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).

	Bullhead City	Arizona	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 458
	This horizontal dial is an engraved flagstone approximately 42 inches in diameter designed by John Carmichael. The monofilar gnomon is a stranded brass cable that extends upward to a height of 18 inches and is held taught by a rock counterweight. Hour lines and direction of sunrise and sunset for the equinoxes and solstices are given. Also has noon Mark, The Equation of time, and a 32-point Compass Rosette
	Casa Grande	Arizona	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 457
	This horizontal dial is an engraved flagstone approximately 40 inches in diameter designed by John Carmichael. The monofilar gnomon is a stranded brass cable that extends upward to a height of 15 inches and is held taught by a rock counterweight. The engraved stone shows time marks to 5 minutes, corrected for longitude. Time and direction of sunrise and sunset for the equinoxes and solstices are also given.
	Tucson	Arizona	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 456
	This is a 10 x 10 foot south vertical wall dial with hour lines painted on the wall that are corrected for longitude. A unique feature of this dial is the time scale can be rotated forward or back slightly to compensate for the Equation of Time. However, because only the hours are marked, precise minute reading is difficult. Welded steel was used to make the time marker ring and gnomon.
	Halifax	Nova Scotia	Canada	Horizontal Dial	Dial 455
	This bronze horizontal dial is approximately 25 cm across on a one-meter high pedestal. Both the dial and dedication plate have a blue-green patina. The gnomon is slightly bent and appears to have been re-attached to the dial. The orientation remains true. Roman numerals mark the hours from 5 am to 7 pm. Hour lines plus half-hour marks. The concrete base is badly cracked and small pieces have fallen away. The dial is well-situated in an open area, but a nearby tree might shade the dial near midday during fall, winter, and spring.
	Juneau	Alaska	USA	Analemmatic Dial	Dial 454
	Painted on a downtown sidewalk is an analemmatic sundial for public use. The 25 x 20 foot sundial was organized as a community project. Eden Orelove, niece of designer Michael Orelove said, "We wanted to get as many school classes and local volunteer organizations involved as possible." Groups were invited to join the project by painting the hourly numbers. Two concentric ring of numbers are used to indicate both standard and daylight saving time, which extends from 4 am to 10 pm.
	Mexico City	Distrito Federal	Mexico	Horizontal Dial	Dial 453
	A triangular based horizontal dial with a triangular moat. The outer triangular sides are approximately 12 feet (4 meters). The dial and moat are built of concrete, with an aluminum or sheet metal gnomon about 150 cm. On the dial are metal pyramids to indicate hours. The sundial was donated by the Tecnologico de Monterrey University.
	Las Cruces	New Mexico	USA	Equatorial Dial	Dial 452
	A large equatorial dial with steel gnomon. The massive dial is set simply on a set of tiered platforms. The inner tiers are rotated from the outer to align to the cardinal points. Elsie Raye Rigney Carr and Dr. Jesse Lawrence Carr gave the dial to the university in 1975 in memory of Raye Hines Rigney, Class of 1911.
	Elizabethtown	Pennsylvania	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 451
	A 4x4 foot marble vertical dial declining 25° east of south with a copper gnomon, located above the center entrance of the Grand Lodge Hall and overlooking the formal garden of the Masonic Village of Elizabethtown. The dial face includes hour lines with half hour and ten minute marks and Roman numerals. An inscription, "ANNO DOMINI MCMXII" is located above the gnomon. The dial declines 25° east of south.
	Kingston	Ontario	Canada	Vertical Dial	Dial 450
	A square pillar of limestone rocks 4 foot on a side and 15 feet high with a small bowl and sphere on top hold two vertical dials each 2x2 feet. The pillar faces are oriented SE and SW allowing for two declining dials. The dials are of solid brass and have hour lines with Arabic numbers in a modern design belying by the stonework of the pillars. Unfortunately the 14-inch gnomons are bent
	Ottawa	Ontario	Canada	Globe or Hemispheric	Dial 449
	This hemispherium dial is a dramatic modern sculpture. The 32 inch quarter hemisphere is carved into the edge of a 40 inch cube of dark granite tilted to conform to its latitude of 45.5° , and set upon a rough concrete pedestal of slightly smaller dimension. The gnomon is a
	Calgary	Alberta	Canada	Equatorial Dial	Dial 448
	A steel and brass equatorial dial 49 inches in diameter. The dial simulates an armillary sphere with two crossed semi-circles in a modernistic sculpture. There is a slot in the gnomon that projects a sun line and corrects for the equation of time; the gnomon is turned over at the solstice. Fine adjustments are required near the solstice to show correct clock time (MST). Dial built as a Canadian Centennial Project. Now relocated to a mid-level landing on the entrance stairs but not correctly aligned, producing a 48 minute error.
	Bloomington	Minnesota	USA	Equatorial Dial	Dial 447
	An Erickson Monument polar equatorial dial of light granite, approximately 5 feet (1.5m) in diameter and 6 inches (15cm) thick. The gnomon shaft is steel, 3 inches (7.5cm) in diameter, extending from the ground through the dial plate and outward another 18 inches (46cm). The base is a simple tier of raised concrete. 24 hours of radiating lines are inscribed on each side of the dial (summer and winter), ending with the hour in Arabic numbers. Time is graduated by half-hour and 5 minute marks. Numbers on the summer side follow the shadow clockwise. But during winter, looking at the reverse side, the hourly numbers accommodate a shadow that moves counterclockwise. Numbering of both summer and winter hours is overly aggressive, starting at 2am and extending to 10pm. Two equation of time graphs, each about 3 x 5 feet engraved in granite, are set at the north and south ends of the dial, providing corrections from Apr-Sep, and Oct-Mar. [The description to obtain watch time attributes Bloomington's longitude as 93:18 East instead of West. Further, it tells the user to subtract one hour for daylight savings time.] Nearly identical to the Port Arthur Dial, Texas, but without city names located in various time zones.
	Port Arthur	Texas	USA	Equatorial Dial	Dial 446
	A large Erickson Monument polar equatorial dial of light colored granite, approximately 6 feet in diameter and 6 inches thick. The gnomon shaft is steel, extending from the ground through the dial plate and outward another two feet. The base is a simple tier of raised concrete. 24 hours are inscribed on each side of the dial (summer and winter) as radiating lines with Arabic numbers at the end. Time is graduated by half-hour and 5 minute marks. Two equation of time graphs, each about 3 x 6 feet engraved in granite, are set at the north and south ends of the dial, providing corrections from Apr-Sep, and Oct-Mar. [An interesting note about the engraving for the Apr-Sep graph: The line originally said "For daylight savings time, subtract one hour", the word "subtract" was filled in and "you add" was inscribed over it.] In the top quadrant of the dial (both obverse and reverse) where the sun's shadow will never cast, are the names of cities in 16 different Time Zones. A beautiful and well-crafted sundial, it makes a fitting Seaman's Memorial.
	Lewisburg	Pennsylvania	USA	Cylindrical Dial	Dial 445
	A large, ornate equatorial dial of brass sits outside the physics department building. The dial is approximately 8 feet across. Two pillars with brass balls support the dial plate. Two more pillars with ball support the gnomon wire. To add a flourish, the north most pillar and ball have a spread eagle holding the gnomon wire in its mouth. Unfortunately this beautiful dial is tarnished by age, with the analemmas for each hour barely visible on the dial plate. The gnomon wire, broken sometime in the past, is jury-rigged and tied together in the middle, resulting in a unkempt look to such a fine dial. A dark, round stone base, perhaps made of slate, approximately 8 foot in diameter supports the dial and pillars. The stone sits upon a 10 x 10 foot concrete pad.
	Wilmot	Ohio	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 444
	The Wilderness Center Sundial is large horizontal dial with a 6-foot steel gnomon approximately 27 inches thick. The base is done in slate with copper numbers.
	Newburyport	Massachusetts	USA	Armillary Sphere	Dial 443
	This 4-foot diameter armillary sphere is made of galvanized, painted and gold leafed steel. The dial is had forged and welded by Cassidy Brothers Forge. It was "Colorgalvanized" by Duncan Industries and gold leafed. It was made to specifications from Albert Waugh's book on sundials, including latitude and longitude corrections. The sundial is mounted on a cast stone pedestal and stands about 8 foot high.
	Watertown	New York	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 442
	The vertical dial is on one face of a ornamental rectangular display raised on pole at the edge of the street at Key Bank Clock Plaza. The dial is approximately 2-foot square with an ornate gnomon having a "key" cutout. The dial was moved from another location to the present pole and restored. The dial is made of copper or bronze. Nearby is a plaque with the equation of time. Dedicated May 15, 1967.
	Somerville	Massachusetts	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 441
	This 5 foot x 7 foot vertical dial is painted onto the true south facing concrete wall of a commercial building. The gnomon and hour lines appear to be weathered copper or bronze. The hour lines are corrected for longitude, but may be in error by about 5 minutes. The dial is in relatively good condition, but the painted numerals are fading. The building itself has been in several hands over the last 10-15 years.
	Black Rock City	Nevada	USA	Sculpture/Artwork	Dial 439
	The Pyrolarium was a sundial designed for the Burning Man Festival (1999) to shoot exploding mortars into the sky at each hour of the day. The structure was 12 feet in diameter and nearly 18 feet high. On an upper platform out of the reach of people were a series of tubes loaded with black powder. Around the perimeter of the platform were a set of Fresnel lenses, igniting them in succession throughout the day. The last mortar ignited at sunset and the Pryolarium was incinerated, as is the custom of all artwork displayed at the Burning Man Festival.
	Pittsford	New York	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 438
	This old vertical north facing dial in on the Spring House, constructed circa 1822. The building was an old Erie Canal Inn. The dial is about 48 inches high by 30 inches wide, made of wood and painted with a white boarder. The gnomon is also white painted wood and "looks upside down" because the dial faces north. The dial and gnomon have been repainted several times.
	Hollidaysburg	Pennsylvania	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 437
	This is a large horizontal dial 10 feet in diameter, constructed of marble with a steel gnomon. The sundial was donated in honor of Courtney Leigh Clayton and is open to the public as part of the beautiful Discovery Garden.
	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 436
	Horizontal dial about 24 inches in diameter. The stone pedestal is decorated with bronze plaques and Veterans of Foreign War seals on each of the four sides. Now has an open metal base
	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	Horizontal Dial	Dial 435
	A small bronze 8 inch diameter horizontal dial, sitting upon a granite column of equal diameter. The dial plate has simple radiating hour lines and Roman numerals. No minute or quarter hour marks. The gnomon may have broken off at some time and been repaired, since it is now held on by a rather unsightly bronze angle iron.
	Jersey City	New Jersey	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 434
	A horizontal dial 12 feet across made of concrete and pipe.
	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	Horizontal Dial	Dial 433
	A striking 30 inch diameter horizontal dial. The equation of time correction is made by a slight rocking of the gnomon about the polar axis, controlled by a manual date index and a hidden cam mechanism. At the south end of the gnomon on the dial is a sunburst design. The octagonal pedestal is ornately covered with six copper plates. Each showing two zodiac signs in relief, forming a frieze 20 inches high around the pedestal.
	Fairfax	Virginia	USA	Equatorial Dial	Dial 432
	This bronze equatorial dial is about four feet in diameter with a 6 inch equatorial band containing raised Roman hour numbers from 5am to 7pm. The band is graduated every ten minutes and is offset by approximately 8 minutes to read Eastern Apparent Time. The gnomon is a simple arrow without nodus and the dial does not have an analemma. The octagonal dial base is made of brown marble panels approximately 5 feet high with a smaller octagon on top approximately 1 foot high that supports the dial. Each octagon is capped with thick granite. The base is a mausoleum, with alternate octagonal sides each containing 8 crypts.
	Wellesley	Massachusetts	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 431
	A small 14x14 inch rose granite square dial with an unassuming 5 inch high brass gnomon sits upon a round white 3 foot high granite column. At the base is a larger granite block. Built about 1899.
	Kalamazoo	Michigan	USA	Analemmatic Dial	Dial 430
	A modernistic analemmatic dial. The ellipse is a raised stone wall with large Arabic numbers for each hour from 5am to 7 pm. The concrete patio in front of the wall contains the analemmatic line of months as an indicator of where to stand for casting the shadow.
	East Hartland	Connecticut	USA	Noon Mark or Meridian Dial	Dial 429
	This upright stone was originally a noon marker at Nathaniel Taggart's inn in colonial North Blandford, MA. The stone was moved by Taggart's granddaughter Polly Taggart Church to Harland, CT, where she lived following her marriage. In 1935 the stone was set up in the Hartland Cemetery, casting its noon day shadow onto a flat stone with an engraved meridian line.
	Sebastopol	California	USA	Obelisk or Vertical Gnomon	Dial 428
	This is a vertical obelisk 3 foot on a side and 9 foot tall. It is more of a sun calendar than a sundial. The tip of the obelisk's shadow is tracked by marks on a concrete pad on the ground. The summer and winter solstices and equinoxes are indicated by tiles set in the pad.
	Newcastle	Maine	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 427
	A small horizontal dial with an interesting history. In 1997 when the dial was installed, the following is quoted of designer and builder Jim Estey: "We set it by our watches," Jim said, and then glued it down to its stand. That means it cannot be reset when the sun and time changes, but visitors will have to compensate."
	Portland	Connecticut	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 426
	An 18x18 inch square horizontal sundial with ornate engraving. Along the edge are Roman numerals telling the hours. The gnomon is equally ornate. Both dial plate and gnomon are made of brass. Dial sits on a tapered granite pedestal with a square granite cap.
	Nashville	Tennessee	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 425
	A 6 x 7 foot vertical dial declining 16.4 deg east of south. The dial of limestone is integral to the building with a near square face, engraved lines and a small triangular gnomon. Hour marks are from 6am to 4pm, labeled between long hour lines. Solar declination lines are shown as dotted lines for the zodiac, including solstices and equinox. This dial was on the 2022 NASS Conference dial tour of Nashville.
	San Carlos	California	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 424
	This vertical dial is approximately 4 foot high by 6 foot long, mounted on the end wall of a house that can be publicly viewed. Dial has hour lines and lines marking the equator and solstice shadow limits. Made of wood and brass.
	Berkeley	California	USA	Sculpture/Artwork	Dial 423
	This is a large granite statue by Richard O'hanlon entitled "Sunstone II" and was designed in collaboration with astronomer David Cudaback. A north-south large polished granite slab has the top cut at the latitude of 38 degrees to sight the North Star. A hole in the stone allows east or west viewing, with limiting angles designed to show the extent of maximum planetary and lunar wandering. An east-west stone crosses the north side of the granite slab, allowing light to pass only at noontime onto a heel stone with marks for Equinox and Solstice. Access by admission to the Hall of Science museum
	Berkeley	California	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 422
	At the edge of the bay is a round horizontal sundial about 10 feet in diameter with a stark triangular gnomon. Both gnomon and dial base are of hammered concrete. The base rises above the ground by about 2 feet where Arabic numbers encircle the dial to tell the hours. The dial face is not quite level, perhaps to help with water runoff.
	San Francisco	California	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 421
	Dial is on an outside wall above the entrance to a private residence. The dial was designed by Stan Musilek. The dial back is made out of galvanized steel. Metal rails indicate the hours. Instead of Arabic or Roman numerals, the proper number of steel balls indicate the time of each hour. Overall, the dial is 4 by 6 feet.
	San Francisco	California	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 420
	A small 10-inch cast iron dial from England honors Shakespeare in a garden of the same name. The dial is on a small pedestal in the middle of the courtyard walkway and surrounded by trees. Lovely, but many shadows pass over the dial during the day. The dial plate was made for latitude 54 degrees. The gnomon appears to have been cut down to accommodate the 38 degrees for San Francisco. This "hack" method of correcting a sundial does not give correct time.
	San Francisco	California	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 419
	Hilltop Park was built by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency in 1987. The Landscape Architect was Michael Painter and Associates. Here is a giant sundial 70 feet in diameter with a bright yellow painted steel gnomon 78 feet long. The dial has a cement base and was designed to be used as the stage for a surrounding amphitheater. Dial shows wear and abuse, with graffiti covering the lower portion of the gnomon. Still, it is awe inspiring.
	San Francisco	California	USA	Sun Alignment	Dial 418
	This is a 16 ton granite statue by Richard O'Hanlon entitled "Sunstone I" and was designed in collaboration with astronomer David Cudaback. A small wall of rock with a round inlay of dark stone is supported high upon two tall vertical slabs of granite. At the back is a "heel stone" with marks to show where the sunlight strikes at the Equinox and Solstice.
	San Francisco	California	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 417
	A plain but nicely done brass horizontal dial about 2 feet in diameter mounted on a simple concrete pedestal. The dial is in good condition, but about 50 degrees out of alignment.
	Manchester	Vermont	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 416
	A beautiful vertical declining dial, done in white lines and numerals on the side of a red barn. Made of metal and wood, the overall height is about 15 feet. The dial has a clean, modern design using tapered hour lines and simple gnomon. The Arabic numerals for each hour are graded in size to match the size of their hour line, with the largest at noon and the smallest at 8am and 5pm.
	Lincoln	Nebraska	USA	Equatorial Dial	Dial 415
	The Carroll Moore Memorial Dial is an equatorial disk dial built by Cold Spring Granite Co. The granite base weighs 6,270 lbs. and is about 6 ft. in diameter. The granite dial plate weighs 3,420 lbs. and is 5 ft. 8 in. in diameter. The stainless steel 5 inch gnomon rod weighs 200 lbs and is approximately 6 feet long from end to end through the equatorial disk. The dial face has hour marks for all 24 hour hours, placed for symmetrical effect rather than for practical time telling. The hours are rotated slightly to account for longitude so that 12:30 is the nearly vertical hour line.
	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	Equatorial Dial	Dial 414
	An equatorial dial with rod gnomon bent into a half analemma. Raised Roman numerals along the equatorial arc from V in morning to VII at night. The gnomon is held by semi-circular arc with pleasing proportions that match the equatorial arc.
	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	Armillary Sphere	Dial 413
	Armillary dial about 4 foot in diameter. Gnomon rod appears to be missing. Raised Roman numbers show the hours from V in the morning to VII at night. Equatorial strip is about 6 inches wide.
	Poughkeepsie	New York	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 412
	Small horizontal brass dial, about 12 inches in diameter with classical design. Roman numerals for hours with dots for quarter and half hours. Sits on fluted column about 3 foot high. Beautifully set in the Shakespeare Garden.
	Suffern	New York	USA	Compound Dial	Dial 411
	Robert Adzema has designed a 10-foot tall, 12-foot long combination equatorial and horizontal dial made out of stainless steel. The equatorial dial has a wide arc showing hours from 6am to 6pm. At the noon hour is a 31-inch analemma illuminated by a 1/4-inch nodus in a rod gnomon. The pedestal holding the dial and rod is designed as the gnomon for an even larger horizontal ground level dial that surrounds the equatorial dial. For this horizontal dial, the hour lines are made of half-inch stainless steel bars are embedded in concrete. An inscription tells how to tell the time.
	Palisades	New York	USA	Equatorial Dial	Dial 410
	An equatorial dial in bronze. Has analemma at the noon hour mark. Lamont-Doherty Sundial Fountain.
	Queens	New York	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 409
	A 20 foot high x 15 foot wide x 4 foot deep painted aluminum vertical dial entitled '"Winged Shadows." Has declination lines for the solstices and equinoxes. Declines west. On the back wall of the Main Building. Can be viewed from Woodside Ave. Designed by Robert Adzema in 1987.
	Macedon	New York	USA	Sun Alignment	Dial 408
	A cornfield maze for the summer of 2000 at Long Acre Farms. Theme called "Lost in Time" features a number of sundials. The 400 x 500 foot cornfield maze, called the "largest living sundial", is in the form of a smiling sun with 12 corn hedge "rays" from 8 am to 6 pm that align in azimuth to the hour and half hour for Labor Day, 2000. Within each hedge is a vertical pole holding an "Eye of Kala" (an annulus) 12 feet above the ground that casts a spot of light across a hedge clearing at the appointed time to a sign at ground level. At the center of the maze is a horizontal dial with a 12-foot gnomon. This gnomon forms part of the smiling sun's nose when seen from the air. Just outside the corn hinge is an analemmatic sundial for visitors to tell time before going through the hinge. In the hinge, visitors are given a small altitude card dial that tells Eastern Daylight Time from June - Oct. Admission fee.