Milwaukee Public Museum hosts 'partial eclipse' viewing party

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Hundreds in southeastern Wisconsin took time out of the day to see Monday’s solar eclipse.

Even if people could only see 83% of the eclipse in Milwaukee, hundreds of people came out to get a glimpse of the rare moment.

The Milwaukee Public Museum hosted a partial eclipse viewing party from 10:00 a.m.  – 3:00 p.m. People got a chance to see the eclipse through telescopes and special glasses that were available to share.

The crowds got bigger once the eclipse became viewable, which was between 11:54 and 2:40 Monday afternoon.

There was also a NASA live stream going on inside for families to enjoy.

Organizers say after years of planning they wanted to make today a memorable moment for everyone.

“I think for any family, this is a special experience. Being able to view something that really only happens once or twice in a lifetime is an exciting thing to experience together so this should appeal to all families,” says Meghan Schopp, Director of Education and Public Programs at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

The next time a full solar eclipse will happen will be April 8, 2024. The line of totality will run through central Indiana and southern Illinois.