Great North American Solar Eclipse

- No motorized vehicles on the grass

- No alcohol or smoking on site

- No camping tents or pop-up structures

- Pets must be on leash and supervised 

- Only service animals allowed in the museum

- No heaters or open flames

- No soliciting or selling merchandise on property. 

No, admission tickets for Monday, April 8, 2024, will be sold only at the front desk and will not be sold or reserved ahead of time. To ensure more people can go through and experience the museum, operating hours that Monday will be extended, opening at 9:00 am and closing at 7:00 pm (10:00 am to 5:00 pm all other days.)

Wapakoneta, a town normally of about 10,000 people, is expected to receive an additional 30,000 - 50,000 people for the weekend and day of the eclipse. City officials are working closely with the museum to coordinate enough parking for individuals. 

The museum has roughly 80 parking spots available on site. Many guests will likely have to find parking elsewhere, including on nearby streets. The museum is not allowing individuals to reserve parking spots for the event. For Monday, the parking lot will open at 8:30 am for vehicles.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on the Earth's surface. During a total solar eclipse, the sky darkens, temperatures drop, and the Sun's corona, the outermost layers of its atmosphere, becomes visible as a glowing halo around the blacked out Sun. Based on your location, the event lasts only a few minutes. The Armstrong Air & Space Museum will have roughly 3 minutes and 56 seconds of totality, making it one of the longest viewing sites in the State of Ohio. 

The closer you are to the center, the longer viewing time you have for totality. For example, Toledo, which is on the outside edge of totality, will have approximately 1 minute and 54 seconds of totality. Compare this with the Armstrong Air & Space Museum, which has 3 minutes and 56 seconds of totality. Cities like Cincinnati, Detroit, Columbus, and Fort Wayne are on the outside of totality and will experience only a partial eclipse. 

The Armstrong Air & Space Museum is currently selling eclipse glasses. These glasses will be on sale until the museum runs out. The glasses will be sold on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in purchasing these glasses through the museum's online store, please click HERE. 

In terms of events, the Armstrong Museum and the City of Wapakoneta have numerous activities and programs planned throughout the weekend and on the eclipse day Monday. For a full list of events in Wapakoneta, please visit: https://www.wapaksolareclipse.com