AKRON, Ohio – Two popular Akron destinations are offering free admission on Monday, Jan. 19 to celebrate the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.: the Akron Art Museum and the Akron Zoo.
The Akron Art Museum will offer free admission from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission includes gallery access, games in the museum’s lobby and showings of the New York International Children’s Film Festival’s “Celebrating Black Stories” short films in the museum auditorium.
Located at 1 S. High St., the museum features art from 1850 to present day. Featured works include modern and contemporary works, including artists from around the region and those who reimagine traditional mediums, according to the museum’s website. Registration is requested.
The Akron Zoo is offering free admission for all guests from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Zoo visitors can also view the temporary exhibit, “Celebrating Black History in Perkins Woods.” The exhibit shares Black history from the Perkins Woods neighborhood, which includes the property the zoo is located on and the surrounding area. The exhibit took nearly two years to create, and it was done in partnership with historians and a committee of community members who live in the neighborhood surrounding Perkins Woods. The zoo also worked with relatives of historical figures to create the exhibit.
Located at 500 Edgewood Ave., the Akron Zoo features more than 1,000 animals from 100 species, including tigers, snow leopards and penguins. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and also features a certified botanical garden, according to its website.
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