Weather permitting; the Louisiana State Arboretum will hold an eclipse viewing of the Great American Eclipse on Monday.
Viewing of the eclipse will take place from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the nature center.
Staff will provide information on eclipses along with games and crafts. Groups are encouraged to contact the park, in advance, to plan their visit during the eclipse.
While the path of the total eclipse will pass well north of the site, NASA maps indicate that the sun will be obscured by about 75 percent in south central Louisiana. The eclipse is estimated to begin at 11:51 a.m., reach peak eclipse at 1:23 p.m., and end by 2:51 p.m. Eclipse-viewing glasses will be provided by the site on a first come, first served basis. Experts recommend that people do not look directly at the sun, even during a partial eclipse.
More information about the 2017 Solar Eclipse can be found at eclipse2017.nasa.gov.
The Louisiana State Arboretum is a 600-acre preservation area providing 5.5 miles of hiking trails amid some of Louisiana’s most magnificent trees.
Nature programs on varying subjects from wildlife gardening to birdwatching are offered throughout the year, and for groups of 10 or more by request.
The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 per person to enter Chicot State Park. Once inside Chicot, the Arboretum is free.
The Arboretum Nature Center is located six miles north of Ville Platte on La. 3042, within Chicot State Park or three miles south of La. 106. For more information, call 888-677-6100 toll-free or 363-6290 in the Ville Platte area.
For more information about Louisiana State Parks visit LaStateParks.com, or follow Louisiana State Parks on Facebook and Twitter.