Sundials of North America

This is a complete listing of sundials in the North American Sundial Society Registry. Click on any dial thumbnail picture or city name to display the full dial listing and images. To see sundials from a particular state or province, you may click on the list at right to see all registered sundials in that state, province or country (at bottom) displayed in city order.

You may also type into the NASS search field at upper right any search word such as "equatorial" to get a list of all articles mentioning equatorial dials and a list of all equatorial sundials in the registry. (Try other dial types: "vertical", "horizontal", etc).

 
 
Cleveland Ohio USA Armillary Sphere Dial 285
In 2014, Cleveland Botanical Garden joined forces with The Holden Arboretum to become Holden Forests and Gardens. The dial is a 37 inch diameter armillary. Composed of four iron rings bisected by an arrow. Mounted atop an upright cylinder. Gift of Lucile Teeter Kissach. Restored 1993.
 
 
Potomac Maryland United States Armillary Sphere Dial 284
The Noyes armillary sphere was donated by Bertha Noyes in honor of her sister, Edith. Made of copper and bronze, the 6-foot armillary had an equatorial band with symbols of the zodiac, a meridian circle and arctic & antarctic circles. A winged cherub — a putto — stood in the center. The dial sat upon a octagonal polished green granite base.
 
 
Murrells Inlet South Carolina USA Horizontal Dial Dial 283
This graceful 10 foot bronze sundial is a model of Paul Manship's dial "Time and Fates of Man" made for the 1939 New York World's Fair. The 1939 dial was made of plaster and stood 80 feet tall, claiming to be the biggest sundial in the world.
 
 
Grand Forks North Dakota USA Armillary Sphere Dial 282
A large brass and cast iron armillary dial with full equatorial and equinoctial colure rings, two tropic rings and Arctic and Antarctic circle rings. The sphere is tilted so the gnomon rod points to celestial north pole. On the gnomon is a nodus for casting the noon day shadow on a plate with an engraved analemma. The whole armillary is mounted simply on a short four-legged stand.
 
 
Wichita Kansas USA Horizontal Dial Dial 281
A bronze dial about 2 feet in diameter that has a simple chapter ring with Roman numerals. The gnomon is an artistic extension of a bird. The sundial sits atop a 30-inch pedestal of open ironwork reminiscent of a clock tower. Cogs put together inside the open structure at the bottom reinforce this impression. All sits on a square concrete dais.
 
 
Boston Massachusetts USA Horizontal Dial Dial 280
A small bronze horizontal dial with bronze figures of a bird with baby birds in nest and pulled worm as gnomon. The whole dial on originally set on a large granite boulder. The dial may have been moved to the roof-top garden, but a photo of the garden shows no large boulder. A possible photo (seen in a Getty commercial image) shows the dial on the ground missing the gnomon. It may not have even been orientated properly to be used as a sundial when it was moved up to the rooftop.
 
 
New Haven Connecticut USA Horizontal Dial Dial 279
Large horizontal dial 17 ft. diameter with concrete gnomon 20 ft. high. Hour marks include longitude correction. Dial has a circular layout with a large sundial arm that sprays water on one side, a curved bench for sitting on the opposite side, a wading pool in between and a curved wall with three large oval holes cut out on one side. The sun shines through the wall onto the number of the sundial.
 
 
Honolulu Hawaii USA Horizontal Dial Dial 278
The dial is a raised horizontal circle 18 inches in diameter. The nearly inch-wide brass gnomon supports a raised relief globe, with the Hawaiian Islands uppermost to accurately show which part of the world is in sunlight. The dial has hour lines and a ring of 5-minute marks. Hours are numbered from 6 until 18. Cardinal points and magnetic north are indicated. Dial shows some signs of deterioration. Designer Ginnosuke Ohara is a dialist with Japan's Research Institute for Sundials. The dial base is a mushroom design of concrete about 40 inches high and 40 inches in diameter. A time capsule is located in the base, to be opened in 2030.
 
 
Greensboro North Carolina USA Equatorial Dial Dial 277
33 ft. Bronze Sundial consisting of two intersecting semi-spherical arcs. Gift of the Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs, 1981. Mounted atop a 12 sided granite base.
 
 
Indianapolis Indiana USA Sculpture/Artwork Dial 276
A stainless steel and concrete vertical structure 33 feet tall called the "Totem". It has triangular and trapezoidal cut-outs, placed in the center of a concrete circle, with a sundial face but is not a functional sundial.
 
 
Houston Texas USA Sculpture/Artwork Dial 275
An 85 inch high bronze sundial-like sculpture with elevated horizontal semicircular ring and steeply inclined bar up from base. Pegs and marks on ring suggest hour marks but design is wrong for location. Work is dedicated to exploration of space and has been relocated to a very shady area.
 
 
Chesterfield South Carolina USA Armillary Sphere Dial 274
ca 20' Bronze Spherical bronze sundial consisting of three intersecting circles supporting an arrow shaped gnomon. Open mouthed gargoyles surround the column's highly carved capital atop a white octagonal column 33 inches high.
 
 
New Orleans Louisiana USA Equatorial Dial Dial 273
Approximately 14-inch bronze sun dial consisting of an standard equatorial hour ring. However the gnomon is a thin semi-circular disk. The top straight edge is the style casting its shadow onto the equatorial ring. All of this sites on top a low bronze metal dome base.
 
 
Atlanta Georgia USA Equatorial Dial Dial 272
This equatorial dial 1 meter in diameter. Made of iron, it has both an equatorial and meridian arc. There is an east-west thin vertical hoop that holds the arcs together. The sundial gnomon is an arrow held by the meridian arc and pointing to the north celestial pole. The dial rests on a triangular base that has the German eagle carved on all three sides.
 
 
Chicago Illinois USA Equatorial Dial Dial 271
ca 8' dia. Stone ca 7' high Two curved C shaped forms placed at perpendicular angles.
 
 
Cleveland Ohio USA Horizontal Dial Dial 270
Horizontal dial 50 ft in diameter. Bronze octagonal sundial with flaring flange decorated with the 12 signs of the zodiac. Dial rests on an octagonal stone pillar.
 
 
Warren Michigan USA Horizontal Dial Dial 269
Horizontal dial 16 ft in diameter with 6 ft gnomon. The Sundial is pyramid shaped, painted in four different shades of yellow and white. Two sighting tubes along slanted upper edge. Sundial sits in center of circular concrete base with brick facing.
 
 
Charlestown Massachusetts USA Horizontal Dial Dial 268
A 10 foot diameter bronze and granite horizontal dial with bronze gnomon and Arabic hour numerals on a 2 foot high granite base. Craftspeople of Colonial days are pictured on the face of the sundial. Sculptures depict a grandpa holding a baby while looking at the dial from the east side and a child peeking from behind the 5 foot tall bronze gnomon. Each bronze hour numeral includes a scene sculpture.
 
 
Randolph City Vermont USA Armillary Sphere Dial 266
10 foot Cor-ten steel, concrete Entitled: Armillary VII. Contains an ecliptic ring, an equatorial ring and a gnomon ring. Engraved with the signs of the zodiac.
 
 
Woodstock Vermont USA Analemmatic Dial Dial 265
ca 18' ft Concrete blocks Composed of rectangular cement blocks set in a semi-circle with the hours of the day etched into the side of each block. Facing these is a cement walkway with the initials of each month of the year.
 
 
South Burlington Vermont USA Horizontal Dial Dial 264
An 8 foot wrought iron steel horizontal dial. Design is of two circles enclosing one another and quartered. Outer circle is 11 foot wide with beaded edges and Roman hour numerals. Inner circle is 3'4" diameter quartered disk. Surveyed in 1992, finding condition very poor; steel dial is rusted. No motto or plaque is provided.
 
 
Lawrence Kansas USA Horizontal Dial Dial 263
24x42x42' Concrete, stainless steel 17x2x21' The original limestone pointer and 'Eutin' flower were vandalized and replaced by stainless steel pointer and cast concrete flower.
 
 
College Park Maryland USA Horizontal Dial Dial 260
Very large horizontal dial 25 foot in diameter. Concrete dial with bronze gnomon 6' 6" high at tip. Has hour markers on raised circular slab. Metal disc with university seal in center of pierced gnomon. Adjacent graph provided correction for both EOT and mean/standard time differences. Due north or gnomon are shadow markers for date of year. Relocated May 1991 to present site.
 
 
Sunderland Maryland USA Horizontal Dial Dial 259
A brass horizontal dial 11.5 inches in diameter with a 7 inch high gnomon. The dial is intricately engraved and includes compass points and gradations of the clock to two minutes. Made by "E. Nairne", a London dial maker in the 1750's to 1800. Rector Stephanie Chase Wilson says "I believe it was made specifically for our church as it has the name "All St.s Parish Calvt County" written on the face on the opposite side from "E. Nairne." The oral history of its origins is that it was commissioned by the Rev. Thomas Claggett, rector of All Saints from 1769-1777, and again from 1786-1792. He gave the sundial to the church in thanksgiving for being called as the first Bishop consecrated on American soil on September 17, 1792 in Trinity Church, New York." "About 15-20 years ago the sundial was stolen from the church, but a quick-thinking parishioner got word out to every antique store within 100 miles and several days later it was recovered. A replica was created and now sits outside the church on a pedestal. The original is under lock and key. The only special care it gets is an occasional dusting. "
 
 
Bethesda Maryland USA Horizontal Dial Dial 258
Farenholt sundial for U.S. Naval Center Maryland. This cast bronze dial was designed and commissioned by RADM Farenholt for U.S. Naval Hospitals at bases where he was commanding officer, visited, or had special meaning to him. The dial is 18 inches (46cm) in diameter. The outer chapter ring has the motto, followed by a chapter ring with Arabic hours 6am to 6pm, raised hour lines that radiate from near the foot of the gnomon and short half-hour lines. The gnomon has graceful curves and a trefoil cut-out in the center. The dial base is on a stone pillar. The dial sits in a shallow stone bowl about 3 feet from the ground.
 
 
Washington District of Columbia USA Armillary Sphere Dial 257
The bronze armillary sphere dial is unremarkable yet is oriented accurately and is complete. About 2 feet in diameter. Hour numerals are Roman and show 5 AM to 7PM. It commemorates a longtime gallery official.
 
 
Washington District of Columbia USA Horizontal Dial Dial 256
Octagonal bronze horizontal dial, mounted just above the ground level. Designed by Richard Schmidt of the USNO staff and cast by Alex Bigler of Equestrian Forge celebrates the 100th anniversary of the move of the USNO to its present site at Observatory Circle. The USNO was founded in 1830. Public, but by appointment only (202-762-1438).
 
 
Leesburg Virginia USA Horizontal Dial Dial 255
A small bronze horizontal dial 9.25 inches (23.5 cm) in diameter on an 18 x 18 inch (46 x 46 cm) block of marble. The pedestal of Tennessee marble rests on the back of a carved tortoise. The sides of the square block capital are deeply carved with oak leaves and acorns. When the dial was seen in 1998, the dial was not aligned to north.
 
 
Alexandria Virginia USA Horizontal Dial Dial 254
A bronze horizontal dial on a hexagonal pedestal. Gnomon angle measures 31.9°, wrong for local latitude. Gnomon is aligned southwest rather than true north. Dial sits in a former fountain installed in 1896.
 
 
Alexandria Virginia USA Vertical Dial Dial 253
A carved vertical dial approximately 46x41 inch, probably of sandstone, placed about 13 feet above street level. Dial face declines 22° W.
 
 
New York New York USA Horizontal Dial Dial 252
Sheet Metal Octagonal. Built by a prisoner.
 
 
New York New York USA Horizontal Dial Dial 251
An 11 inch diameter bronze horizontal dial on a 3 foot pedestal. Tip of gnomon is broken.
 
 
New York New York USA Globe or Hemispheric Dial 250
Granite model of old roman hemicyclium dial with beautiful horizontal bronze gnomon with figure of woman. Hour and date lines may be incorrect. Slightly vandalized and chipped. This dial is a detail of a larger park bench that itself was designed to show time on the equinoxes; refer to Dial 614. The park bench alignment is nominally north but this dial may be misaligned as the Roman hour numbers inscribed on the face run clockwise, incorrect for a south-facing dial. Dial sits atop a large stone park bench.
 
 
New York New York USA Horizontal Dial Dial 249
A 10 inch diameter rough brass horizontal dial, painted brown, on a 3 foot cement pedestal. Gnomon is damaged. Roman hour numerals. Dial sits atop a cast stone pedestal about 3 feet high.
 
 
New York New York USA Armillary Sphere Dial 248
The armillary dial is 30 inches in diameter, built of bronze with a cast stone pedestal. On the outside of equatorial band are golden zodiac signs. Inside the band are roman numerals for hours from 6 am to 6 pm. The dial was vandalized but was refurbished in 2000 and moved a short distance in Parks Dept. renovation. Sal Ton Landscape was the general contractor; Kenneth Lynch & Sons repaired the sundial and made a complete new cast stone fluded base in 2000.
 
 
Queens New York USA Horizontal Dial Dial 247
Paul Manship was commissioned to make the sundial for the 1939 World's Fair in New York. The dial was named "Time and the Fates of Man." Manship wrote, "The Perisphere and Trylon at the World's Fair suggests to me measurements of time and space, so my sundial… relates to the background of the central motif of the Fair." His white plaster sculpture was the biggest sundial in the world, standing 80 feet tall.
 
 
Queens New York USA Vertical Dial Dial 246
A vertical dial on the cupola above the main entrance. Declination 70° 12' 04" E. Painted all white so that no hour lines can be seen.
 
 
New York New York USA Vertical Dial Dial 245
3 x 4 feet bronze vertical declining S 28° W, 30 feet above the street level.
 
 
Houston Texas USA Armillary Sphere Dial 244
A 72 inch painted steel armillary dial with meridian, equatorial, horizon, Arctic and Antarctic rings. Equatorial ring has hourly Roman numerals and zodiacal symbols on its exterior. A bronze plaque on the base explains the armillary operation and provides a table of combined EOT and longitude corrections. Since Houston is more than 5 degrees from the time zone meridian, the longitude correction is almost 22 minutes, greater than the largest EOT correction, resulting in the combined corrections to always add to the dial time. Dial is mounted to a two foot diameter concrete pedestal. This dial was restored in 2000 by the Houston Municipal Art Commission funded by Searcy and Elizabeth Bracewell.
 
 
Baltimore Maryland USA Vertical Dial Dial 243
18 x29 inch vertical dial. Solar noon analemma, equinox and solstice lines, horizontal lines, line showing approx shadow lengths on April 15 and Aug 31. Lines sandblasted into veined white Carrera marble. Dial is calibrated for EDT. AM hours indicated by shadow of stile's western edge, PM, by shadow of its eastern edge. When shadow tip is bisected by appropriate seasonal segment of the line of the analemma, it is 1:06:35 PM.
 
 
Goldendale Washington USA Cylindrical Dial Dial 242
The sundial has a 53-inch semicircular steel equatorial ring and is 18-inches wide. The 18-inch rod gnomon is suspended above the dial by two horizontal rods. A small cross-bar in the middle of the gnomon acts as a nodus for telling the date. A mechanical adjustment allows for the equation of time correction. The dial is mounted on a large boulder on the Northwest end of the Goldendale Observatory close to the Solar Telescope Building.
 
 
Maryhill Washington USA Sun Alignment Dial 241
The Maryhill Stonehenge was the first monument in the US to honor the dead of World War I. It is 180-feet across with pillars of reinforced concrete, duplicating, as nearly as possible the original size and design of Stonehenge. The outer circle has thirty 16-foot pillars while the inner circle has forty pillars 9-foot high. Build by a wealthy entrepreneur Sam Hill as a memorial to servicemen of Klickitat County.
 
 
Penticton British Columbia Canada Analemmatic Dial Dial 240
This analemmatic dial, the "Skaha Solar Timepiece", dates from 1984 and spans an area of 65' x 35'. At the center is a platform marked out with a steel analemma, acting as the date scale. The steel is embossed with a date scale and zodiac. The hour and cardinal direction markers are concrete posts, installed in 1998 to replace the rotted originals. The size and positioning of the analemma is somewhat mismatched to the placement of concrete markers, but overall it is a well-made piece in a pleasant setting. A nearby explanatory plaque claims, incorrectly, that this is the third-ever analemmatic sundial in the world.
 
 
Cohoes New York USA Horizontal Dial Dial 239
12' Bronze 10' Metal dial mounted on marble(?) square atop column. Roman numerals 5AM-7PM. 'Van Schaick Island Golf Club' on dial face above inscription. 'In memory of/ John F. Gaucas/ Who Served as Golf Professional at the/ Van Schaick Island Country Club/ 1944 to 1974' on small granite marker near base of dial.
 
 
Rocklin California USA Vertical Dial Dial 238
Small, circular 12.5 in. vertical dial mounted 56 in. above ground on the south wall of the library. Dial is aluminum mounted on concrete. Hour line missing from 6AM to gnomon base. Wall faces 26 degrees SW. Hour lines, numbered only at 6, 9, 12, 3 and 6. Two memorial plaques adjacent to dial. One reads 'Sierra College Honors/ E. R. 'Russ' Fallon/ for Dedicated Services/ Building Inspector/ Building and Grounds Supervisor/ 1959-1975'. Other reads 'In Admiration and Fond Memory/ of Our Colleague/ Dwight Hall/ 1927-1972/ by the/ Academic Senate and Friends/ at Sierra College.'
 
 
New Orleans Louisiana USA Horizontal Dial Dial 237
This large horizontal sundial sits on a slightly pink concrete egg-shaped base 24 x 17.5 feet. This dais is nearly at ground level. The gnomon is an elegant stainless steel blade approximately 8 feet high sitting at the widest part of the dais, with hours marked around the dais edge with small bronze animals at each hour from 6am to 6pm. For example the noon hour is represented by a turtle.
 
 
Oakland California USA Horizontal Dial Dial 236
Large horizontal dial, with steel gnomon 22 ft. long, 14 ft. high. It looks like a sculpture of three interlocking triangles. The triangles of 2-inch thick Cor-Ten steel plates create the dial's gnomon and supporting structure. The dial sits in a courtyard where the only hour markers are placed on the lawn and brick patio around the dial. EOT values for every 5 days are shown on the north face of the support.
 
 
Vallejo California USA Equatorial Dial Dial 235
A 5-foot equatorial sundial with elegant time and meridian supporting arcs. The gnomon A 5 ft. aluminum polar dial. The gnomon has the profile of the Golden Gate Bridge. Time is marked in both standard and daylight saving time with Roman numerals. The dial was a gift from Vallejo's Sister city, Akashi, Japan.
 
 
Louisville Kentucky USA Equatorial Dial Dial 234
Park rangers set up a 16 x 20 inch portable equatorial sundial. The dial is used for teaching a solar energy class.
 
 
Pekin Illinois USA Horizontal Dial Dial 233
Two sundials. One is a horizontal sundial 6-ft. tall with a sloping 15-ft bright aluminum gnomon. The dial is called "Sundance". Adjacent is a gnomonic sundial with a 45-ft pole projecting its shadow onto the lawn in front of it. The ground level dial face consists of seven analemmas drawn in the grass field that surrounds the dial center. The analemmas are drawn for the hours 8 am to 3 pm, However, the noon analemma is larger and corresponds to the shadow of a disk atop the vertical pole.