11 ways to honor Dr. Martin Luther King this weekend
Martin Luther King Day takes place on Monday, and several institutions around the city are programming special events to honor the late great Dr. King. Here are 11 ways for you to get involved.
African American Museum (701 Arch St.)
The museum has expanded its MLK festivities this year, offering an entire weekend of events. Patrons get $2 off admission Saturday through Monday. For more information: .
Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
MAP has partnered with the African American Museum in Philadelphia to create walking and trolley tours on Saturday and Sunday that explore themes of civil rights, freedom, and equality. Tours begin and end at the African American Museum (701 Arch St.) and include same-day museum admission. Advance tickets are required; costs vary based on tour.
National Museum of American Jewish History (101 S. Independence Mall East)
Planned events include storytelling and crafts and a continuous screening of the PBS documentary series Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement. Free admission Monday. .
Philadelphia Museum of Art (2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway)
Monday's MLK events, free after admission, include tours, crafts, and musical performances. The museum will collect some children's artwork for distribution by the nonprofit feeding group MANNA.
Please Touch Museum (Memorial Hall at Fairmount Park)
Special MLK weekend programing runs Saturday through Monday and includes children's crafts and hip-hop performances.
Historic Germantown
This partnership of 16 sites in northwest Philadelphia has planned service projects Monday at Awbury Arboretum, Johnson House Historic Site, and Historic Fair Hill Burial Ground. Volunteers will also be offered lunch at Awbury, and hot chocolate and a bonfire are planned for Fair Hill. For more information: .
Eastern State Penitentiary (2027 Fairmount Ave.)
Performers will read Dr. King's 1963 "Letter From Birmingham Jail" three times each day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Each reading will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by a civil rights scholar. Readings are free, but tickets are required. To get a free ticket or more information: .
National Constitution Center (Independence Mall, 525 Arch St.)
Activities include pillow-making for a women's shelter, children's crafts, and storytelling. Museum admission Monday is $5 for all people, courtesy of Macy's.
National Liberty Museum (321 Chestnut St.)
Day-long events begin at 10 a.m. Monday and include children's crafts, a scavenger hunt that takes visitors through civil-rights-related exhibits, and educational workshops. Admission is pay what you wish. Those interested in workshops should register in advance.
Girard College (N. College Avenue and N. 24th St.)
Aas part of the vast Day of Service headquartered at Girard College, maestro Yannick Nezet-Seguin leads the Philadelphia Orchestra, plus choirs from CAPA, plus violinist Ade Williams in a free concert at 1:30 p.m. on Monday (it's free, but tickets are required). One special treat: an encore of "Work Song," from jazz great Hannibal Lokumbe's One Land, One River, One People "spiritatorio," commissioned by the orchestra and performed in its world premiere two months ago. -Tom DiNardo