Eclipse Information

What is an eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth.

Cape Girardeau is in a prime location for totality, as Cape Girardeau will have over 4 minutes of darkness during the eclipse!

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean. Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT.

April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse

It’s been about 4 years since the spectacular total solar eclipse of 2017 that swept from Oregon, across the United States, through the middle of Missouri, on to South Carolina, and out into the Atlantic Ocean. It was the first total solar eclipse to touch the contiguous 48 states in 38 years, and the first since 1918 to go from coast to coast.

Remember? The weather was clear for most in the path of totality, and millions of people looked to the skies to witness the moon creep across and cover the sun. We witnessed the bright flash of the diamond ring as the sun sank into darkness, and we observed the glowing streamers of the sun’s outer atmosphere. Yes, it got dark. Animals became restless and changed their behaviors. Birds went to roost, and insects sang. But it wasn’t what most of us had imagined, it was different, and it was better. Words and predictions cannot convey the feeling of a total solar eclipse.

On April 8, 2024, Missouri will once again be in the path of totality, which will cut across the Southeast part of the state, through such towns as West Plains, Poplar Bluff, and Cape Girardeau. This time the sun’s shadow will start in Mexico and sweep northeast, entering Texas, moving across the Heartland through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois, then on through Indiana, Ohio, and up into the northeast, completing its journey in Canada. This time the path of totality will be wider, the duration of totality will be longer, and the number of people residing within the band of totality will be nearly three times as great as in 2017.

Visit here for more information!

 

Flyover North America for the Total Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024

Lodging

Act fast to secure a stay for the April 2024 Solar Eclipse as options are booking quickly! Cape Girardeau is home to multiple options like camping at one of our campgrounds, renting a home for a short stay, or booking a hotel room for your lodging needs

Click here to review your options!

April 2024 Local Eclipse Events

VisitCape Sportsplex Watch Party

On April 8th, 2024, VisitCape will be hosting a free event for the public from 10am until 2:30pm at the Sportsplex! The Cape Girardeau SportsPlex is located at 2526 Jim Drury Way, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. We will have music, food trucks and vendors, kids activities, and giveaways. Parking space will be on a first come/first serve basis. So come on out, bring a lawn chair if you’d like, and enjoy this solar spectactle! We hope to see you there!

Old Town Cape Eclipse Block Party

Join us for a FREE celebration as Old Town Cape hosts a spectacular block party event during the total solar eclipse on April 8th! This unique gathering promises a day of excitement, community, and cosmic wonder. This event will be held from 12 pm to 3 pm at the Cape Riverfront Market lot, 35 S. Spanish Street providing a perfect vantage point for this rare occurrence. T-shirts will be sold at the event and free eclipse glasses will be handed out. Enjoy a live music performance from Spacers and enjoy food from a diverse selection of food vendors. From savory to sweet, there’s something for every palate. Make sure to bring the whole family! We have planned a range of fun free activities, including face painting, sidewalk chalk, and more. We will be closing the road in front of the Market lot for our block party celebration! Make sure to stop into Ebb and Flow to check out their Eclipse art display and specials and The Library! The patio will be open for you to grab a beverage and mingle while you wait for the Eclipse! Join us at the Market Lot for a day filled with celestial marvels, music, and mouthwatering treats. Let’s celebrate the magic of the universe and the power of community!

Eclipse the Ordinary at Century Casino

At Century Casino Cape Girardeau, we’re counting down the days until the Total Solar Eclipse, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you! Join us for an unforgettable day of entertainment, excitement, and cosmic wonder as we come together to witness this extraordinary event. Enjoy an eclipse themed brunch at Beacon 53 from 7am-2pm, and/or attend the watch party beginning at 11am, witness the “Eclipse the Ordinary Peel Off from 12pm-8pm, and of course the star of the show- totality of the solar eclipse at 1:58pm. 

SEclipse University Block Party

The event will be the culmination of Southeast’s year-long 150th anniversary celebration! We will have plenty of activities and events throughout campus for our students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Eclipse at the River Campus

On April 8th, enjoy a fun filled experience for all ages centered around the eclipse. Our event will be featuring live performances by students from the Holland College of Arts and Media! Also on the lineup are displays, exhibitions, interactive activities, food trucks, a photo booth, jewelry making, and much more. Bring your chair and watch in style at the River Campus! The event will start ay 11:30am, with performances beginning at 1pm

The Dark of the Sun: Eclipse at Fort D

Watch the eclipse at Fort D Historic Site on April 8, 2024. The grounds will be open from noon to 4 pm. Visitors should bring their own chairs and protective eye equipment. The cannon will fire at the height of the eclipse!

Arts Council of Southeast Missouri

Everyone Belongs Under the Sun
The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri recognizes that the 2024 Great American  Eclipse is an opportunity to consider our place in the universe, and to decide our path forward, individually and collectively. The eclipse is an opportune moment to highlight the work of the doers and dreamers…those that believe in active citizenship and a sustainable local economy…powered by the visual, literary, performing, culinary, and healing arts. In order to highlight the incredible mission of the South Side Farms non-profit, which is addressing food insecurity in South Cape, we have partnered with South Side Farms, CoNEXTions, Riverside Pottery, Ebb and Flow Fermentations, Artistically Ever After, The Flower Boys, Spectrum Record Lounge, Scout Hall, and Yoga East Healing Arts to provide residents and tourists with memorable experiences in the arts that will last a lifetime. With two-days of installations, tastings, events, workshops, and concerts, our First Friday with the Arts and Constellation Crawl will provide a host of activities for every age and interest. To culminate, we invite guests to watch the main event from the farm, where “everyone belongs under the sun”.

Top of the Marq Solar Eclipse Viewing Party

Who’s excited about the Solar Eclipse coming up on April 8th? Our area is going to have full totality! Join us at Top of the Marq for a special event for the eclipse. We have a limited number of tickets available for April 8th for $100/pp. The purchase includes a buffet food spread, bottled beer, our house red & white, and a champagne toast during the eclipse. Viewing glasses will be provided. Doors will open at 11:30am. Tickets can be purchased at the restaurant. If you live out of town, you are able to purchase over the phone. This is going to be an amazing event that you don’t want to miss! When we say limited tickets are available, we mean REALLY limited. We started with 50 and have already sold quite a few. Join us at Top of the Marq
* Purchase prices does not include tax and gratuity
* Cocktails will be available for purchase at regular price
* Regular menu will not be available until our regular 4PM opening time

Broussard’s Cajun Cuisine Eclipse

Broussard’s will be offering Happy Hour all day long to celebrate the solar eclipse from 11am-4pm! We will have optimal viewing available in Downtown Cape Girardeau, MO, as well as eclipse glasses. We hope to see you there!
* Regular menu will not be available until our regular 4PM opening time

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at ND

Join Notre Dame for a Solar Eclipse viewing party on April 8 at the ND soccer field! Arrive at 1:00 p.m. for entertainment & telescope viewing. Then, watch the solar eclipse in totality at 2:00 p.m. Eye Care Specialists will be providing the solar eclipse glasses for all! Please register in advance, no later than March 8th

 

Contact Meg Garner at [email protected] with any questions.

Jackson, MO Eclipse 

See the world in a different light in Jackson, MO on April 8th, 2024 from 11am-4pm. Experience totality with community engagement through science, live music, food, Jackson eclipse souvenirs, and fun. There are three locations to maximize your eclipse viewing experience. In Uptown Jackson enjoy music from Southern Draw from 11am-1pm and Lucky Suns from 1pm-4pm, as well as food from The German Cook, Stockard’s Cajun Shack, and other uptown locations! In Brookside Park enjoy music from Chris Welch from 11am-1pm and Mark & Doug Rees from 1pm-4pm, and food from Smoke Shack BBQ, Curly’s Kitchen, and drinks from T Ravs! Lastly, visit the Jackson Civic Center to enjoy the musical talents of Logan Chapman from 11am-1pm and Manitou Duo from 1pm-4pm, and food from T Ravs, Tacos Don Manuel Street Food, and Molon Latte!  For more information, contact [email protected]

Armstrong Outdoors Solar Eclipse Party 

All day watch party! Happy hour all day ($2 beer!!) , solar glasses available. Great sales, deals, food and beer! Full Throttle Concessions by Bobby Burrows will also be there. Offering pulled pork sandwiches, pulled pork nachos and more!. FREE giveaways throughout the day. we will also have bucket raffles with great items. We are located at 5840 Highway 61 in Jackson, MO

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Solar Eclipse Viewing

Festivities include: “Fly In” specials on fuel prices and camping space for pilots, free snacks, water, and protective eclipse glasses, commemorative T-shirts available for purchase, music, food, and more! Regisration required, with fees being based on size of aircraft. Please call 573-335-6632 for reservations. This event is only open to those flying in and will not include general population civilians. Fly in to our FBO the day before or the day of the eclipse!

Countryside Viewing Site

Are you looking for more serene place to view the eclipse? Situated in the country with plenty of open space and mere minutes of local attractions, you will find our site located at 7495 State Highway 177 in Cape Girardeau! The Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club will be opening their grounds to the public for viewing the eclipse. There are no admission fees or parking fees. Smiling Jacks Food Truck and the beer/concession stand will be up and running on a cash-only basis. Grounds open at 10am on April 8th, and there will be viewing glasses available while supplies last! 

Commerce, MO Total Eclipse Camp

We are in the path of the 2024 Eclipse and should have approx 4 minutes of totality!! Food trucks will be on-site during Eclipse weekend along with a winery just up the road. You will have a direct view of the Mississippi River and the surrounding area. Walking through town you will find several interesting buildings. This is the first high ground north of the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. In the times of the Mississippian culture, it was used as a stopover to get supplies. Early explorers stopped here to camp, including the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Drive-In to the Solar Eclipse

Although the main event will only last just over 4 minutes we are having St. Louis Cardinal legend, now country music artist Adam Wainwright and his band singing! Along with local music artists Logan Chapman & Charlie Montgomery! There will also be select craft vendors that you can shop from while you wait for the main event! Food trucks will be set up along with our very own Rock ‘N’ Roll Concession Hut where you can get food and drinks. What’s The Scoop? will also be set up with their hand-dipped ice cream.

Gates will open at 9 a.m. that morning, with the events starting at 11:30 a.m. The Solar Eclipse will last around 2 in a half hours from start to finish. It will start at 12:41 with the partial starting and end at 3:17p.m. when the partial finishes. From 1:58-2:02 p.m. we will have complete totality! This means just over four minutes of complete darkness! For parking it will be off-site that day, shuttle buses will be available at different locations you can choose from. Parking will be paid parking.

Total Solar Eclipse at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site

On April 8th, 2024 from 10am to 4pm, Bollinger Mill State Historic Site will be hosting a free and open to the public event! There will be activities located throughout the day use area, on both sides of the river! Join us for the day to experience more than 4 minutes of solar eclipse totality!

We will be hosting personnel from Washington University and the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences.They will provide stations with telescopes and notable planetary scientists will give short talks about the science and history of eclipses.There will also be a booth with planetary globes and information about the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, planetary science initiatives and current missions WashU personnel are working on. BBQ to the Rescue will also be at the site with their BBQ truck. Call 573-243-4591 for more information

Eclipse: A Pink Floyd Experience

On April 8, 2024, 1:58 PM, Scott City, Missouri will experience a total solar eclipse…and we plan to be there. To coincide with one of the world’s greatest light shows, we will perform one of the world’s greatest albums: The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. This performance, along with other selections from Pink Floyd’s discography, is free to attend. The event begins at 11 AM with music to follow shortly after. Share with us this rare cosmic moment as well as this iconic piece alongside your fellow assorted lunatics. We’ll see you on the dark side of the moon.

 

Anderson Council is proud to perform during this special event at The RiverHouse. The performance will occur under The RiverHouse pavilion against the backdrop of the Mississippi River. Consider bringing a chair or blanket if you plan on enjoying the event on the back lawn or parking lot. This event is open to the public and no registration is required.

Eclipse Festival at Benton Speedway

Celebrate the solar eclipse with us on April 6th, 2024 at 1pm to April 8th, 2024 at 5pm . Camping, Carnival, Music, activities and more all weekend. Vendors welcome. Reserve your camping spot and or vendor booth selection at www.bentonspeedway.com

Apple Creek Winery Solar Eclipse Totality Party

On Monday, April 8th from 11am to 4pm experience the rare total eclipse under the open sky in our vineyard while enjoying wine, music and food! Limited tickets are available. For tickets and additional information, click “Learn More” below!

Eclipse 2024, Bollinger County, Missouri

The activities are scheduled to begin Friday, April 5, 2024 and run through the day of the eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. Various activities will take place throughout the community including a large car show featuring Eastbound and Down – The Ultimate Smokey and the Bandit Tribute, tutorials on photographing the eclipse with Wayne Dowdy, a movie in the park, and much more! Click “learn more” below for dates and times of all of these stellar events!

Bootheel Youth Museum’s Totality A Block Party

The Bootheel Youth Museum will host a viewing party along with educational programs and hands on activities beginning at 11 a.m. During the Total Solar Eclipse the path of totality passes over Malden, MO on April 8, 2024 Staring at 12:40:04 p.m. ending at 1:57:11 p.m. 3 minutes 18 seconds in totality. Follow the Bootheel Youth Museum for more news and information. This will be the last chance to view a total eclipse in Missouri until 2178! The BYM Giftshop Eclipse will have certified safe eclipse viewing glasses and educational literature.

Check our website for links to classroom resources. Schools interested in special projects and or field trips please contact Jacob Heck at [email protected] 573-276-3600 x29