FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 8, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jen Thomas, 317-441-2487, [email protected]
Donna Imus, 317-730-3057
White River State Park Celebrates MLK, Jr. Day with Free Admissions
Park attractions open for free in exchange for food donations to benefit Gleaners;
Free health screenings offered by Eskenazi Health
INDIANAPOLIS – Visitors to White River State Park attractions will receive free admission and
free parking on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18, with a canned good donation (one can per
person, per attraction).
In addition to enjoying the attractions themselves, MLK Jr. Day visitors to the Park can:
 Experience the IMAX® film “Hubble” for free.
 Watch films with Dr. King’s speeches at the Indiana State Museum.
 Catch Jingle Rails at the Eiteljorg Museum the day before it chugs out of town.
 Get a free ticket to the Indianapolis Indians’ season opener if they complete a health
screening at the State Museum.
 See animals that love the cooler temperatures and plenty of indoor exhibits at the Zoo.
 View “Game of Change,” a film featuring a historic basketball game in 1963 where
Mississippi State disregarded an unwritten Mississippi rule against playing integrated
teams, at the NCAA Hall of Champions.
Since it started 16 years ago, the Park’s partnership with Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana on this
one-day, annual event has resulted in more than 95 tons of non-perishable, canned food
donations.
”The food drive not only helps Hoosiers in need, but allows families to enjoy these wonderful
facilities at no cost,” said Cindy Hubert, Gleaners’ president & CEO. “Last year, the drive collected
the equivalent of nearly 17,700 meals for us to distribute to food pantries and programs that feed
our hungry neighbors during the coldest months of the year!”
Special activities will take place throughout the day at most of the major attractions that make
up White River State Park: Eiteljorg Museum, IMAX® Theater, Indiana State Museum,
Indianapolis Zoo and the NCAA® Hall of Champions. The Indianapolis Indians will have activities
at the State Museum.
“Every year, our visitors rise to the occasion by filling the donation bins to benefit those less
fortunate while enjoying plenty of entertainment and healthy activities throughout the day,”
said Bob Whitt, executive director of White River State Park.
The following FREE activities at Park attractions will be taking place on MLK Day:

Indianapolis Zoo: Visitors can walk the grounds and see animals, especially the ones that
love the cooler temperatures. Favorite activities will include petting sharks, looking eyeto-eye with orangutans and gazing at dolphins (presentations are at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30
p.m.).

IMAX Theater: “Hubble: The IMAX Experience” chronicles the effort of seven astronauts
aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis as they repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Shown for
free as space permits at 10 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 12:20 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. Make
sure to get your IMAX tickets early that morning as there is limited seating capacity and
tickets are typically gone before noon.

NCAA Hall of Champions: Get your workout in at the NCAA Hall of Champions where
current and former student athletes lead classes. At 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., watch
the film “Game of Change,” involving the 1963 NCAA men's basketball tournament
regional semifinal. Mississippi State, an all-white team, sneaks out of town in the
middle of the night despite protests from the governor and state police of Mississippi to
play a Loyola team that features four black starters. Mississippi State overcame an
unwritten Mississippi rule against playing integrated teams with a cloak-and-dagger
flight to the North just one step ahead of a court injunction.

Indiana State Museum: Films, activities and performance art fill the museum as the life
and times of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are celebrated. Actors from the
Phoenix Theatre will present excerpts from “Butler,” a Civil War-era play featuring a
Union soldier and an escaped slave seeking asylum in Union territory. The Farmer’s
Market Café will be serving lunch.
Eskenazi Health and the Indianapolis Indians will offer free health screenings at the
Indiana State Museum. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., nurses will also be available to discuss
the importance of primary and preventive care. Anyone who participates in the health
screenings will receive a complimentary ticket to Opening Night at Victory Field on April
14 courtesy of the Indianapolis Indians. Plus, Rowdie, the Indians mascot, will stop by for
autographs between 11 a.m. and noon.

Eiteljorg Museum: Visitors can immerse themselves in Native American and Western
cultures with the museum’s many exhibits. It’s your last chance to visit Jingle Rails: The
Great Western Adventure, a one-of-a-kind G-scale train experience featuring the Vegas
Strip, Mt. Rushmore, Yosemite, the Golden Gate Bridge, Soldiers and Sailors Monument
and much more. Named a USA Today “10 Best” Indy holiday attraction in 2014, Jingle
Rails features trains that chug along nearly 1,200 feet of track through a network of
trestles, bridges and tunnels with detailed replicas of national treasures.
The Park is also offering complimentary parking on MLK, Jr. Day. Visitors may park in the
underground garage located off Washington Street in front of the Indiana State Museum, in the
surface parking lots at the Indianapolis Zoo and Victory Field, and in the surface parking lot
across from Victory Field next to the Park’s Visitor’s Center. Parking is not guaranteed and is on
a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information about White River State Park, visit www.whiteriverstatepark.org.
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About WRSP
White River State Park is the epicenter of Indianapolis culture, offering unique experiences with
a variety of educational and recreational world-class attractions. The Park is home to the
Indianapolis Zoo, Indiana State Museum, IMAX® Theater, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians
and Western Art, NCAA® Hall of Champions, Indianapolis Indians Baseball at Victory Field, the
Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park Concert Series, the Congressional Medal
of Honor Memorial and Military Park. To learn more about the Park and its many happenings,
visit www.whiteriverstatepark.org.
#MLKday @WhiteRiverStPrk