All of the freebies around NYC to celebrate the solar eclipse 2024
New York City is hundreds of miles from the total solar eclipse’s zone of totality, but there are plenty of opportunities to view the partial event in the Big Apple — and snag some
The eclipse will be 91% viewable from the five boroughs — meaning New Yorkers can watch the moon pass in front of the sun until only a sliver of the star is visible at 3:25 p.m.
The edge of the moon will first pass in front of the sun at 2:10 p.m., and the event will conclude at 4:36 p.m. in the city.
“It will get dimmer but … you’re not going to see the stars come out or anything like that in the city,” Fox Weather meteorologist Dax Clark advised.
Manhattan skyscrapers with observatories like Top of The Rock, One World Observatory, the EDGE and the Empire State Building are all holding viewing parties Monday afternoon.
Tickets range from $44 to $94 for the high-flying views, which include protective glasses, and in some cases, a glass of champagne.
Manhattanites who would prefer to see the show in the sky closer to Earth are invited to a free viewing party at Greenly Plaza on Broadway between West 32nd and 33rd Streets, where the 34th Street Partnership will provide free eclipse glasses, themed crafts, black-and-white cookies and live music.
Everything to know about the 2024 solar eclipse
- The solar eclipse will take place Monday, April 8, blocking the sun for over 180 million people in its path.
- The eclipse will expand from Mexico’s Pacific Coast across North America, hitting 15 US states and pulling itself all the way to the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
- New Yorkers will experience the solar eclipse just after 2 p.m. Monday.
- A huge explosion on the sun, known as a coronal mass ejection, is anticipated, according to experts. This happens when massive particles from the sun are hurled out into space, explains Ryan French of the National Solar Observatory in Boulder, Colorado.
- To avoid serious injury to the eyes, it is necessary to view the event through proper eyewear like eclipse glasses, or a handheld solar viewer, during the partial eclipse phase before and after totality.
- The next total solar eclipse will take place on Aug. 12, 2026, and totality will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small slice of Portugal.
In the outer boroughs, New Yorkers can watch the out-of-this-world event for free at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, or the New York Hall of Science in Queens, where a $10 ticket lets patrons enjoy music, food and “hands-on NASA activities” from 1 to 5 p.m.
The celestial event will also line up perfectly with the Yankees game against the Seattle Mariners, which begins at 2:05 p.m. The first 15,000 fans at Yankee Stadium will receive a commemorative T-shirt to mark the occasion.
A ceremonial first pitch will be tossed by Cynthia Simmons, deputy director of Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, according to the team.
On Staten Island, a free watch party will be thrown at SIUH Community Park in St. George, featuring music, crafts and games.
Classic Harbor Line Cruises is setting sail for an eclipse-viewing expedition in New York Harbor.
For $96, customers will enjoy a complimentary drink and a pair of protective glasses.
Of course, that eyewear is a must for anyone looking to stare at the sky.
Free glasses are available at any public library in New York City, as well as at Warby Parker locations and Moynihan Train Hall.
The next time a solar eclipse will be visible in New York City will be in 2079, when the boroughs will be in complete totality.
