The Eclipse Is Coming

A historic event is happening on August 21, 2017 that will put Lincoln at the heart of a once in a lifetime experience.

On that day, we will experience the first visible solar eclipse from the United States since July 1991 and the first to sweep across the country from coast-to-coast since 1918. Visitors from all over the world will be coming to the United States to take part in events and view the eclipse, including events taking place right here in the Capital City. Lincoln, which sits on the northern edge of the eclipse, will enjoy just over one minute of totality. This makes Lincoln a prime viewing area for visitors to experience the city and see the eclipse.

Lincoln Solar EclipseI can’t overstate the impact this event will have on the tourism economy for Lincoln and all of the communities across Nebraska in the path of the eclipse. Hotels have already received bookings from groups traveling to Lincoln from all corners of the globe, including groups coming from places as far away as Australia and Asia. Most of the bookings are for multiple day stays and for multiple people as visitors are choosing to arrive early and stay late for the event.

There In the weekend leading up to the eclipse, Lincoln will be hosting many shows and events, including Kendrick Lamar, Crawford vs. Indongo Boxing Championship, Joe Bonamassa at Pinewood Bowl, Capital City Ribfest and much more.

You can find more information about all events leading up to the eclipse at the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau website, www.lincoln.org.

A general timeline for August 21 is as follows:

  • 11:37:17 a.m. – Partial eclipse begins
  • 1:02:36 p.m. – Total eclipse begins
  • Approximate length of totality: 1 minute, 24 seconds

Lincoln Eclipse 2017 T-shirtOn the day of the event, Haymarket Park will be a gathering point for the public and a venue for a Science and Engineering Expo to complement the viewing experience. A special Eclipse delay will be part of a noon starting time as the Saltdogs take on the Gary, Indiana, SouthShore Railcats. The day includes interactive exhibits and presentations as well as event t-shirts and free Eclipse-viewing glasses. The expo will be run next to the stadium along the promenade outside its gates to remain accessible to the public throughout the game. Continuous live images will be video streamed from the UNL student observatory (atop the Memorial Stadium parking garage) and the UNL Minnich Solar Telescope (perched on the Jorgensen Hall physics building) for periodic display on stadium viewing screens, or picked up by anyone’s personal tablets or smartphones.

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce - Joining Organizations LogoThe Chamber’s mission is to improve the lives of Lincoln residents by providing increased economic opportunity and can only be accomplished together. For more information on the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, (www.lcoc.com) please contact Jaime Henning at jaimehenning@lcoc.com.