Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 in Southern Illinois
Did you know that The Ryder Family Farm is again right in the path of 100% totality for the April 8th, 2024 solar eclipse? That is right! The historic river town of Golconda, Illinois is one of the Southern Illinois cities along the route of totality for the Total Solar Eclipse of 2024. The Ryder Family Farm is hosting a Total Solar Eclipse Farm Dinner in 2024 for patrons! The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse will pass through Mexico, Central and Northeastern USA, and the Maritime provinces of Canada as it makes it’s way across the United States..
Totality is the maximum phase of a total eclipse during which the Moon’s disk completely covers the Sun. Some locations have varied levels of totality. For example, Chicago, Illinois will only experience a 93.5% totality during the 2024 solar eclipse. Depending on location and the date an eclipse occurs, totality can last from a fraction of a second to a maximum of 7 minutes 32 seconds.
The following image from The Great American Eclipse.com shows the path of totality as it passes over our farm, located just north of Paducah. Another notable fact, the April 8th, 2024 eclipse will be the last visible eclipse in the U. S. until 2045. Want more info? Click the link above to learn more about the Total Solar Eclipse of 2024.

Never Experienced a Total Solar Eclipse?
This video from NBC 5 Chicago shows some great footage of the 2017 Eclipse that happen in Southern Illinois. It gives you an idea of what things will look like.
Looking enjoy the Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 outside the big city?
Our farm is busy planning a wonderful array of experiences for visitors seeking eclipse event totality in 2024. It is going to be an experience you wont forget! Think amazing food, farm animals, the beauty of The Shawnee National Forest and the total solar eclipse all at once.
This isn’t our first eclipse and we know that Southern Illinois is the best place for 2024 eclipse viewing. Our farm’s location was also inside the line of totality for the August 21, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse and it was amazing to hear all the sounds of farm life slowly come to a halt as the sun set over the pastures for a few minutes. Our chickens got very quiet, the goats and dogs got very still and confused. Crickets began to chirp in unison. You could see the stars in the middle of the day!
For the Total Solar Eclipse of 2024, our farm’s location will give visitors a 2 minute and 50 second, life changing experience, without the crowds! We are planning unique opportunities for visitors to the area that only our farm can do.
We have tickets our “Farm Dinner” Total Solar Eclipse experience available now and will launch a variety of add-on experiences and merchandise shortly. Attendance will be limited and demand will be high for this unique Southern Illinois eclipse experience on our farm.
The eclipse will begin at 12:43 pm CDT on April 8, 2024 in our location with totality projected to be happening at 2:00 pm and lasting for 2 minutes and 50.8 seconds, almost 3 minutes of totality!