On April 8, 2024, the moon will come between the sun and the Earth and, for a swath of the country spanning from Texas to Maine, obscure the center of the solar system for roughly three to four minutes in what is known as a total solar eclipse. Here are five cities within the path of totality to experience this rare celestial phenomenon that won’t return to the contiguous United States until 2044.
Dallas/Forth Worth, Texas
When the solar eclipse crosses the Mexico border into the United States at roughly 1:27 p.m. CDT, Texas will become the first state in the country to experience totality as the moon’s shadow stretches northeast across the Lone Star State from Del Rio to Clarksville. No other state claims more of the eclipse’s path than Texas and there are scores of prime viewing spots, including at the Alamo in San Antonio and the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin. On the city’s outskirts, the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa will also host a watch party replete with eclipse-themed cocktails from the newly opened Maude’s Bar & Terrace as well as family-friendly activities including Oreo phases-of-the-moon crafts.
But the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area is the most populous along the entire path of totality. In addition to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (which chronicles the life and death of President John F. Kennedy) or the 66-acre Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, the Big D will host myriad public watch parties, including at the Main Street Garden, Samuell Farm, and Perot Museum of Nature and Science, as well as the chic hotel rooftops of the Marriot Dallas Uptown, Hôtel Swexan, and The Statler Dallas.
Little Rock, Arkansas
The moon’s shadow, traveling at approximately 1,700 miles an hour, will move from Texas and Oklahoma into Arkansas at 1:45 p.m. The path of totality will sweep across the Bear State from the southwest in Texarkana to Jonesboro in the northeast, including Hot Springs National Park — which is one of only two national parks that will experience totality (the other is Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio). Little Rock, which is the state’s capital and most populous city, will host eclipse viewing parties at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Participants will receive solar glasses and specifically designed phone adapters to ensure they’ll not only witness the eclipse but capture it, too. The Little Rock Zoo will also host an eclipse viewing event with educational lectures and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch the resident animals as they react to the phenomenon, too.
Indianapolis, Indiana
The eclipse crosses the Illinois border into Indiana at 3:01 p.m. EDT, making the Hoosier State the sixth on the path of totality. The moon’s shadow will pass over Evansville toward Indianapolis, the state’s capital and its most populous city, before continuing on its northeast trajectory to Decatur and the Ohio border. Of all the destinations across the state, Indianapolis has the most planned. Reserve a campsite or simply drive up to the Indiana State Fairgrounds for live music and eclipse-themed concessions and cocktails like the Cosmic Corn Dog, Solar Flare Funnel Cake, and Moonbeam Mule. For travelers hoping to visit the city’s top attraction, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be one of the most coveted spots in town to watch the eclipse: It is one of three official broadcast sites for NASA’s TV coverage of the eclipse and will include an all-astronaut panel and whizzing INDYCAR demo laps. Roughly an hour away at Indiana University Bloomington, the Hoosier Cosmic Celebration boasts a star-studded lineup featuring 10-time Grammy Award-nominated singer Janelle Monáe, Star Trek actor William Shatner, and Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel to space.
Cleveland, Ohio
The total solar eclipse will pass over much of the Buckeye State when it reaches Ohio — the seventh path on the path of totality — at 3:08 p.m. EDT. With the exception of Cincinnati, which is located a short drive from the eclipse’s southern limit, Dayton, Toledo, Bowling Green, and Akron are all situated within the path of totality. Cleveland, which is the second most populous city in the state, is situated the closest to the eclipse’s centerline with totality expected to last three minutes and 49 seconds. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the nostalgic yellow House From a Christmas Story are usually The Land’s top bucket list items, but for one day only the top attraction will be up in the sky. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is hosting a free community watch party at Wade Oval in University Circle. On the North Coast Harbor in downtown Cleveland, the Great Lakes Science Center is partnering with NASA’s Glenn Research and The Cleveland Orchestra to put on Total Eclipse Fest 2024, a free, three-day event that’ll include NASA TV’s live broadcast and engaging aeronautic exhibits at “NASA Village” with virtual and augmented simulations of walking on Mars and visiting the International Space Station.
Niagara Falls, New York
At 3:29 p.m. EDT, the total solar eclipse will move from Pennsylvannia into New York, the tenth state on the path of totality. On the shores of Lake Erie and the Canada border, Niagara Falls is a charming outpost to not just see Niagara Falls or the nearby Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House in Buffalo but the total solar eclipse, too. There will be food trucks and astronomy experts to heighten the experience as attendees anxiously await totality at Buffalo State University’s Sports Arena and Coyer Field. Adrenaline-seekers can plan to skydive over Niagara Falls in an operation timed perfectly to allow parachutes to open during the roughly three minutes of totality. Terrestrial travelers can simply motor over to the Transit Drive-In that will also broadcast the eclipse live on the big screen for anyone who couldn’t nab eclipse-viewing glasses or generally prefers not to look directly into the sun.
