Where to watch the 2017 Solar Eclipse in Philadelphia

On Monday, August 21, North America will have front row seats to the first total solar eclipse in almost 100 years.

What is a total solar eclipse exactly? The moon will come in between the Earth and the sun for up to three hours, blocking the sun.

There are plenty of watch parties happening in Philadelphia for you to make the most of this epic event.

Here are our top picks:

Skygarten
1717 Arch St. 
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$5 to $20

Philly’s tallest beer garden — a cool 51 stories up in the air — is the perfect place to watch the eclipse on Monday. Bartenders will be making eclipse-themed cocktails like Black Hole Sun (bourbon, triple sec and orange) and Cold Side of the Moon (a frozen Schöfferhofer). There will also be moon pies and an Eclipse Burger, a double patty made with turkey and beef patties.
$5 tickets will get you NASA-approved eclipse glasses and entrance on their east side outdoor deck and $20 tickets will get you glasses and standing room access to their west side terrace.

The Franklin Institute
222 N. 20th St. 
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Free with museum admission

Looking for a family-friendly place to make the total solar eclipse experience a memorable one? Take the kids to The Franklin Institute for a day at the museum as well as being able to view the eclipse from the Fels Planetarium. There will also be a live broadcast from chief astronomer Derrick Pitts, who will be reporting from Missouri, the prime spot for viewing it in the United States.

Wagner Free Institute
1700 W. Montgomery Ave.
12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Free with online registration

Another option if you’re taking the kids to see the eclipse is the Wagner Free Institute. There will be eclipse-themed activities all day like making your own pinhole camera, viewing eclipse from the Sun Funnel telescope and watching the NASA live broadcast.