Can't travel for the April 8 solar eclipse? Experience it at these Milwaukee eclipse events

Claire Reid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·5 min read

The last total solar eclipse visible from the United States until 2044 will grace the skies on Monday, April 8.

This "Great American Eclipse" will turn day to night for a few brief minutes as the moon blocks the sun's light along a 115-mile-wide, southwest-to-northeast path across North America. Millions of people in 13 states stretching from Texas to Maine will be under this "path of totality" and able to witness the nighttime-like darkness of the total solar eclipse.

The rest of the country, including Wisconsin, will experience a partial solar eclipse. The partial eclipse will be visible in Milwaukee from 12:53 p.m. to about 3:22 p.m., with the peak of the eclipse occurring at 2:08:10 p.m. From Milwaukee, observers will be able to see the moon cover about 90% of the sun at the eclipse's peak.

As they did during the last total eclipse in August 2017, tourists living in partial eclipse areas will travel en masse to cities on the path of totality. The closest spots to Milwaukee on the path are southern Illinois and much of Indiana, with the closest major city being Indianapolis ― a four-hour drive away.

But don't despair if you're unable to travel out of town for this rare astronomical event. Here's a list of eclipse events and viewings in the Milwaukee area, including livestreams from locations on the path of totality.

An image of the 2017 total solar eclipse.
An image of the 2017 total solar eclipse.

UW-Milwaukee Planetarium 'Solar Eclipse Viewing Party'

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Manfred Olson Planetarium is offering free indoor and outdoor activities to celebrate the eclipse. Students, employees and members of the public are welcome to stop by briefly between classes or meetings, or stay for all two hours of activities.

Indoor activities will take place rain or shine in the Union Ballroom. These include a livestream of the total solar eclipse, a photo booth and photo station with mascot Pounce Panther, and free pizza, cookies and beverages. You can also make eclipse-themed crafts ― Make galaxy slime with the Studio Arts & Crafts Center, learn to cross-stitch a space-themed pattern with the Women's Resource Center or make a mindfulness jar with the Student Health and Wellness Center.

Outdoors, you can view the eclipse through provided eclipse glasses or telescopes on Spaights Plaza, just a short walk from the Union Ballroom. You can also play yard games, bedazzle your eclipse glasses or create chalk art.

Not free on April 8? UWM is also offering a "Prepare for the Solar Eclipse" event on Friday, April 5 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the planetarium where director Jean Creighton will go over the basics of solar eclipses and their impact on science, as well as answer questions. Tickets are $6 for the public and $5 for UWM students.

Milwaukee Public Museum solar eclipse watch party

The Milwaukee Public Museum will offer eclipse day activities rain or shine. If skies are clear, the museum will hold an eclipse viewing event outside near the Green Clock on Wells Street. MPM will also stream NASA's live webcast of the total solar eclipse in the museum's Garden Gallery.

Telescopes with special filters will be available for viewers, and eclipse glasses can be purchased for $2 per pair. MPM has indoor educational activities planned in the event of inclement or cloudy weather.

Wehr Nature Center 'Eclipse Day' event

The Wehr Nature Center in Franklin is hosting a free "Eclipse Day" event. Registration is not required, but non-members must pay a $5 parking fee. Families can "discover what makes an eclipse, learn safe viewing techniques and see the eclipse through a telescope with a solar filter." Eclipse glasses will be available for $1 per pair.

Pam Stumpf (left), of Mequon, and her daughter, Kila Larson, of Cedarburg, brave the mist and chilly temperatures during a walk with (from left) Larson’s niece, Sage Bennett, 4, of Fox Point, and Larson’s two children, Noa, 3, and Milo, 1, at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.
Pam Stumpf (left), of Mequon, and her daughter, Kila Larson, of Cedarburg, brave the mist and chilly temperatures during a walk with (from left) Larson’s niece, Sage Bennett, 4, of Fox Point, and Larson’s two children, Noa, 3, and Milo, 1, at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center eclipse viewing activities

The Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is hosting a drop-in, outdoor eclipse viewing event on its veranda. The nature center will provide a telescope with a solar filter and eclipse glasses. Viewers will have the opportunity to see the sun projected onto poster board through a solar scope, and naturalists will be available to assist viewers and answer eclipse questions.

The event is free for nature center members and included with the price of non-member admission ― $10 for adults, $7 for military and children 3-17, free for children 2 and under.

Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium's 'Total Solar Eclipse Shindig'

Waukesha's Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium, in the Retzer Nature Center, is putting on a "Total Solar Eclipse Shindig." The first 100 guests will receive eclipse glasses, and there will be "fun activities for all ages." You can also view the eclipse through solar telescopes at the event.

Throughout March, the planetarium is also offering eclipse-themed shows to prepare for the big day. Learn more about upcoming shows here.

Brookfield Public Library indoor solar eclipse streaming

The Brookfield Public Library will host a free, indoor eclipse streaming event. The live NASA webcast of the total solar eclipse will be available for viewing in the library's community room.

Is there another public eclipse event in the Milwaukee area you'd like us to add to this list? Email Journal Sentinel reporter Claire Reid at [email protected].

More: A list of solar eclipse events across the nation from Texas to Maine

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's a list of April 2024 solar eclipse events in the Milwaukee area

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