So many of our cities and small towns within Kentucky are filled with fascinating history and attractions. But there’s one event coming up next summer that already has this one small city booked to the brim with reservations. It’s something the area has been preparing for the past ten years, and you won’t believe why so many people are planning to take a trip to Hopkinsville!

Located in Christian County, the city of Hopkinsville has history that dates back to the late 1700's.
Visit Hopkinsville/YouTube
As of 2010, the small town had a population of roughly 31,000 residents. The town itself holds a lot of history, with one of the stops along the Trail of Tears falling right in the town. Today, you can visit the Trail Of Tears Commemorative Park right on East 9th Street, where you can get a beautiful mixture of history and the outdoors.
So, why is it that all of the hotels in Hopkinsville are booked up for the weekend of August 19th through the 22nd of next year?
Holiday Inn Hopkinsville/Yelp
If you've yet to already book a reservation for this historic event that can be witnessed in Hopkinsville, then I sincerely wish you the best of luck with trying to find one at this point in time. Next summer it will fall on this weekend that the continental United States will be able to witness a total solar eclipse for the first time since 1979. For those of you who don't remember, it was back in 1991 that Hawaii was able to witness a total eclipse.
It was roughly ten years ago when the director at Visit Hopkinsville received an email about the solar eclipse, inquiring where the best places in the city would be to view it.
Visit Hopkinsville/YouTube
Initially director Cheryl Cook thought the email was a joke, finding the thought of booking hotels ten years in advance to be something that was too out of the normal to be true. But this was no joke!
Since the small town became aware of the solar eclipse that was to come, they've been preparing for the thousands of out-of-town visitors that are now expected to come to Hopkinsville!
halfrain/Flickr
From stocking up on folding chairs to having a stock pile of fifty thousand solar eclipse glasses, this town has become fully prepared for the spectacular even that will take place next summer. You can even click here to view an entire section of their tourism site that's dedicated to the historic eclipse. You'll even find a running countdown to let you know exactly how long we have until we'll be able to view the eclipse!
During what many are referring to as "The Great American Eclipse," the moon will be closest to Earth as it passes over the city of Hopkinsville!
Takeshi Kuboki/Flickr
There are plenty of other amazing locations across America where you'll be able to view the historic solar eclipse, but it's only in Hopkinsville that you'll be able to view the moon as its closest to Earth.
Blanketed in darkness for a total of two minutes and forty seconds, tens of thousands of people are expected to come and view the total eclipse in Kentucky.
Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr
Kyle Greenberg/Flickr
If you were thinking that you'd have better luck booking a reservation in a nearby town outside of Hopkinsville, then don't get your hopes up. Other areas with hotels along Interstate 24 are also almost completely booked up.
In an even more peculiar turn of events, the solar eclipse isn't the only reason why the city of Hopkinsville will be full of life and celebrations at the end of August.
Wikimedia Commons
As if this natural event wasn't epic enough, the date of August 21st actually holds a greater significance to Hopkinsville. It was on this day back in 1955 that a local farmhouse in Christian County claimed to have a stand off of sorts with actual aliens. Investigated by local police and military, the residents claimed to have been visited by extraterrestrials that they attacked with gunfire.

Making headlines in the papers all across the United States, Hopkinsville now celebrates the unusual day in history by holding a Little Green Men Days Festival! Next year in 2017, the four day festival will be concluded by watching the total solar eclipse. Incredible, huh?

Will you be viewing The Great American Eclipse in Hopkinsville next year? There are so many locations in Kentucky that are worth visiting. For inspiration on the next trip you should take, find out the meaning behind the names of these 15 Kentucky Towns that most people don’t know about!

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