2024 Solar Eclipse

Martinsville will see over 4 minutes of totality during the 2024 Solar Eclips!

Experience the 2024
Total Solar Eclipse
in Morgan County, Indiana

The next total solar eclipse visible in North American will take place on Monday, April 8, 2024. The path of this solar eclipse will travel across the United States, from Texas to Maine. All of Morgan County lies within the path of totality for this rare astronomical event, with the City of Martinsville and the Town of Morgantown being closest to the path's centerline. Martinsville should see 4 minutes, 6 seconds of totality and Morgantown will see 4 minutes, 3 seconds of totality! This is very close to the longest period of totality throughout the state. Other communities in Morgan County will see between 3 minutes, 45 seconds and four minutes of darkness. 

2024 Total Solar Eclipse Path through Indiana (Image from nationaleclipse.com)

A telescope will not be needed to view this event, though you will need proper safety eyewear to look at the sun before and after totality. Morgan County will be in totality beginning shortly after 3 pm EDT. It is safe to remove your eyewear during totality. 

Length of Totality:

Morgan County is perfectly positioned for viewing this once-in-a-lifetime event! (Seriously - if you miss this one, the next total solar eclipse viewable from Indiana won't be until 2099.) Parts of Morgan County will have more than four minutes of totality, which is just about as good as it gets in the Hoosier State. That green line on the image above? That's the centerline of totality signifying where you'll find the longest period of darkness during the eclipse. It passes just southeast of Martinsville, north of Bloomington and west of Morgantown. Any location within the two yellow lines will allow you to experience totality, but the closer you are to the center, the longer you will experience darkness. Here's a quick look at the length of totality expected in various Morgan County communities: 

Morgantown 4 minutes, 1 seconds
Martinsville 4 minutes, 2 seconds
Paragon 3 minutes, 59 seconds
Brooklyn 3 minutes, 57 seconds
Mooresville 3 minutes, 53 seconds
Monrovia 3 minutes, 51 seconds
Eminence 3 minutes, 49 seconds

Designated Viewing Areas & Camping:

The Morgan County Fairgrounds will be a designated viewing area for the 2024 solar eclipse. They have a very limited number of campsites available to be rented for the event for those who would like to stay the weekend in an RV. Those driving in for the day are welcome to view the event at the Fairgrounds as well. Watch for more details about watching the eclipse at the Fairgrounds. Camping reservations are NOW OPEN! Rates and other information on the Fairgrounds website

Pioneer Park in Mooresville will offer RV and tent camping, as well as parking on the day of the event. A limited number of campsites are available - 17 RV sites and 100 tent sites. Cost will be $200 for RV sites and $100 for tent sites, from April 5 to 9. Activities at the park will include live music and a special kid's activity zone in addition to the park's regularly available activities, trails and playgrounds. Information and reservations available on their website.  

Jimmy Nash City Park in Martinsville will offer limited camping opportunities, April 6-9, as well as parking the day of the event and activities throughout the weekend. Activities will include a Glow-in-the-Dark kick off party on Saturday, additional activities throughout the weekend and on site food trucks. More information and registration online at martinsvilleparks.com. Registration deadline is April 1 for camping.

The Downtown Performance Venue in Martinsville will host Moonshadow over Martinsville, with a variety of live music and entertainment presented by the City of Martinsville, the Greater Martinsville Chamber of Commerce and the Martinsville Parks and Recreation Department. This viewing location is in town, so there will be some ambient lighting, but it's located conveniently close to local businesses and restaurants in the heart of downtown Martinsville. 

The Mooresville Christian Academy will welcome visitors from all around to witness the 2024 Solar Eclipse on April 8. MCA will offer a family-friendly place for optimal viewing of the eclipse, easy parking (pre-registered preferred), three spacious athletic fields to view the eclipse (lawn chairs and blankets welcome) with portalets, concessions, and a playground on site. Proceeds will help fund construction of a new school parking lot. Pre-register and secure your spot today!

Paragon Speedway will open their gates at 10:00 am on eclipse day for an event hosted by the Paragon Homecoming Festival committee. Admission will be $20 per vehicle and will include NASA certified viewing glasses. Paragon is near the center of the line of Totality and will see approximately four minutes of totality. Seating will be in the hill side grandstand and concessions will be available on site. Campers will be allowed to park in the overflow lot across the street at the same $20 rate. 

Martinsville High School, located adjacent to I-69, will open their parking lot on eclipse day for visitor parking on that day at a cost of $20 per car, cash only.     

My Hometown Inn in Mooresville will be renting spaces for RVs and campers during the eclipse weekend for those looking for a place to park. There will be no electric, water or sewer hookups available. Contact them directly for more details or to book your space at 317-584-3775. 

Faith Church in Martinsville will welcome solar eclipse visitors to their location just outside of Martinsville, off of I-69. A limited number of RV parking spaces are available with 20' x 60' spaces. No electric or water hookups available. Cost is $100 per day with a two day minimum. Day of eclipse parking for cars will be available for only $10 per vehicle if reserved in advance (which guarantees your space!) or $20 on the day of the eclipse. There will be food vendors available on site the day of the eclipse. Check availability and reserve your space in advance online 

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church will be leasing parking spaces on the day of the solar eclipse. Prince of Peace is located on the north side of Martinsville and should have a clear view of the eclipse. Parking will be reserveable in advance to ensure your space on the big day. Call 765-346-0272 or email popeclipse2024@gmail.com. Access to AC, restrooms and power will be included in the parking fee of $100 per car. Attendees may arrive as early as 4 am and must depart the church property by 8 pm. All proceeds will go to the Prince of Peace Endowment Fund. 

Hunter's Honey Farm invites you to join them for the Total Solar Eclipse! They will offer viewing sites at the farm with more than 4 minutes of totality! Come for the day, or camp for the weekend. RVs, campers, tents, even car-camping are all welcome. Spaces are limited, so reserve in advance by calling 765- 537-9430 or emailing officemanager@huntershoneyfarm.com. See calendar listing for details. 

Hoosier Harvest Church will host a weekend of camping for the total solar eclipse. The line of totality passes directly over the church building, giving you more than four minutes of total darkness! Hoosier Harvest will welcome those wishing to park for the day or camp for the entire weekend. Bring your camper, RV, tent, van or station wagon, plus sleeping bags and lawn chairs and enjoy this once in a lifetime event! Concessions available on site, as well as day passes for their indoor basketball cage, playground, and arcade facilities. Located on State Road 252 and Leonard Road. Reserve your space in advance for discounted rates. 

The Baker Family Farm, located in northern Morgan County, just five minutes from I-70, will offer both RV and tent camping for the eclipse. This privately owned property is in a rural, prime viewing area within the path of totality, with wide open spaces and no city lights. Eclipse totality will last three minutes and 53 seconds at the farm. Sites are available Friday through Tuesday for RVs, campers, vans, cars and tents. Advance reservations can be made via email to thebakerfamilyfarms@outlook.com. Please include your name, address, phone number, type of site and arrival date. Additional information, including rules and rates, can be found at thebakerfamilyfarms.com

Eastview Christian Church in Martinsville welcomes eclipse visitors to camp and view the Total Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8. Eastview Christian Church is located in the band of totality with four minutes and two seconds of darkness. There will be parking spots, camping sites, and a limited number of RV sites available for Saturday through Monday for the eclipse viewing. All proceeds will go to fund the Eastview children to attend summer church camp. There are no hookups but potable water and porta-potties are available. For more information, visit the website or contact sbathory@eastviewchristianchurch.org.

 

Special Events:

Cedar Creek Winery, Brewery & Distillery will host a special solar eclipse viewing event on April 8, beginning at 11 am. This locally-owned family of businesses will be very close to the longest possible period of totality. Cedar Creek will provide viewing glasses for event attendees. Bring your own chairs and blankets for seating to enjoy a day at The Creek as you experience this one in a lifetime phenomenon! Eatery and food truck on site for meals. Camping available for both RVs and tents. Please contact them as early as possible if you will be bringing a large group.  

Mooresville will host a four-day event in conjunction with their community Bicentennial Celebration. Highlights of this celebration will include a Street Fair on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in downtown Mooresville that will include a wide variety of vendors, entertainment and food trucks, a Kids Zone, live music and more at Pioneer Park, lots of fun activities and presentations at the Mooresville Public Library, and several designated parking areas with a shuttle to transport visitors to activities. 

The City of Martinsville will host live music and other activities during the weekend prior to the eclipse at both The Venue in downtown Martinsville and at Jimmy Nash City Park, including a Glow-in-the-Dark Party at the park on Saturday, a sunrise hike, craft fair and other programs at the Park on Saturday plus a live music downtown at The Venue on Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy bounce houses, big yard games and build your own straw rocket at the park on Sunday, then head to The Venue for an eclipse themed poetry event, live music, and giant games followed by a free movie night on Sunday! On Monday, The Venue will host a free eclipse party with live DJ and there will also be viewing events at the park as well. See calendar listings for more details at each location.  

Bradford Woods, a gorgeous wooded camp property owned by Indiana University just off highway 67, will offer lodging and activities for Eclipse weekend! Eclipse in the Woods offers one or two night reservations for all-inclusive packages. They have 10 traditional camp cabins available that sleep up to 18 people, plus the Agape Lodge, which is a family-style cabin that sleeps up to 17 people in six separate bedrooms and includes a kitchen, dining room and living area. Rates also include recreational activities, available from 9 am to 1 pm on Monday, that include fishing, canoeing, and a zip line! Recreational activities are for overnight guests only. Bradford Woods is a gated property and will not be open to the general public during the eclipse weekend. 

For Bare Feet, an industry-leading sock retailer and distributor based in Martinsville, is hosting a sock “Yard Sale” and offering free on-site parking and viewing of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse at their Martinsville headquarters. For Bare Feet will offer FREE limited parking (approximately 200 spaces) in their parking lot located at 1201 S. Ohio St beginning at 12 pm that day. Visitors may bring blankets, lawn chairs, etc. to set up in a designated viewing area adjacent to the parking lot in a grass lawn. Parking is first come, first serve. An on-site sock “Yard Sale” will feature surplus discontinued products, blank sock multipacks, and limited edition commemorative “Solar Eclipse” socks. 

Total E-glimpse of Martinsville is a fun scavenger hunt that will be available to eclipse visitors and local residents from March 15 through April 12. Learn more about Martinsville and be entered to win a $100 gift package by picking up a scavenger hunt form, answering the various questions by visiting local businesses and organizations, then turn your finished form in at either The Sterling Butterfly or The Martinsville Candy Kitchen by April 12. It's the perfect fun and family-friendly thing to do while you're in town during eclipse weekend. 

Eagles Pines Golf Club in Mooresville will host a limited number of eclipse viewers wishing to golf on the day of the eclipse, April 8. Cost is $70 per person and includes a full round of golf, picnic lunch, eclipse viewing glasses. Call 317-831-4774 to reserve your tee time today!  

The Mooresville First United Methodist Church will host a blood drive on Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm, as well as a chicken and noodle dinner on Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. Cost for the dinner is only $10 per person! There will also be an ecumenical community worship service at Pioneer Park on Sunday, beginning at 9:30 am that all are invited to attend. Meet at the stage in the park. 

Fox Cliff Golf Club will host an Eclipse Scramble on April 8, beginning at 10 am. Participating golfers will receive a souvenir tee shirt and eclipse glasses. Cost is only $25 per person! Enjoy the day on the beautiful golf course before viewing the total solar eclipse! After the eclipse, enjoy smash burgers from Hoosier Que, cornhole games and more as you wait for traffic to clear. 

The Morgantown First Christian Church will host an eclipse viewing cookout event from 1 to 4 pm at their location just outside of Morgantown on 2717 South Morgantown Road. There will be games and food on site and a limited number of eclipse glasses available.  

The Life Pointe Church of the Nazarene in Mooresville will host an all day community worship event, kicking off at 10:30 am with an outdoor service. There will be performances throughout the day from local praise and worship teams, then a community worship service at 7 pm. This is a free event and there will be parking available on site.  

Watch our calendar for area events and specials for eclipse visitors as the date gets closer and more plans are finalized. 

 

Statewide Information:

Visit Indiana has a page dedicated to the 2024 Eclipse featuring information on viewing events throughout the state: Visit Indiana Eclipse Information

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources also has information about state recreational properties that are in the path of totality: IDNR Eclipse Information

Learn more about the complete path of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse at nationaleclipse.com or eclipse2024.org

 

PLAN YOUR VISIT:

Additional Helpful Info From Our Blog:

Martinsville
Local Coffee Shops Jan 17

Local Coffee Shops

  • 5 minute read

Looking for a great cup of gourmet coffee while you're in the Morgan County area? Want to buy local and support locally…

Farms & Flowers
Helen Link's Daffodils Mar 24

Helen Link's Daffodils

  • 3 minute read

Many people know the story of amateur astronomer Dr. Goethe Link and how his amazing personal observatory - Link Observatory…