2024 Total Solar Eclipse in St. J

Come to St. Johnsbury, Vermont for the weekend of the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. We're the home of the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, Vermont's only public planetarium and a premiere hub for astronomical and science education in the region. St. Johnsbury is a one-of-a-kind town, and a perfect place to experience this once-in-a-lifetime eclipse event!

What to Expect

St. Johnsbury, population 7,300, is the largest town in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, and the regional hub for lodging, dining, shopping, and entertainment.

Here in St. Johnsbury, the eclipse will take place in the early afternoon of Monday, April 8, 2024, with the partial eclipse starting around 2:15 p.m., and "totality" (when the moon fully obscures the sun) occurring at 3:28 p.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m.

Ways to Experience Totality in St. J

Listen or Watch the Livestream from the Museum
The Fairbanks Museum's-own Mark Breen, host of 'Eye on the Night Sky', and Vermont Public's Jane Lindholm, host of 'But Why? A Podcast for Curious Kids,' will host a live broadcast from the Fairbanks Museum. Tune in to experience one of Vermont's premiere astronomy educators offering moment-to-moment commentary of the eclipse experience. The event will be LIVE on Vermont Public's radio and TV stations, and on YouTube, between 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Tune in

SUN+MOON+YOU at the Fairbanks Museum
1302 Main Street, noon - 5:00 p.m.
The Museum has already started eclipse-themed programming! Visit them leading up to the eclipse for special exhibitions, activities, and interpretation stations. (Pro tip: Reserve your spot at a planetarium show for that weekend in advance, as they're selling out fast.) On April 8, come to the event outside the Museum to experience FREE on-site activities, including a NASA livestream, family crafts, food trucks, a meet & greet with 'But Why' host Jane Lindholm, and a viewing party to experience the totality at the Museum.

Learn More

Viewing Party at Papa Tirozzi's
2165 Portland Street, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Open for lunch & dinner with extended hours, Papa Tirozzi's will host a viewing party on their lawn and covered patio with lawn games, kids activities, eclipse-day specials like "out of this world" milkshakes and more. This event is dog friendly!

Learn More

Total Solar Eclipse of the Heart at the Green Mountain Mall
2000 Memorial Drive
The Green Mountain Mall will host a viewing site for cars and RV's on their spacious 3.5-acre lawn site. Bring a lawn chair and your glasses to experience this celestial event. Car parking is $20 first-come, first-served. RV parking $60/night.

Learn More

Traffic & Parking

St. Johnsbury is at the intersection of several major throughways. Expect to see extra traffic all weekend long. This is especially true on Monday afternoon. Expect traffic jams and delays on all south and east-bound routes immediately after the eclipse, lasting several hours. Please be patient and considerate of others! If you can, consider making plans to stay in town through dinner, or overnight, to avoid peak traffic hours.

​​Sign up for Vermont eclipse traffic and weather alerts by texting VTECLIPSE to 888777.

Public Parking Areas & Accessibility Shuttle:
Free public parking sites have been designated for use on April 8. Most lots will be served by a Rural Community Transit & St. Johnsbury Academy shuttles between 11am - 5pm. The printable map below contains locations and shuttle information, or click on the Google Map to load the locations into your GPS. A disability-only lot is marked on each.

Printable Parking Map

Google Map

Additional Parking Areas:
Paid car parking is available at the Green Mountain Mall, which is hosting a viewing location on the day of the event for $20/car, first-come first-served only. Lot opens at 10am the day of the event.

Paid Parking Info

RV/Camper Parking:
Reservations are appreciated at the two RV parking locations available.

RV Camping

Additional Events & Dining

Eclipse-themed events have already started. Check out our Calendar for dozens of options including art and poetry exhibitions, live music, a fancy dress ball, astronomy talks, and more.

​Or, find other things to do while you're visiting via our Play directory.

Calendar

Play

Most restaurants are open extended hours all weekend, and on eclipse day! Choose your pre- or apres-totality experience by checking out all of the options on our Eat directory, or consider a few special events taking place on April 8 below:

Viewing Party @ Papa Tirozzi's
Open for lunch & dinner with extended hours, Papa Tirozzi will host a viewing party on their covered patio with eclipse-day special milkshakes and more. Details will be announced at: www.facebook.com/TirozziBakery

"Lawn" Games Indoors @ Kingdom Taproom
Open for lunch & dinner, Kingdom Taproom will host eclipse-themed specials and have lawn games like cornhole set up in their next-door event space. Details will be announced at: www.facebook.com/kingdomtaproomvt

Eclipse Karaoke @ 98 Mill
Open for lunch & dinner, 98 Mill will host their weekly Karaoke night with a special contest; the best rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" will win a prize! Details will be announced at: www.facebook.com/98mill

Eclipse Beer Release @ Whirligig Brewing
Open for lunch & dinner, Whirligig Brewing & Bistro will launch two limited eclipsebeer releases to pair with their full-service menu. Wine, cider, sake, and NA options also available. Details will be announced at: www.facebook.com/whirligigbrewing

Eclipse Afterparty @ St. Johnsbury Distillery
Lunar cocktails & mocktails, live music, full kitchen service, and more. Sit-down dinner is available by reservation only, although appetizers will be available for drop-ins. Tours of their on-site production distillery will be available on a drop-in basis. Learn more via: www.facebook.com/stjdistillery

Eat

Vermont in April

Early April in Vermont marks the confluence of several seasons: maple sugaring season, "mud season", and spring. Make sure you're prepared for all three with these tips:

• Respect the mud! Driving on dirt roads can be hazardous this time of year, and extra traffic during the eclipse weekend could create situations where roads become impassable. Avoid dirt roads if possible.
• Check the weather report. ​Pack boots and bring warm clothing. Most eclipse viewing events are outdoors.
• Hiking trails and natural areas can be damaged if they are used during mud season. Please avoid natural areas, and seek paved viewing locations instead.
• The eclipse isn't the only reason to visit Vermont this time of year. Consider planning a visit to a Vermont sugar maker like Goodwin Family Maple to sample the sweet stuff.

Book Your Stay

Area lodging is filling up. If your preferred lodging is full, call the Welcome Center to inquire about options: 802-748-8575.

Stay in St. J

Eclipse Glasses

**Safety tip** Please ensure that you use eclipse glasses that are compliant with the requirements of the ISO 12312-2.

Limited-edition glasses designed by Flek, Inc. featuring designs from St. J's own Dog Mountain will be available to purchase at the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center, Fairbanks Museum, and at Dog Mountain.

Additional glasses are available for purchase at most retailers in St. Johnsbury.

Free glasses are available at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum and NEKCA's Marketplace. 

Need Help?

Our historic Welcome Center at 51 Depot Square is staffed 9am - 4pm on weekdays, and Saturdays from 10am - 3pm. On eclipse weekend we'll be adding hours on Sunday, and staying open late on Monday, April 8!

Stop by for up-to-the-minute information, or call if you have questions that haven't been answered yet: 802-748-8575.