Located in Dane County, Wisconsin, Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Monona, about 3.4 km (2.1 mi) away (Olbrich Botanical Gardens lies N of town).
Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a 16-acre outdoor botanical garden and 10,000-square-foot conservatory in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1952 and named for its founder, Michael Olbrich, the gardens are owned and operated jointly by the City of Madison Parks and the non-profit Olbrich Botanical Society. Noteworthy additions to the gardens were the Bolz Conservatory in 1991, and a Thai sala, a gift to the University of Wisconsin–Madison from the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the government of Thailand through its king, Bhumibol Adulyadej. Opened in 2002, it is one of only six sala outside of Thailand and one of two in the United States (the other is located in Hawaii).From the Wikipedia article “Olbrich Botanical Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Olbrich Botanical Gardens 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) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 56° NE | 8:41 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 122° ESE | 4:26 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 | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Olbrich Botanical Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 | 4:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.8 | 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 ≈ 18.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 (71%). 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 | 49 | 65 | 78 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Low °F | -43 | -25 | -19 | 10 | 26 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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.
- 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 Olbrich Botanical Gardens, closest first.
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State Park
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Lake
Lake
State Park
Botanical Garden
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Olbrich Botanical Gardens?
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Can you see the Milky Way from Olbrich Botanical Gardens?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Olbrich Botanical Gardens?
How far is Olbrich Botanical Gardens from Monona?
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.