Crater of Diamonds State Park Selling Eclipse Tickets

Murfreesboro, Ark.—An eclipse will cross North America next month, and with NASA estimating that 31.6 million people live in the path of totality (the area where a full eclipse can be seen), there are a variety of opportunities to experience the cosmic event, including a state park known for its “finders keepers” public diamond dig. 

On Monday, April 8, the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas —seven acres of the eroded surface of a volcanic crater—will be center stage for the 2024 Great North American Eclipse, and it’s selling tickets for a viewing event.

The eclipse will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 3:08 p.m., with complete totality from 1:47 p.m. to 1:51 p.m., the park said.

The event time on the ticketing website is listed as 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Adult tickets are $15 and child tickets are $7, not including a small fee.

A ticket is required for each individual to enter the park on April 8. While ages five and under are free, they must still be listed on the ticket purchase for entry.

Cell phone service may not be available, so attendees are encouraged to have tickets downloaded to a phone, or printed, and ready to be verified from their vehicles at the park entrance the day of the event. 

After entry on April 8, visitors may travel throughout the park and diamond search area but, if they exit onto Arkansas Highway 301, re-entry will not be allowed until after 3 p.m., the park said.

Attendees are encouraged to bring snacks and water, as well as buckets, shovels, wagons, and sifting screens if they plan to search for diamonds, prior to the event. 

Refreshments will be available for purchase, and mining equipment for rent, in the Visitor Center while supplies last but are expected to sell out on the days leading up to and the day of the event.

The park offered a number of safety tips for attending the event, including communicating with your group, having set meeting locations and times, being mindful of any movement during the totality of the eclipse due to the dusk-type darkness it produces, and wearing proper eye protection.

Solar eclipse glasses, which have a special tint that reduces visible light of the partial eclipse to levels that are safe to view, will also be sold at the Visitor Center while supplies last.

Sunglasses and welding masks with a shade number lower than 12 are not dark enough to protect your eyes from damage, the park notes.

The park said it expects “record visitation” on the day of the eclipse and days prior, and it encourages guests who are traveling to leave earlier than needed and be prepared for traffic and long lines. 

While general visitation to the park will be limited on April 8, it will not be restricted in the days leading up to or following the eclipse event. 

Admission tickets may only be purchased online from this link.   

Tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable, and will not be accepted if sold to another party, the park said. It also warns buyers to be aware of scams and fake accounts pretending to sell admission to the Crater of Diamonds’ eclipse event. 

For more information, call Crater of Diamonds State Park at 870-285-3113 or email craterofdiamonds@arkansas.com.