A once-in-a-century experience
Something exciting is coming to Genesee Country Village & Museum in April of 2024! The Total Solar Eclipse will be occurring over the greater Rochester area and Mumford, NY. We can’t wait for this truly historic experience and to host both local and visiting eclipse aficionados alike!
Join us for three days of fun leading up to the eclipse, during which we’ll be sharing exciting special programming, performances, and activities. Or, select your unique home-base for Eclipse Viewing Day – whether that is a private home in the Historic Village, one of our unique hospitality locations, or our South Field Drive-In option.
Don’t forget – your next chance to see a total solar eclipse in Rochester will be in 2144, so make this one extra special!
Tickets are on sale now to Museum Members and select early interest groups and will go up for sale to the general public soon!
COUNTDOWN TO THE 2024 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE:
- 00Days
- 00Hours
- 00Minutes
- 00Seconds
Explore the 19th-century eclipse experience
Enjoy a full weekend of historical happenings at GCV&M leading up to the total solar eclipse! The Museum will be open on Friday, April 5, Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, for fascinating programming and historical happenings. As you make your way around our 19th-century Historic Village, explore how 19th-century Americans viewed, understood, and recorded total solar eclipses (there was a total solar eclipse in Rochester in 1860!).
- Attend a magic lantern show
- Learn about the connections between eclipses, the weather, and the US Navy in the Telegraph Office
- Visit the Print Office to see reproductions of 19th-century articles about eclipses in production
- Find eclipse-themed treats in the D.B. Munger & Co. Confectionery
- Learn about women in science like Maria Mitchell (pictured here) when you visit the Romulus Seminary
- Explore religious fervor in the Shaker Trustees’ Building
- Delve into celestial photography in the Eastman Boyhood Home and more!
Plus, enjoy all of this programming and MORE when you plan ahead to join us on Monday, April 8, for eclipse viewing day!
VIP Historic Village Viewing Experience
Experience the eclipse with your loved ones in our exclusive private historical setting! With limited spots available in a number of historical buildings, this is a most exclusive viewing opportunity. Enjoy your programing in our 19th-century Historic Village, then view the extraordinary solar spectacle – the total eclipse!
VIP Eclipse viewing packages will offer:
- Heating and restroom accommodations
- Private historic house or building for your party
- Breakfast, lunch, snacks, limited beverages & cash bar
- Access to fascinating programming in the Historic Village, Gallery, and Nature Center
- Designated eclipse viewing spot
- Tickets to our exclusive Eclipse After Party (4:30 – 6 p.m.)
- Safe solar viewing glasses
- GCV&M Guidebook
- Swag bag full of goodies!
Hospitality Viewing Experiences
Call our welcoming Meeting Center, Exhibition Barn, or Carriage Barn your headquarters for Eclipse Viewing Day! Rest, relax, and recharge with fellow eclipse viewers between visits to our Historic Village, Gallery & Nature Center.
Hospitality packages will offer:
- Heating and restroom accommodations
- Breakfast, lunch, snacks, limited beverages, and cash bar
- Access to fascinating programming in the Historic Village, Gallery, and Nature Center
- Designated eclipse viewing spot
- Meeting Center Hospitality Package Only: Tickets to our exclusive Eclipse After Party (4:30 – 6 p.m.)
- Safe solar viewing glasses
- GCV&M Guidebook
South Field Drive-In
Don’t speed past our most cost-effective option, and perhaps the very best viewing location at GCV&M! Bring camp chairs, snacks, a pop-up, and settle in for full view of totality!
South Field Drive-in package will offer:
- Flat rate per-car (bring as many friends and family as you can fit!)
- Eclipse viewing glasses
- Access to cash bars and restaurant locations
- Access to programming in Gallery, Historic Village and Nature Center
- Designated eclipse viewing area on sprawling South Field
Science of the eclipse
“The Moon will begin to cover the Sun at 2:07 p.m. Using a safe solar viewing method, we will see more and more of the Sun covered by the Moon over the next 73 minutes. This time is called a partial phase because the Sun is partially covered by the Moon. Totality begins at 3:20 p.m. and lasts 3 minutes 38 seconds (plus or minus a few seconds, depending on your exact location). After totality, the Moon gradually uncovers the Sun in a second partial phase. The eclipse ends for Rochester viewers at 4:33 p.m.” (Roc Eclipse 2024)
Ticket Information
Tickets are on sale now to Museum Members and select early interest groups and will go up for sale to the general public soon!
FAQs
A total solar eclipse occurs when a new moon passes between the sun and the earth, creating an iconic Solar Corona around the moon’s shadow, also known as the antumbra. Globally total solar eclipses occur at least twice a year, but viewing one in its path of totality is a once in a lifetime experience! The last fully visible solar eclipse occurred in Rochester, NY in 1925!
Yes, viewing the eclipse is safe. It is important to take appropriate precautions while viewing a total solar eclipse. To avoid eye damage, watch the eclipse through your eclipse ‘glasses’ available at satellite stations located in each viewing area. Avoid looking directly at the sun in the partial phases of the eclipse. There will be a brief period of time during totality that will be safe to view the sun without protective wear. This 3- minute window will be announced during the eclipse viewing.
Cloud cover may affect viewing, but nothing will change the magic of experiencing “twilight during the day” surrounded by fellow eclipse viewers. We are prepared for any weather, but hope for clear skies and a full view of this mighty eclipse!
Tickets can not be purchased at the door, pre-sale only. Tickets are non- refundable and are strictly non-transferrable between days and times.
You can print out your downloadable tickets OR show them on your phone. We recommend taking a screenshot of your tickets and keeping them in your photo gallery for easy and fast check-in
Eclipse glasses & Swag Bags will be distributed by designated staff at stations located in each viewing area.
Present ID and virtual VIP ticket at admissions and you will be given a complimentary day pass.
Must be a registered passenger vehicle, no buses, rv’s, or tow along vehicles.
GCV&M will be open from 10am-6pm on Eclipse Day, with gates open for parking beginning at 9:00am. Parking is limited and available only for ticket holders. Parking attendants will be onsite directing patrons to check-in and to their designated parking areas.
Traffic volume is expected to be very high on Eclipse Day. Plan your travel route ahead and allow for extra travel time. Consider using 511NY for current travel conditions.
Questions about this event or the eclipse? Please feel free to reach out to us at eclipse2024@gcv.org.
