Visitors can celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with free admission on Monday,Jan. 20, at the Indiana State Museum as well as its Historic Sites across the state, including three in Central Indiana.
Although the museum system is typically closed on Mondays, weather permitting, the Indiana State Museum, and Levi and Catharine Coffin and T.C. Steele state historic sites will welcome visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a way to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy through a day of reflection with the community.
At the Indiana State Museum, hands-on collaborative activities, curator chats, artifacts and multicultural performances will help guests connect with themes like service and community that were central to King’s teachings and learn about the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equity.
Visitors can get a rare glimpse of original copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment signed by President Abraham Lincoln and see examples from the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites collection of everyday objects invented by Black creators and thinkers, including the acoustic guitar and the traffic light. Videos highlighting King’s iconic speeches will play throughout the day. Families can also make building-block towers inspired by the designs of Black architects.
Scheduled performances featuring dancers, musical artists and more will take place throughout the day. Plus, all three floors of the museum will also be open for visitors to explore, including featured temporary experiences like Cardboard Storyland and Nikon Small World.
In partnership with White River State Park and its attractions, the museum will collect monetary donations to benefit Gleaners Food Bank. Visitors are encouraged to give any amount via Dip Jars.
At the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site in Fountain City, visitors can take a guided tour of the Coffin home to see what life was like for the Quaker couple as they supported the Underground Railroad. Among many highlights in the modest house, which became known as “the Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad,” visitors can peer inside a narrow cubby on the second floor that once concealed freedom-seekers as they made their way north on the Underground Railroad. Guided tours are available at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
At T.C. Steele State Historic Site in Nashville, visitors can take a guided tour to see the charming home, known as the House of the Singing Winds, that the renowned impressionist artist shared with his second wife, Selma. Inside the large studio, guests can also get up close to a rotating selection of Steele’s original paintings. Guided building tours are offered at 10:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Additionally, visitors take a self-guided hike to discover the outdoor studio, featuring a wagon modeled after Steele’s own traveling studio, and explore the site’s expansive natural surroundings, including the real locations that inspired Steele’s artworks.
Registration for guided tours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is required by Jan. 17 and can be made by calling the sites directly. Visitors can go to IndianaMuseum.org for more information about the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites’ 12 locations across the state.
