FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — More than 3,000 people flooded the grounds of Conner Prairie living-history museum in Hamilton County for Monday afternoon’s total solar eclipse. 

Many in the crowd experienced saw their first total solar eclipse and described it as a great experience, cool, and a once-in-a-lifetime event.  The two Hamernick sisters said they enjoyed just seeing and having fun with the experience.”

The sisters and their family trekked from the Chicago suburbs to Conner Prairie, and shared the same message as the 3,000 people in attendance.

The Ott and Goff couples said it was really cool for those three minutes of totality.

As the skies turned dark. Justin Bowen got down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend, Kimberly Deden, who of course said “yes.” Bowen wrote “Will you Marry Me” inside eclipse glasses and got the answer he was looking for.

As totality was in the waning seconds, the crowd counted down and cheered as the venue went into total darkness.

Some had a hard time putting into words what today was really about. 

Leah Whatley, from Charleston, South Carolina, said, the words “phenomenal,” “amazing” and “awesome” were created to describe events such as the total solar eclipse.  

Amongst the guests at Conner Prairie was Indiana native and NASA astronaut Mark Brown. Brown’s family joined him.

Even after being in space, Brown said, Monday’s celestial event still had him in awe. “Well, first of all, it’s really a miracle, if you want to think about it that way. The old timers used to call it the majestic clockwork by when the planets and everything will rotate around. Like you said, every couple hundred years or so, things align perfectly. We have this black spot that comes down on the Earth, that we get to enjoy this unique experience.”