“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday is a day we commemorate a brilliant man who moved people to change through his words, action, faith, etc. and the following Museums are celebrating him by offering FREE admission to the general public on MLK Day.
Know of any that didn’t make the list? Please feel free to include them in the comments. Tag/share with friends and make plans today!
Museum Celebrates Community with Free Admission

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is opening its doors to the community over Martin Luther King weekend in thanks and recognition for the support they have received over the course of the past year. Community Appreciation Days with FREE museum admission begin Saturday, January 16 and continue through Monday, January 18.
“We wanted to thank our community, and what a better way to do that than to share our mission with all,” shares the museum’s Senior Director of Institutional Advancement Kate Fineske. “The past year has seen struggles like no other for so many. Yet our community rallied to ensure our museum continued to keep Great Lakes history afloat for generations to come with their generous donations, membership renewals, museum store purchases, online interactions, and continued visitation. ”
All this support, along with the community improvement and service spirit of the Martin Luther King holiday, inspired the National Museum of the Great Lakes to begin 2021 with an act of community gratitude after their annual cleaning shutdown. Museum-only admission to non-member visitors would typically be $10 for adults and $8 for children. To ensure the health and safety of their guests, the museum requires masks at all times and has a limited attendance capacity. Although not required, timed, pre-purchased entry tickets are strongly encouraged and can be reserved online at nmgl.org.
For those community members unable to join in these Community Appreciation Days, the museum encourages them to visit their History From Home landing page at nmgl.org/virtual-content which includes FREE interactive virtual tours of the museum and museum ships, videos, Great Lakes history articles and tons of other at-home activities and maritime education for all ages.
About the National Museum of the Great Lakes: Founded in 1944, the Great Lakes Historical Society has been preserving our shared cultural history by publishing a quarterly journal Inland Seas® since 1945; by operating a maritime museum since 1952; by offering educational programs to the general public since 1956; by conducting underwater archaeological research across the Great Lakes since 2001; and by managing the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship since 2014 and Museum Tug Ohio since 2019. The opening of the National Museum of the Great Lakes enables the Great Lakes Historical Society to continue its mission to preserve and make known the important history of the Great Lakes.
WHAT: Community Appreciation Days
WHEN: Saturday, January 16; 10am-5pm
Sunday, January 17; noon-5pm
Monday, January 18; 10am-5pm
WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lakes
1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605
ADMISSION: FREE
Website: https://nmglstore.org/collections/presale-museum-admission

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Hours: Monday Jan. 18th, 10am -5:30pm
Address: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard,
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Admission: FREE (Normally $26 for adults & $16 for kids…but FREE admission on MLK Day!)
Phone: 216-781-7625
Website: https://tickets.rockhall.com/events/ef457bbc-8fa9-1de6-8f74-60c1bbff90cd
VIRTUAL EVENTS: https://www.rockhall.com/MLK-Day-2021

Henry Ford Museum
Hours: Monday, Jan. 18th, 9:30am – 5pm
Address: 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, MI 48124‑5029
Admission: FREE (Normally $24 for adults & $18 for kids, but its FREE on MLK Day)
Phone: 313-982-6001
Website: https://www.thehenryford.org/current-events/calendar/martin-luther-king-day/
Celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights leaders who had the extraordinary courage to ask for more from their nation. Bring family and friends on January 18, 2021 when Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is open to the community absolutely FREE.
Sit in the Rosa Parks Bus and listen to the story of her brave act. Make your statement in the interactive program Minds on Freedom, highlighting the contributions of Dr. King, Mrs. Parks and civil rights champions like the Freedom Riders. Then explore the proud and often challenging evolution of American freedom, in the exhibit With Liberty and Justice for All.
Make your own history on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with free museum admission, parking and activities.