The total solar eclipse is approaching quickly and solar eclipse events in Philadelphia are popping up. The last time a solar eclipse crossed the United States was in 1918.
Restaurants, bars, libraries, colleges, museums, art centers and the One Liberty Observation Deck are ready to celebrate.
Pennsylvania
Bucks County
Bucks County Community College in Newtown will be hosting a viewing party outside of their new Science Center. Science professors will be ready to answer questions. There will be snacks.
The Margaret R. Gundy Memorial Library will host a viewing party with games, crafts, activities, books and snacks. The Library will have viewing glasses as well as a live stream of the NASA television channel. The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m.
Chester County
The West Chester University Philips Memorial Library will host an Eclipse Viewing Party from 1 to 4 p.m. Telescopes and eclipse viewing glasses will be available. The event will have educational activities.
Delaware County
The Darby Free Library, from 12 to 4 p.m. will be handing out viewing glasses for their eclipse party. There will be science exhibits and quizzes.
The Folcroft Library will have filtered binoculars and telescopes available for their eclipse viewing. A member of the Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers will be giving explanations. The event takes place from 1 to 5 p.m.
Lancaster County
The North Museum of Nature and Science in Lancaster is hosting an event for the solar eclipse from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will have special presentations, a NASA live webcast and specialized solar telescopes.
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Lehigh County
The Da Vinci Science Center's Solar Eclipse Party on Monday, August 21 begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. There will be performances, science activities, livestream of NASA and the creation of eclipse pinhole cards.
Montgomery County
The Upper Moreland Free Public Library is holding a party for all ages from 1 to 4 p.m. at its Park Avenue location in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
Northampton County
Crayola Experience is hosting a "safe and colorful" space to watch the total solar eclipse. The event in downtown Easton, Pennsylvania will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. Ticket purchase is necessary but children under three are allowed to participate for free!
Philadelphia
The Community College of Philadelphia is hosting a solar eclipse party at its main campus beginning at 2:30 p.m. with a speech by the college's president Dr. Donald Guy Generals. Eclipse glasses will be avilable while supplies last. There will be popcorn and Milky Way bars as well.
McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Philadelphia is inviting people to shield their eyes from the sun’s harmful rays by “sitting in a cool, dark bar.” McGillin’s, the oldest continuously tavern in Philadelphia, opened in 1860, also a year that had a total solar eclipse. They will be serving Troeg’s No Sunshine Pils and a limoncello martini “eclipsed” by a drizzle of black sambucca called the Solar Eclipse.
The Franklin Institute will host a viewing of the eclipse from 12 to 4 p.m. with science educators available. The viewing will take place in the Fels Planetarium, Franklin Hall and along Winter Street.
The Wagner Free Institute of Science is having pinhole-camera workshops and eclipse model demonstrations during their viewing party that takes place from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The Independence Seaport Museum is having a picnic viewing party that is BYO lawn chairs, blankets and food. The Museum is selling eclipse viewing classes for three dollars. The event lasts from 12 to 4 p.m.
The Please Touch Museum is holding a Solar Eclipse Celebration featuring space-themed activities, a Starry Night room and sun yoga.
The Wynnefield Library is having a solar eclipse viewing party that begins at 1 p.m. where you can make eclipse viewers.
One Liberty Observation Deck is giving a free upgrade to the Sun & Stars ticket on Sunday and Monday. This means that you can visit twice within the 48 hours for the price of one ticket. “Our general admission is $14 for just one time,” Ya Yang Guest Service Manager said.
The Mann Center for the Performing Arts is having Super Solar Saturday from 12:30 to 7 p.m. The event will have interactive science experiments, live performances beginning at 1 p.m., face painting and life-size star wars characters wandering about. The event will come to an end with a 7 p.m. showing of Hidden Figures.
New Jersey
Camden County
Bellmawr Public Library is hosting a solar eclipse viewing party. The library will have games, crafts, a space-themed photo booth and eclipse viewing glasses.
Gloucester County
Rowan University will be hosting a solar eclipse viewing party at their Science Hall. There will be hands-on activities, solar telescopes to safely view the eclipse, games and free water ice. For the first 1,000 visitors there will be Planetarium stickers, solar eclipse glasses, goodie bags and solar eclipse temporary tattoos.
Delaware
New Castle County
Kirkwood Library will be hosting a viewing from 1 to 2:30 p.m. At the event, guests can make a pinhole viewer projector.
The Brandywine Hundred Library will host a party from 2 to 3 p.m. The party will have stories, experiments and crafts.
