Solar Spectacle: A Total Solar Eclipse at GCV&M

Yes! General admission tickets will be available for purchase until sold out. You can purchase tickets (and check availability) here. 

No. You must have pre-purchased tickets for one of our three viewing packages for access to the Museum on this day. 

Prior to the event, ticket buyers will receive an email including: tickets, parking zone pass, and other relevant event information. Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see the email; if you still can’t find the email, please contact us at eclipse2024@gcv.org. Please plan to bring your parking pass with you and display your parking zone pass on your dashboard upon arrival. 

Check your spam and junk folders; the communication will be coming from eclipse2024@gcv.org. If you still don’t see anything, please email eclipse2024@gcv.org and we will resend. 

If you do not have access to a printer to print your parking pass, please email emeissner@gcv.org with your name and ticket package. We will make sure to have a parking pass printed for you day-of. 

We’re so sorry if you’re plans have changed or you’re unable to attend, but tickets are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable by date, entry time, or program.

THE MUSEUM FRONT GATE WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL 9 A.M.

FOR VIP & HOSPITALITY TICKET HOLDERS: Gates will open at 9 a.m. for arrival, parking, and setup on Monday, April 8. Programming in the Historic Village, Gallery, and Nature Center will begin at 10 a.m.

FOR GENERAL ADMISSION: Gates will open at 9:45 a.m. and your admission can begin. Programming in the Historic Village, Gallery, and Nature Center will begin at 10 a.m.

Parking is limited and available only for ticket holders. Parking attendants will be onsite directing guests to check-in and head to their designated parking zones. 

DEPARTURE: Guests may leave immediately after totality, please be aware that traffic conditions may be slow; check your GPS for alternate routes.

Though all programming in the Historic Village, Nature Center, and Gallery will end at 3 p.m., guests are welcome to linger around campus, nature trail, and other public spaces (Depot Restaurant, Flint Hill Store) until the Museum closes at 6:45 p.m.

For those guests who have a ticket to the after party, the Meeting Center will be open until 6:30 p.m.

For those looking to take advantage of our South Field Drive-In, please note:

Registered cars, trucks, and passenger vehicles will be accommodated in South Field. Guests may bring a 10×10 pop-up, food and non-alcoholic beverages,  camp chairs, and as many guests as you can comfortably fit in your vehicle. Please no outside grills, fires, or flame – guests will have access to bonfires on site, staffed and maintained by GCV&M employees. 

If the vehicle you’re looking to bring is larger than the size of a normal parking space, please reach out to us at eclipse2024@gcv.org to inquire about our parking lot availability. 

Yes! Accessible parking will be designated and available on April 8. Please email emeissner@gcv.org if you require accommodations. 

Our campus is extensive and there is uneven terrain in certain areas of the Historic Village. Guest transportation services will have limited availability on Monday, April 8. 

Yes! Every guest for our Solar Spectacle will receive a pair of safe eclipse viewers (from Rochester Museum & Science Center) upon arrival – included with the cost of your ticket. If you lose or destroy your eclipse glasses, you can purchase replacement pairs in the Flint Hill Store.

Tickets for the Solar Spectacle are capped at roughly 2,000 total people on-site on Monday, April 8. 

Our guests will be spread throughout four un-obstructed viewing spaces over hundreds of acres. 

Step outside of the hustle and bustle of cities like Rochester and Buffalo when you join us for a festival-like atmosphere without the crowds or light pollution big cities will see during this weekend of high-traffic tourism.

We’re excited to offer all-day access to food catered by Partyman Catering and non-alcoholic beverages. 

Cash bars will be available throughout the Museum grounds for those looking to drink historical craft beer, local beers, hard cider, wine, and more. 

No – please do not bring your own alcoholic beverages to GCV&M. 

Cash bars will be available throughout the Museum grounds for those looking to drink historical craft beer, local beers, hard cider, wine, and more. 

Traffic volume is expected to be very high on Monday, April 8. Please plan your travel route in advance and allow for extra travel time. Consider using 511NY for current travel conditions. 

We ask that furry friends stay at home for this event. 

Service animals are, of course, welcome. 

Weather conditions may vary – please come prepared with layers to enjoy a fun-filled day in and out of doors. For example, proper footwear, jackets, hats, gloves, and umbrellas. 

Feel free to come with your own lawn chair or picnic blanket for eclipse viewing. 

You may bring snacks, picnics, and non-alcoholic beverages (alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase on site!).

Food and beverages are prohibited in historic buildings.

After the full progression of the solar eclipse, we’ll be celebrating in style in the Meeting Center Lounge! Enjoy live music, food, a cash bar, additional eclipse-related programming, and more. 

After Party access is offered to guests who purchase VIP Historic Village Experiences and the Meeting Center Hospitality Package only. The After Party will begin at 4 p.m. 

Yes! We are welcoming the media to join us for this once-in-a-century event and have a suite of amenities available to our friends in the media. Please reach out to Director of Communications, Paige Engard, at pengard@gcv.org or 585-474-7695.

Yes, viewing the eclipse is safe during totality, and while wearing eclipse viewing glasses (provided by GCV&M) in the lead-up to totality. It is important to take appropriate precautions while viewing a total solar eclipse.

The Moon will begin to cover the Sun at 2:07 p.m. and will cover more and more of the sun 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 32 seconds. During totality, you may remove your eclipse glasses. After totality, the moon gradually uncovers the sun in a second partial phase which lasts until 4:33 p.m.

Again, to avoid eye damage, you must wear eclipse glasses to view the sun during the partial phases, from 2:07 p.m. to 3:20 p.m., then again from 3:23 p.m. to 4:33 p.m. 

We’ve sought out the best viewing locations on our grounds, including the Great Meadow, Village Square, South Field, and Silver Ball Park. You are, of course, also welcome to experience the eclipse in a location of your choosing on Museum grounds.

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!

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, and the next opportunity to see an eclipse in Rochester will be 2144. 

Yes you can! Personal telescopes and eclipse viewing equipment is welcome. Please keep a close eye on any technology you bring with you – GCV&M is not responsible for lost or stolen items. 

WiFi signal is available throughout much of the GCV&M campus, with the signal being stronger in some spots as opposed to others. Due to increased access and use on a busy day like today, both WiFi and cell service may be spottier than usual.

Visitors can access electrical outlets for charging cell phones in the Festival Tent or in their designated Hospitality Location.

The network to access public WiFi is GCVM_Guest and the password is Museum2018

Yes! The Depot Restaurant and Freight House Pub will be open to all visitors from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., then again from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. The Depot Restaurant and Freight House Pub will close their doors from 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. during totality. 

Basic first aid supplies such as bandages antibacterial ointments, and sting relief sprays can be obtained at both the Flint Hill Store and inside the Historic Village at the Ward-Hovey House. A nurse will be on site during the Solar Spectacle.

Museum officials have been in contact with local and county management regarding emergency planning.

Staff and visitors are expected to behave in a way concurrent with our mission and values. The Museum will not tolerate comments that are hateful, violent, homophobic, racist, derogatory, or abusive by either visitors or staff. Those who violate these expectations will be removed from the site.

Similarly, while we understand that historical costumes are fascinating and certainly peak interest, GCV&M expects that visitors will not touch, grab, or come into physical contact with historical interpreters or their clothing without expressed permission from said interpreter.

Questions about this event or the eclipse?

Please feel free to reach out to us at eclipse2024@gcv.org and be sure to leave a phone number in your email message.