Muncie prepped and ready for up to 100,000 eclipse-viewing guests

The 2024 solar eclipse is on its way to Indiana this Monday afternoon, with much of the state in the path of totality.

In Muncie, the Ball State University Brown Planetarium says the celestial event begins in Muncie at 1:52 PM.  Totality will begin at 3:07 PM.

City officials estimate 100,000 eclipse fans will visit the city.  State officials say as many as four million solar tourists will enter the state to glimpse the midday darkness.

Michele Owen is communications director for the city of Muncie.  For that reason, officials began planning for the event nearly two years ago.

“We’ve talked to communities that had a path of totality in 2017, and had visitors from six different continents and 27 different countries.”

Owen says most of the area hotels are booked solid beginning Saturday.  The weekend will see many area celebrations, which will bring more traffic on the roads.  And Owen says Monday will see a strain on cell phone networks.

“We are recommending that you keep your phone on ‘airplane mode’ until you need to contact someone, just in case our emergency services need to be able to make a call in a hurry.”

Owen also talked with Stan Sollars about eclipse events and helpful hints for locals to navigate through the throngs coming to town.

Stan Sollars is IPR’s Morning Edition host and a senior lecturer in Ball State’s Department of Media.  Contact him at stansollars@bsu.edu.