Guide

Explore Historic Sites in the Eclipse's "Path of Totality"

Get your popcorn ready and your sunglasses on, because the first total solar eclipse visible from the continental United States since 1979 is coming on Monday, August 21.

It's going to be one for the ages. The eclipse's path of totality (in which the full eclipse is visible) will make landfall exclusively in the United States for the first time since the nation's founding, traveling from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast. A partial eclipse will be visible elsewhere.

If you're lucky enough to be near the path, why not take in the history-making eclipse from a historic place? Below are some of our favorite historic sites in the eclipse's path of totality.


  2. Whitegrass Dude Ranch

    White Grass Dude Ranch

    Operated by the National Park Service and a true preservation success, the White Grass Dude Ranch will offer a wonderful vantage point for the total eclipse. Against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, the partial eclipse will start at 10:16 a.m. MDT, followed by the full eclipse at 11:34 a.m.

  4. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

    Photo By: Bryan Mullennix/stock.adobe.com

    Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

    The Gateway to the West will become a gateway to some breathtaking views Monday, as the moon and the sun pass over St. Louis' iconic archway in near-unison starting at 11:50 a.m. CDT. The maximum eclipse will appear at 1:18 p.m.

  5. Palladium Building

    Listed on the National Trust's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list of 2014, the Palladium in St. Louis was once at the heart of the area's African-American culture and nightlife. On Monday, it'll briefly be at the heart of an astronomical phenomenon. The partial eclipse begins in the St. Louis area at 11:50 a.m. CDT. The maximum eclipse will be visible at 1:18 p.m.

  6. RCA Studio A - Control Room - Music Row, Nashville

    Photo By: Rick Smith

    Nashville’s Music Row

    Nashville's bustling Music Row—the epicenter of country music past and present—will come to a standstill Monday when the city gets its first glimpse of the sun's atmospheric glow during the total eclipse at 1:27 p.m CDT. The partial eclipse will start just over an hour and a half earlier, at 11:58 a.m.

  7. Drayton Hall across the pond

    Photo By: Tony Sweet

    Drayton Hall

    The rural South Carolina setting brings peace and quiet to Drayton Hall, its sweeping vistas perfect for standing in awe of one of the galaxy's most spectacular sites. The partial eclipse will first come into view at 1:16 p.m. EDT. Ninety minutes later, beginning at 2:46 p.m., the total eclipse will last for about a minute.

This May, our Preservation Month theme is “People Saving Places” to shine the spotlight on everyone doing the work of saving places—in big ways and small—and inspiring others to do the same!

Celebrate!