Free events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 21 this year—a celebration to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who bravely dreamed of a better world and then did something about his dream. He remains an inspiration to many of us, and it’s good to remember the message he shared.

While you’re reflecting on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and what a change he made in America, don’t forget about all the special offerings in town you can take advantage of on the day devoted to him. Here’s the rundown:

FREE Admission to each of the following Indianapolis locations:

• White River State Park (from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., provided that each person in your group brings one non-perishable item of food)
• The Children’s Museum (from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
• Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Rhythm! Discovery Center (from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Indiana Historical Society (also from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

Other offers to keep in mind:

• The IMAX Theater will be showing both “Born to Be Wild” and “To The Arctic” for FREE (until 5:00 p.m.)
• Ronald Nored (of Butler basketball lore) will be reading stories to kids from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the NCAA Hall of Champions
• You can receive FREE health screenings at Victory Field, and participating will earn you two FREE tickets to Opening Day on April 4 (vs. Colorado at 7:00 p.m.)

Finally, the Madam Walker Theatre Center will be streaming the inauguration of President Barack Obama for FREE. You can watch the nation’s first black president (thanks in no small part to the fulfillment of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic dream) be sworn in to start his second term at 11:00 a.m. Just be aware that the Theatre only seats 937 and  they will fill up. Before the streaming, you can come enjoy a FREE community breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at the Indianapolis Urban League. From there, the group will take a “Freedom Walk” at 10:30 a.m. that leads to the Madam Walker Theatre.

You have plenty of ways to enjoy the day devoted to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with your whole family. Whatever you decide to do, we hope you keep this list of freebies in mind.