DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Many people from around the world chose to come to Wapakoneta for Monday’s total solar eclipse, and the city is still feeling the effects of that spike in tourism.
While it won’t be reflected in any future census, the population of Wapakoneta more than tripled on that one day. Early estimates show more than 20,000 visitors for the eclipse, a big jump for a city of normally around 10,000.
Much of that traffic was centered on one prime spot: the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, which saw 4,200 people on Eclipse Day.
The Wapakoneta-area Chamber of Commerce said many hotels, restaurants and other local businesses saw immense boosts in traffic from visitors looking to make a whole weekend out of the event.
“The numbers are still coming in, but it’s looking like two to three times our population,” said the Chamber Executive Director Jackie Martell. “Not only for the eclipse on Monday, but the weekend full of just so many people in our town from many states. Even many countries.”
Businesses in the area said they had record days of sales on the weekend of the eclipse, with many selling out merchandise well before it was over.
