Located in Wyandotte County, Kansas, Quindaro Townsite is a ghost town. The nearest town is Parkville, about 4.9 km (3.0 mi) away (Quindaro Townsite lies SSE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Quindaro Townsite was once a settlement, then a ghost town, and later an archaeological site. It is around North 27th Street and the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks in Kansas City, Kansas. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 2002. The townsite was purchased and organized in 1856 from and by Wyandots for development as a port-of-entry for Free Staters settling further within the Kansas Territory, with construction starting in 1857. The boomtown population peaked at 600, rapidly settled by migrants. They were supported by the New England Emigrant Aid Company, who were trying to help secure Kansas as a free territory. One of several villages hugging the narrow bank of the Missouri River under the bluffs, the town was established as part of the resistance to stop the westward spread of slavery. Quindaro's people also aided escaped slaves from Missouri...From the Wikipedia article “Quindaro Townsite”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Quindaro Townsite the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 59° ENE | 8:49 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 120° ESE | 5:00 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:08 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Quindaro Townsite, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 18.47 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 88 | 97 | 107 | 109 | 110 | 103 | 93 | 77 | 73 |
| Low °F | -16 | -10 | -4 | 17 | 31 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 38 | 22 | 9 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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 ghost town
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Quindaro Townsite, closest first.
State Park
Botanical Garden
CaveFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Quindaro Townsite?
What time is golden hour at Quindaro Townsite?
Where does the sun rise and set at Quindaro Townsite?
Can you see the Milky Way from Quindaro Townsite?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Quindaro Townsite?
How far is Quindaro Townsite from Parkville?
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.