FREE admission on Monday promises a wild time in the city

Although the Indianapolis Zoo normally closes on Mondays in January, Martin Luther King Day is an exception to that rule — and in more ways than one.

Not only can you visit  sea lions, tigers, polar bear, walrus, and the indoor exhibits from 9 am to 4 pm on this holiday, but there are no gate admission fees either. Yep, you get in FREE as long as your heart is in the right place and you bring a canned food item for  Gleaner’s Food Bank (minimum donation of one item per person). That’s a fairly easy request for most of us and a perfect way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spirit. This is the second year our city has enjoyed a free zoo day for this holiday; last year they collected 2,600 cans of food.

How many will they collect this year? Be sure to stay in touch with the Zoo’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts to view the how many donations they stuff in their Kubata vehicle. If you come the closest to guessing the actual number, you’ll win a Dolphin Art Adventure and take home a bona fide painting from one of the friendly dolphins. That’s a $260 value.

But the zoo isn’t the only FREE admission choice for central Indiana families. These attractions are also throwing open their doors to the general public:

Conner Prairie: 10 am to 5 pm

The Indiana State Museum: 10 am to 5 pm

The Children’s Museum: 10 am to 3 pm.

Rhythm! Discovery Center: 10 am to 5 pm.

Even the parking is FREE along with family art-making activities at the Indianapolis Museum of Art  11 am to 4 pm

Victory Field is holding FREE health screenings from 10 am to 1:30 pm, and all participants receive two FREE tickets to the Indians opening day game on April 4.

White River State Parkway’s other attractions (Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, IMAX Theater, NCAA Hall of Champions) are also FREE with a canned food donation.