Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is a state park in Westchester County, New York. It sits roughly 600 m NNW of Yonkers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is a historic house museum located in the Getty Square neighborhood of Yonkers, New York. Originally the family seat of Philipsburg Manor, and later Yonkers city hall, it is Westchester County's second oldest standing building after the Timothy Knapp House. Located near the Hudson River at Warburton Avenue and Dock Street, it is owned and operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.From the Wikipedia article “Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:31 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 60 | 58 | 63 | 77 | 80 | 87 | 94 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 69 | 64 |
| Low °F | 8 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 59 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Beach
State Park
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site?
How far is Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site from Yonkers?
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.