Indianapolis, Ind. – Park officials and others announced plans this morning to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at White River State Park. In recognition of King’s life and work, Park attractions will offer free admission to visitors who bring a canned good or other non-perishable item to donate to Gleaners Food Bank on Monday, Jan. 16. One can per person is required for admission to each attraction.

Officials hope the announcement will give Central Indiana residents time to plan for a day on, not a day off, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. They also hope this gives residents time to clean out their pantries and join efforts to restock Gleaners’ shelves.

“We’re pleased to offer Hoosiers a place to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, and we’re hoping for a bustling crowd with food donations in-hand,” said Bob Whitt, executive director of White River State Park.

Pam Altmeyer, president and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank, also hopes visitors are generous with their donations. Gleaners, like other food banks across the U.S., distributed significantly less food in 2005 than in years previous. She sites natural disasters and the resulting redirection of donations, among other things, as reasons for the dip.
“Dr. King believed in the power and strength of community,” Altmeyer said. “Serving others is a fitting way to honor his legacy. We’re happy to be a part of the Park’s traditional Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, and we’re grateful to those who’ll donate food to help people among us who are struggling to meet the most basic of needs: hunger.”

Gleaners is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and has distributed 186 million pounds of food.

Each Park attraction will offer a different program. The NCAA Hall of Champions will feature "Basketball Dreams Day," from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a basketball knockout tournament, face painting, crafts and autographs by Boomer and other celebrities.

“The NCAA Hall of Champions, like the Park’s other attractions, is pleased to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities at the Park,” said George Smith, managing director of the NCAA Hall of Champions.” “We look forward to this celebration every year.”

Also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Indianapolis Indians will host an Indoor Baseball Fest at Victory Field. The event will feature an Xbox Baseball Challenge game, a special viewing of “The Life of Jackie Robinson,” Negro League memorabilia and a coloring contest with Rowdie (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

The Indiana State Museum will feature live performances of theater, song and dance to honor the memory of Dr. King. In addition to showing a film about his life, the museum will present “The Word of Truth,” a performance with dance, music and poetry by the Holly Frierson Group. The Legacy Theater Troupe also will offer live performances of the historic characters of Madame C.J. Walker and Mathew “Bones” Hooks (the black cowboy) as well as fictional characters. 

The IMAX® Theater will show “Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D,” a film presented and narrated by Tom Hanks that will take audiences to the surface of the Moon to walk alongside the Apollo astronauts who have stepped upon its surface.

Other ongoing Park exhibits include: “Into the Fray: The Eiteljorg Fellowship for Native American Fine Art,” featuring works by some of today’s best Native American contemporary artists at the Eiteljorg Museum, and "Tropical Adventure," inside the Hilbert Conservatory at White River Gardens, showcasing orchids and ferns, in addition to other floral displays. Animal exhibits will be open, weather permitting, at the Indianapolis Zoo.

The hours of operation for each attraction on Martin Luther King Jr. Day are:

* Eiteljorg Museum, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* IMAX Theater, “Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D”
Show times 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m. (Regular shows and admission fee resume after 4:30 “Magnificent Desolation” showing.)
* Indiana State Museum, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Indianapolis Zoo, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* NCAA Hall of Champions, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* White River Gardens, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Victory Field, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Complimentary parking is available at the Park attractions all day on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There's an underground parking garage located off Washington Street in front of the Indiana State Museum. The entrance is on the right, just a few feet west of the intersection of West and Washington streets. Parking also is available at the Indianapolis Zoo and Victory Field, both accessible from Washington Street, as well as the Washington Street parking garage at the corner of West and Washington streets.

Located in the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis, White River State Park is home to the Indianapolis Zoo, White River Gardens, Indiana State Museum, IMAX® Theater, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, NCAA Hall of Champions, Victory Field and Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial. White River State Park has more to do than you ever knew.

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