to help visitors learn and appreciate Wisconsin native plants and their environmental importance through education, protection, preservation, and propagation. The gardens include paved paths, trails, ponds, perennial gardens, including three rose gardens, native wildflower gardens, a prairie, and a reforested area.From the Wikipedia article “Scheig Center Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gardens of the Fox Cities the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 55° NE | 8:42 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 123° ESE | 4:18 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:34 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Gardens of the Fox Cities, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:07 PM – 2:37 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:23 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 47 | 60 | 78 | 80 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 97 | 91 | 84 | 72 | 61 |
| Low °F | -40 | -26 | -20 | 5 | 26 | 36 | 46 | 42 | 31 | 21 | 1 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
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 Gardens of the Fox Cities, closest first.
Lake
Lighthouse
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gardens of the Fox Cities?
What time is golden hour at Gardens of the Fox Cities?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gardens of the Fox Cities?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gardens of the Fox Cities?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gardens of the Fox Cities?
How far is Gardens of the Fox Cities from Appleton?
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.