Selected Sundials of North America

This is a selected listing of sundials in the North American Sundial Society Registry. Click on any dial thumbnail picture or city name to display the full dial description with additional information and images.

 

Florida

 
Atlantic Beach Florida USA Polar Dial Dial 732
A 12 x 12 inch polar dial of printed plastic. Unlike the typical polar dial, this dial uses point-in-space or nodus gnomons. The dial face is aligned in the polar plane; separate face markings and gnomons show summer-to-winter and winter-to-summer hour and date lines corrected for EOT and longitude. Time and date are read from the shadow of only the tip end of each gnomon rod. The three foot high PVC dial support allows the face to be rotated about the polar axis; the face is pointed at the local meridian for ST and rotated 15? east to set for DST. The face has hour lines for 8 AM to 4 PM and date lines for each month. The hour and date lines were designed for the dial location, median solar declination and the equation of time over a leap year cycle, atmospheric refraction and shadow shortening due to the 90? included angle conical gnomon points. The dial is accurate within two minutes. Dial face is marked with location, coordinates and designer name. This dial is located within Fleet Landing, a gated retirement community. Please contact Russell Boyd, the dial owner/designer at 904-241-8544 to arrange visiting the dial.
 
 
Cocoa Florida USA Equatorial Dial Dial 471
This is a simple equatorial dial 58 inches wide and 49.5 inches high. Because of the low latitude, the 6 inch wide equatorial band has Roman hour markings only from 7am to 5 pm. The gnomon is a thin, unadorned rod. The dial base is a square box with canted top to the Florida latitude, supporting the equatorial cross members.
 
 
Gainesville Florida USA Vertical Dial Dial 869
The oblong 28 inch long x 14 inch high vertical dial appears to be cast aluminum, painted black, but with much of the paint worn off. The dial plate is surrounded with a motif of decorative fish, star fish, shells and scales. The hour lines are most peculiar. The lines are numbered from 7am to 5pm, but there are two more morning and evening hour lines, none of which are horizontal that would be expected for 6am and 6pm. In laying a proper set of hour lines for latitude 29.658 on top of a photograph of the dial, the hours from 9am to 3pm appear nearly correct. The 8am and 4pm hour lines appear at what is really 8:30/3:30, the 7am and 5pm hour lines appear at what is really 8:00/4:00. The last two dial hour angles for morning or evening are totally irreconcilable. The brass gnomon, in the shape of a downward pointing arrow, is bent, but perhaps more disconcerting is that it is mounted on a pivot, indicating that it can be moved to different latitudes. The dial, although decorative, certainly is not a worthy timepiece.
 
 
Gainesville Florida USA Armillary Sphere Dial 866
As the tour pamphlet states,"The striking armillary sphere sundial, donated in 1986 by the Gowan family, terminates an important sight line from the Turtle Court. Two Washingtonia palms stand like tall sentries as visitors cross the arcade from the Turtle Court to the sundial." The bronze dial about a meter in diameter has a 3-inch bronze equatorial band with Roman numeral hour marks on the interior and signs of the zodiac on the exterior. The gnomon is a arrow rod that fits the "massiveness" of the sundial. All sit on an ornate granite pedestal that in turn sits on a square dais elevated about 6 inches from the ground.
 
 
Lake Buena Vista Florida USA Gnomonic or Projection Dial Dial 221
Conical dial 120 ft. high, 122 ft. diameter at base and has an 85 ft circular opening to the sky. In the middle of the opening is a spherical nodus that casts its shadow into the concrete structure. According to the Guinness Book of Records in 1995, this is the world's largest sundial. Designed by Isozaki and calculated by Ross McCluney, the sundial is a large truncated, slanted cone, with hour markings on the inside. McCluney was NASS's first president.
 
 
Lake Wales Florida USA Vertical Dial Dial 36
Beautiful vertical dial, approx 12x6 foot of Georgia marble with a brass gnomon approx 5 foot long. Declination lines present. Hour & half hour lines with hours in Roman numerals. Sunburst pattern above gnomon. From the Guidebook, published by the Garden: 'The famous sundial carved on the south wall of the Tower indicates the latitude and longitude of Iron Mountain. It is known as an erect declining dial as it stands vertically at an exact right angle with the surface of the earth... and does not face directly south but is tilted towards the east with a declination of 4 degrees, 20 minutes.' It has an Equation of time chart and shows the days of the months as well. Directions are to 'Add minutes shown for each day to obtain Eastern Standard Time.'
 
 
Lake Wales Florida USA Analemmatic Dial Dial 562
A large stone analemmatic in the Endangered Plant Garden.
 
 
Leisure City Florida USA Obelisk or Vertical Gnomon Dial 814
Amid the many coral blocks (oolitic limestone rock) carved by eccentric Edward Leedskalnin (1887-1951) is a huge monolithic sundial. The gnomon is a horizontal L-shaped piece of iron fastened to the north corner of a limestone block about 8 feet high, weighing about 15 short-tons. Below the gnomon, carved into a second block of limestone is a portion of a hemisphere, smoothly filled in with concrete. Drawn on the hemisphere are analemma shaped hour and half-hour lines from 9am to 4pm. You can read the time with an accuracy of about two-minutes.
 
 
Miami Florida USA Vertical Dial Dial 785
An east-declining vertical dial near the top of a stone winter residence building, now a museum. Dial face includes hour lines and Roman hour numerals for 5 AM to 3 PM. Building and dial were built in the early 1900s but gnomon appears to be in good condition without corrosion so it may be bronze. Dial includes a depiction of a scroll with engraved Latin inscription.
 
 
Miami Florida USA Analemmatic Dial Dial 573
A 16 foot diameter analemmatic dial of broken mosaic tiles. The numerals, months and lines are made with broken colored tiles. The major axis is 10 feet. A movable vertical gnomon is available for increased reading accuracy but a standing child is the usual gnomon. The colored number tiles are white for DST and black for ST.
 
 
Naples Florida USA Equatorial Dial Dial 1104
A whimsical equatorial dial set on a pole. The solid dial face has a drawing of canoeists opposite an alligator with its mouth open and.above them is a smiling sun wearing sunglasses. Time on the summer side is from 6:30am to 7:30pm while on the winter side, time is delineated from 7am to 7pm.(but still using daylight saving time). Both sides have mean solar time adjusted for longitude, about 24 minutes..
 
 
Niceville Florida USA Analemmatic Dial Dial 727
An interactive analemmatic dial with 6x3 meter major and minor ellipse axes and built of precast concrete, tiles and glass with Roman hour numerals. Dial face markings include Ante Meridiem, Post Meridiem, astronomical symbols for days of week and constellations of the zodiac, compass rose, Sun face, Ursa Major bear constellation with Big Dipper asterism, Polaris solar cell visible at night beneath the noon mark, artistic analemma and artist inscription. Inspired by the analemmatic dial "Keppel Henge" located at Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada, the dial was two years in design and construction, with financial support from Ms. Dotty Blacker of Valparaiso, Florida and the NWFSC Foundation. Dial accessories include 8 and 12 foot gnomon poles with leveling clinometers allowing the dial to be used with precision for demonstration and instruction. The dial is a focal point for geoscience instruction both in the classroom and the local community. The Science Department at NWFSC offers many courses in the geosciences that benefit from the dial, including Earth Science, Physical Science, Physical Geology, Oceanography, and Astronomy; supports baccalaureate programs in Elementary and Middle School Math & Science Education; and is frequent host to a local astronomy club.
 
 
Orlando Florida USA Horizontal Dial Dial 37
This plain dial formed on a concrete base has an elegant gnomon, designed with an interior curve and oval. But alas, don't go to Florida to find it. Sometime in 2013 as Harcourt closed its Florida office, the new tenet had no use for the sundial and had it scheduled for demolition.
 
 
Orlando Florida USA Obelisk or Vertical Gnomon Dial 294
Bronze, granite An obelisk which, at the noon hour, will cast a shadow on a noon mark plaque positioned on the ground.
 
 
Orlando Florida USA Pillar Dial Dial 89
Reconstruction of a 4-sided pillar dial.
 
 
Palm Beach Florida USA Horizontal Dial Dial 637
A bronze horizontal dial approximately 24 inches square on a painted masonry pedestal. Inner hour circle shows Arabic numerals for standard time and outer hour circle shows Roman numerals for local time. Dial face includes cardinal direction marks and coordinates. An EOT table is provided in an adjacent bronze plaque atop the pedestal. Dial is located on the entrance walkway to the Flagler Museum, formerly known as Whitehall, Henry Flagler's private home. Museum is open to the public but requires an entry fee.
 
 
Punta Gorda Florida USA Horizontal Dial Dial 721
A monumental sculpture of steel and stone including a 12 foot diameter horizontal dial with six foot high gnomon. Stone dial face includes hour markers and Roman hour numerals. Titled Spirit of Punta Gorda, the sculpture is dedicated to the spirit of the people of Punta Gorda in the aftermath of Hurricane Charlie on August 13, 2004. Two nearby bronze plaques identify and dedicate the sculpture.
 
 
Seaside Florida USA Horizontal Dial Dial 551
A large horizontal dial of cement and gravel within a 30 foot diameter hedge. Unfortunately, this dial no longer exists and was lost to commercial development.
 
 
St. Augustine Florida USA Vertical Dial Dial 611
This painted dial is about 3 by 4 feet with simple lines marking the hours and quarter hours from 8 am to 5 pm. Hours are marked with. Roman numerals. The gnomon is a replacement of the original, coming out of the wall at a perpendicular angle, then bent for the slightly declining dial. Dial's painted coordinates are about 15" south and 27" east of true (Google Earth).
 
 
St. Augustine Florida USA Equatorial Dial Dial 943
A stainless steel about 12-inches in diameter with an equatorial band from 6am to 6pm. The equatorial band is about 1 1/2 inches wide while the meridian arc is about one inch wide. The gnomon is a stainless steel rod about 1/4 inch in diameter. The metal support has a large compass rose, with points to the four major and minor cardinal points. The dial sits upon a classic Charles Dickens formed pedestal with square base and top.
 
 
St. Augustine Florida USA Horizontal Dial Dial 944
The bronze dial is about 18 inches in diameter with hour numbers in Roman numerals from 5am to 7pm. Decorated with hummingbirds on both the east and west sides and flowers both top and bottom. The gnomon is missing.
 
 
St. Petersburg Florida USA Equatorial Dial Dial 794
A very large bowstring equatorial dial. The outer diameter of the equatorial ring is 26 feet, the height of the meridian ring is 22 feet above the base and the gnomon rod is 26.5 feet long, making this possibly the largest bowstring dial known at this time. The equatorial ring is marked on two faces with large Roman hour numerals for 7 AM to 5 PM. The dial base includes a large compass rose marked with major directions.
 
 
St. Petersburg Florida USA Analemmatic Dial Dial 822
Sculptor Eric Higgs was originally approached by Robin Reed,who chaired the historic preservation committee for the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association. She was interested in sprucing up a decrepit area where sundials once stood at Vista Point, Flora Park. From the 1930's to the 1970's two different sundials were located on this site. The plan to refurbish the last sundial slowly evolved into a plan for a new sculpture that "escalated into a project for the [waterfront] centennial."
 
 
St. Petersburg Florida USA Equatorial Dial Dial 224
An equatorial dial built by Erickson Monument Co in 1974 for the War Veterans Memorial Park. Dial is 6 feet in diameter made from granite. The gnomon rod of about 3 inches diameter is stainless steel. Hour, half hours, quarter hours and five minute marks show the time. For symmetry, the face has hours marked for the entire 24 hours, though in Florida the excursion of time from 6am to 6pm is relatively small. The hour lines are rotated for the site longitude.
 
 
Winter Park Florida USA Horizontal Dial Dial 515
A 12-inch diameter horizontal bronze dial set on a simple fluted pedestal. The dial face includes hour lines with half hour and ten minute marks and a central compass rose. The gnomon includes an adjusting screw allowing the gnomon angle to be set to the latitude angle. The dial is located in a small garden area of an elementary school and includes a nearby flagstone bench. The walkway around the dial is of red bricks inscribed with the names of graduating students. Students learned of the death of a 9 year old classmate and through their fundraising efforts helped establish this memorial dial in their schoolyard. A visitor's pass is required from the administration office before viewing.