Where to watch the 2024 solar eclipse in Brooklyn

By Stacey Lastoe

If you haven’t made plans to head upstate to Buffalo which sits directly in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on April 8, you’re not necessarily out of luck. Recent long-term forecasts are showing clearer skies in New York City on Monday, which could mean good things for Brooklynites staying in the borough and hoping not to miss out on the once-in-a-generation event.

The eclipse is expected to be visible in the city beginning at 2:10 p.m., reaching totality over an hour later, at 3:35 p.m. If skipping town isn’t in the budget, not to worry. We’ve rounded up the best spots in Brooklyn for witnessing the astronomical anomaly.

All you need to do is show up — and, unless you’re headed to one of Brooklyn Public Library’s locations, where free glasses are on offer while supplies last — don’t forget the proper eyewear to protect your precious peepers.

Brooklyn Bridge Park
1 Water Street, Dumbo
Although there is no official eclipse party in one of Brooklyn’s most scenic spots overlooking the East River, the 1.3-mile waterfront park with unobstructed views in Dumbo is sure to be a terrific spot for watching the sun get 90 percent eclipsed by the moon, turning the midday sky dark and mysterious. Bring your own glasses and snag a spot on the Main Street lawn or the lawns on Piers 1 or 3. Bring cheese and crackers or plan to buy food from Luke’s Lobster or Fornino. While there are many dog-friendly areas of the park (and canines don’t need special eye protection), you might want to leave Fido at home to avoid causing stress or anxiety due to the unusual event and change in environment.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
150 Eastern Parkway, Central Brooklyn
From 1 to 5 p.m. on Monday, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will welcome families, nature enthusiasts and budding astronomers to its grounds to witness the spectacle. The free event is BYOB (Bring Your Own Blanket) and no outside food or drink is permitted. Although the eclipse isn’t expected to start until an hour and change after garden doors open, you’ll want to get there early to snag some limited-supply Warby Parker ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses that meet an international safety standard for solar viewing. Encouraging participants to observe the effects of the eclipse, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s website poses some thoughtful questions: “Will blooms be fooled into closing? Will leaves turn in?” The Garden-wide experiment awaits your Monday afternoon observations.

Brower Park Library at Brooklyn Children’s Museum 
155 Brooklyn Avenue, Crown Heights
Pack up the kids and head to Crown Heights where the Brooklyn Children’s Museum Brower Park Library will be hosting an eclipse viewing from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. But first, make a stop at the Central Library, where you can pick up a solar eclipse education grab-and-go kit. Free while supplies last, the kit includes activities for children ages 5-10 to learn about the astronomical event and try their hand at drawing planets and their very own eclipses. If this location isn’t convenient, check out the library in your neighborhood, as most are doing something special to celebrate the special event.

Clinton Hill Library
380 Washington Avenue, Clinton Hill
Case in point! There’s a party taking place in Clinton Hill on Monday from 2 to 4:30 p.m., and it’s at the local library, where all ages are welcome and invited to create pinhole viewers, create sidewalk art using chalk and of course view the eclipse as it passes over the Big Apple. Eclipse glasses will be first come, first served and many more pairs to be passed around and shared as the sun dips out of view. Afterwards, head to one of the neighborhood’s beloved restaurants — Chef Katsu Brooklyn for a katsu burger of your choosing or Speedy Romeo for wood-fired pizzas with inventive toppings — and recap the collective viewing experience you just witnessed.

Coney Island
1208 Surf Avenue, Coney Island
To see what the eclipse will look like from Coney Island’s boardwalk, you can check out Eclipse 2024 and decide for yourself if this is where to witness the astronomical spectacle. The predicted “deep partial” (magnitude 90.6 percent) has us giving it an enthusiastic thumbs up, but that’s also because Coney Island on quieter days is an intriguing place with some of the city’s best people watching (Luna Park is technically open, but spring really needs to fight back). You’re bound to encounter a spirited group of eclipse viewers out here — bonus: Nathan’s Famous will be open all day.

Domino Park
15 River Street, Williamsburg
With five acres of parkland in one of Brooklyn’s most happening neighborhoods, Domino Park, is practically guaranteed to be extra lively come Monday afternoon ET (that’s eclipse time). Located at the Domino Sugar Refinery site, Domino Park, with its wide-open views, has places for dogs to play, kids’ playground, picnic tables and benches, and a bike trail along the East River. Setting up camp here to catch the rare event puts you in the perfect position for further Brooklyn shenanigans (Other Half’s taproom is open until 10 p.m.) after the eclipse has passed over the city.

Green-Wood Cemetery
500 25th Street, Greenwood
With New York City’s 90 percent expected totality of the 2024 solar eclipse (the next one isn’t until 2044, though New York won’t be impacted again until 2079), one of the best spots to see the cosmic event is in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. With an assist from Pioneer Works, the non-profit cultural arts center based in Red Hook, visitors are invited to meet at the Historic Chapel in Green-Wood Cemetery’s Meadow where special edition glasses (first come, first served) and telescopes equipped with solar filters will be available at no cost. Vendors will be selling soft drinks and snacks; the family-forward affair prohibits alcohol, though you may bring your own picnic-type fare. Neighboring Greenwood Park beer garden on Seventh Avenue will open early to serve thematic drink specials along with eclipse-shaped calzones.

Industry City
220 36th Street, Sunset Park
It’s never a bad idea to gather at this vibrant Sunset Park enclave, home to dozens of eateries, several breweries (Big Alice and Gun Hill are open on Monday; hit Fort Hamilton Distillery for the harder stuff), and a handful of coffee shops (Gumption Coffee’s Australian-style coffee is solid) plus myriad shops. But it’s the open seating outside that’s the real draw on Monday. Gather your crew and bring your glasses and find a spot on the outdoor campus at a picnic table or on the lawn. When it’s time for the eclipse, you’ll be surrounded by a community of curious eclipse seekers and can share in this unique opportunity for a collective group experience.

Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier 
Ferris Street and Coffey Street, Red Hook
This tucked-away park in Red Hook happens to have the city’s closest front-facing view of Lady Liberty. Prior to the eclipse on Monday, the Statue of Liberty will be the thing to take in, but once the eclipse begins, you’ll want to don your protective eyewear and watch as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. Although the park hasn’t announced any official eclipse viewing, the 2017 eclipse brought a lot of Brooklynites out to this stretch of the borough, and it’s likely that the energetic onlookers will be back for the upcoming eclipse. Stop by Sunny’s Bar for a pint afterwards and tell them we sent you (they won’t care, but tell them anyway).

Shirley Chisholm State Park
1750 Granville Payne Avenue, Jamaica Bay
From 2 to 4 p.m., one of the borough’s newer parks, plonked on a former landfill overlooking Jamaica Bay, will be hosting an eclipse event. In addition to views of the eclipse pass over the city, the park boasts great skyline views and a peaceful respite from [gestures vaguely everywhere]. At 130 feet above sea level, it’s some of the highest ground in the city. Take in the Empire State Building to the northwest, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and New York Harbor to the west, and Jamaica Bay to the south. There are plenty of biking and hiking trails here too, if you feel like exploring the landscape either before or after viewing the eclipse from Hendrix Creek Patio.