Martin Luther King Jr. Day means a day off from school and work for many, but that doesn't mean the fun and learning have to take a hiatus.
Several places across Northeast Ohio are offering free or discounted admission in observance of the holiday. Many places, including local museums, zoos and more, are also hosting special programming and activities to honor Dr. King.
Check out the list of locations and events below.
Akron Zoo
Spend your day learning about the new lemurs and sliding with the river otters at the Akron Zoo, which is offering free admission to all guests. The Akron Chapter of the NAACP will be on site to provide fun activities.
Click here for more info.
Admission: Free
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: 505 Euclid Ave., Akron
Baseball Heritage Museum
Spend a few hours learning about Dr. King's connection to America's past time. The Baseball Heritage Museum will host a story time and crafts for kids to shed light on Dr. King's impact on the game of baseball.
Click here to register.
Admission: Free
Time: 11 a.m.
Where: 6601 Lexington Ave., Cleveland
Cleveland Botanical Garden
Visitors can enjoy free admission to the Cleveland Botanical Garden all day Monday.
Click here to learn more.
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland
Cleveland History Center
The Cleveland History Center will offer free admission to celebrate Dr. King. The center will provide a unique perspective on what it means to give back and be a hero to the community. Visitors can see Celebrate Those Who Give Black, an exhibition that tells the story of black philanthropy in Cleveland, learn about Carl and Louis Stokes, and view archival photos and newspapers documenting Dr. King's visits to Cleveland.
Click here for more info.
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 10825 East Blvd., Cleveland
Cleveland Museum of Art
Celebrate Dr. King's legacy through various art forms. The museum has a full schedule of programs and performances throughout the day, as well as art activities in the atrium for a more hands-on learning experience.
Click here for the full schedule of programs and events.
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Spend your off day in the Perkins Wildlife Center, or relax for a show inside the Shafran Planetarium. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is offering free general admission with special live animal presentations and specimens that aren't typically on display. Special mini shows will take place in the planetarium for $1.
Click here for more info.
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland
Cleveland Public Library
Celebrate the life of Dr. King at the Cleveland Public Library's 35th annual commemorative ceremony at John Jay High School. The ceremony will honor 150 Unsung Heroes of Cleveland who make a difference in their communities, while Robert P. Madison will receive the Drum Major for Change award.
Click here to register.
Admission: Free
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: 2075 Louis Stokes Blvd., Cleveland
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is hosting a fundraiser in observance of MLK Day. Visitors who donate $1 or more to the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland will receive $10 admission for the day.
The aquarium will highlight African-Americans who have bee influential in the fields of marine science and scuba diving as part of a “Search for Greatness” scavenger hunt. Participants will have a chance to win an annual family pass to the aquarium.
Guests can also sit in on a Sharks & Scuba talk, or meet new creatures during an animal encounter.
Click here to learn more.
Admission: $10 with a $1 minimum donation
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland
Great Lakes Science Center
The Great Lakes Science Center will provide special programming and activities throughout the museum, making it an ideal opportunity to keep kids entertained for the day.
Activities include live science demonstrations, Big Science Shows, a special panel featuring trailblazing engineers and other young professionals from NASA’s Glenn Research Center, hands-on science carts and more.
Demonstrations will be held in the Reinberger Auditorium on the lower level and the Cleveland Creates Zone on Level 1. A "Bubblemania!" lab will turn visitors into "Bubbleologist" experts every half-hour on Level 2 of the museum.
Visitors can also catch a film in the museum's Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater at a discounted price. Tickets will be $8.95 for adults and $6.95 for kids ages 2-12.
Click here for the full schedule of programs and activities.
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland
Karamu House
Karamu House is showing a free screening of "Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise", which revisits the victories of the civil rights movement to present day, asking profound questions on the state of black America and our nation along the way. Registration is required.
Click here to register and learn more.
Admission: Free
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: 2355 E. 89th St., Cleveland
Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King with a day of free programming.
Visitors can tour the museum's galleries and try family-friendly crafts, scavenger hunts and more.
The museum's special exhibit, Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music, will also be open for viewing.
- 10:30 a.m.: Sermon by Rev. Otis Moss Jr., who was a friend of Dr. King.
- 1 p.m.: Performance by The Evelyn Wright Quartet
- 3 p.m.: Screening of "Soundtrack for a Resolution: Freedom Songs from the Civil Rights Era"
Click here for more info.
Admission: Free
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood
North Coast Harbor Ice Fest
Spend some time outdoors at the North Coast Harbor Ice Fest, a free event for the public. Visitors will find ice displays along the walkway connecting the Great Lakes Science Center, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Harbor Verandas and Nuevo. Kids can try crafts, sip some hot cocoa and take photos with the Ice Throne, as featured in "Frozen: The Musical."
Outdoor activities schedule:
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Photo ops with Frozen's Ice Throne, Darth Vader ice carving, ice slide, scavenger hunt for swag, carving demos every hour
Activities at Nuevo from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
- Kids crafts
- Free hot cocoa and cookies
- Cleveland Monsters slap shot
- Carving demo: 5 p.m.
- Ride Spin! Q&A
- Lunch and happy hour specials
Character meet and greets:
- Gaming character: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Bat Hero: 11 a.m. to noon
- Snowman: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
- Snow Sisters: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Nuevo
Click here for more info.
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: E. 9th St., Cleveland
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock Hall has scheduled a full day of events in honor of the civil rights movement, including four programs in the Foster Theater and a full lineup of live performances on the Klipsch Audio Main Stage. Visitors can experience Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech all day in the Forest City Theater.
Foster Theater schedule:
- 10:30 a.m.: Let Freedom Sing
- 1:30 p.m.: Cleveland is the City: A Family Educational Session
- 2:30 p.m.: Rock & Roll and the Civil Rights Movement: A Family Educational Session
- 3:30 p.m.: Let Freedom Sing
Live performances on Klipsch Audio Main Stage:
- 10:30 a.m.: Rainey Institute Dance Team
- 11:30 a.m.: Notes for Notes
- 1 p.m.: Kyle Kidd
- 3 p.m.: The Katy
Learn more details on the scheduled programming here.
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where: 1100 E. 9th St., Cleveland
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Severance Hall
Spend an afternoon at Severance Hall's MLK Day open house, where visitors will find free performances and community engagement.
Fun activities include the "I Have a Dream" wall, coloring, puzzles and activity sheets, a book display by the Cuyahoga County Public Library and line dancing.
The performance schedule is as follows:
- 12:15 p.m.: Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
- 1:30 p.m.: 400: An Afrikan Epic with Dr. Mark Lomax
- 2:45 p.m.: 400: An Afrikan Epic: A conversation
- 4:15 p.m.: Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus
Click here for more information.
Admission: Free
Hours: 12-5 p.m.
Where: 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
