A little history. A world of fun!

Museum guests on April 8 are invited to join a global event – a solar eclipse!

Guests will learn a little about eclipses in Jamestown and Yorktown’s history, and they will have the opportunity to make their own solar eclipse paper viewer to safely experience the partial solar eclipse in Williamsburg’s northern hemisphere.

Did you know that an eclipse was visible from Jamestown on July 31, 1608 (Julian calendar)? Or that Thomas Jefferson attempted to view an eclipse on June 24, 1778, except for the cloudy conditions?

During a span of two-and-a-half hours, the partial solar eclipse will be 80-85% visible with the maximum view expected to take place at 3:19 p.m. The partial eclipse, the moment the edge of the moon first touches the edge of the sun, is expected to begin at 2:03 p.m. and end at 4:32 p.m.

Museum guests will be provided paper and instructed on how to create a viewer, and then stand with their back to the sun to see the reversed image of the eclipse projected onto a paper card.

Paper viewer materials will be provided at Jamestown Settlement in the Zadarlik-Sogoloff Gazebo, and on the Ferguson Lawn at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. There are several outdoor locations at both museums for guests to use their paper viewers to view the eclipse.

Guests are encouraged not to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection using solar eclipse glasses or other approved methods, as it could seriously damage eyesight or even cause blindness.

The eclipse viewing event is included with museum admission.