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14 Best Places To View the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

Grab your eclipse glasses so you can view the celestial event in these cities.

By Jenny Cohen

Edited by Chris Kissell

Updated Dec. 17, 2024

A total solar eclipse will cover parts of the U.S. on April 8, 2024, marking an excellent opportunity to view this unique celestial event.

Of course, depending on where you live, you might have to step up your travel game and drive or fly to where you can get the best view of the eclipse.

As long as the weather cooperates, you can expect to see something special if you visit one of these places in a couple of months.

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Indianapolis

Indianapolis is one of the major cities where you can get a great view as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun.

You can pay to watch the event at the city’s iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Admission includes speedway-sponsored eclipse glasses and events for attendees.

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Cleveland

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History will host a free community eclipse watch party. Live music and other activities will be part of the festivities.

Other venues in the city also will celebrate the eclipse.

Mazatlán, Mexico

The U.S. isn’t the only country that will be excited to see the solar eclipse.

Head south of the border to Mazatlán to check out the eclipse. You can expect more than four minutes of totality in the city.

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Houlton, Maine

The eclipse starts in Mexico and ends in Maine. In the Pine Tree State, the city of Houlton will celebrate its special place at the end of the line with several days of activities.

Gallifreyan Farm in Linneus will even host a free event that lets you watch the eclipse with alpacas and rabbits.

San Antonio

San Antonio is calling April 8 its Fiesta del Sol, and there will be plenty of different events throughout the city to attend.

The city’s website for the solar eclipse includes a list of places to stay and other sites to see, such as The Alamo.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Cape Girardeau is home to Southeast Missouri State University, which will host events on the day of the eclipse.

The fun will include food trucks and eclipse-themed games.

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Wapakoneta, Ohio

Wapakoneta is the birthplace of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. So, it makes sense that this city is excited about the eclipse.

The Armstrong Air & Space Museum will hold several days of festivities to celebrate the eclipse. You can also see some of the museum’s exhibits celebrating Armstrong’s life and career.

Effingham, Illinois

In Effingham, you can check out the Effingham Performance Center’s solar eclipse viewing party. Your admission fee includes a parking spot, viewing spot, and eclipse glasses.

Niagara Falls, New York

Combine two natural wonders by watching the eclipse at Niagara Falls.

The city will host events for four days leading up to the eclipse, with lectures from NASA astronauts and exhibits at local public libraries, the Aquarium of Niagara, and Niagara Falls State Park.

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Erie, Pennsylvania

Only a small corner of Pennsylvania will see the eclipse, and Erie is in that zone.

You can find a list of viewing locations on the VisitErie website. Lake Erie Speedway will host a festival with food and music.

Nazas, Mexico

Eclipse lovers who want to get the most out of the day should head to Nazas in Mexico to see how dark it can get during a total eclipse.

The city is near the longest point of totality, which makes it the place to be if you love eclipses.

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is a center of aviation: It was the birthplace of Orville Wright of “Wright brothers” fame and is also the home of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Head to the museum for events and watch the eclipse's totality on April 8.

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Hot Springs, Arkansas

Online magazine and travel company Atlas Obscura will celebrate the eclipse with a four-day festival in Hot Springs.

The Ecliptic Festival will include plenty of music and a lecture series with speakers, including astronomers, science journalists, and authors.

Paducah, Kentucky

Paducah is known as Quilt City USA, so look for a celestial-themed quilt as you bundle up to watch the eclipse.

The National Quilt Museum will host a viewing party on its lawn, and there will be a two-day festival in downtown Paducah with music and science events.

Bottom line

The eclipse promises to be amazing, but the totality of the event will not be visible in all parts of the U.S.

So, if you want to get the full experience, grab one of the top travel credit cards and start booking your trip to one of the cities on this list.

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