Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Hannah Kiefer
Director of Communication
Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
[email protected]
317.234.8146

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 8, 2018) – In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 15, visitors to the Indiana State Museum will have an exclusive opportunity to see copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment signed by Abraham Lincoln. Free admission will also be offered to all guests on that day with donation of a canned food item for Gleaners Food Bank.

Visitors will see the Senate version of the 13th Amendment, one of only three copies signed by senators as well as Lincoln. The museum’s copy of the Emancipation Proclamation is one of only 48 copies signed by Lincoln and sold to benefit wounded soldiers in 1864. Only 25 copies survive today.

These copies are among the greatest treasures in the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection and are not often on display at the museum due to their delicate nature.

“We’re so excited to offer our guests not only free admission, but also a chance to see these documents that changed the course of history in our country,” said Cathy Ferree, president and CEO of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. “It’s an opportunity visitors won’t find anywhere else in Indiana.”

The museum has special events and programs planned as well. Guests will be able to interact with roaming historical characters such as Abraham Lincoln and Madam C.J. Walker, see demonstrations on fluorescing minerals, watch videos of Dr. King’s speeches and more. Guests will also be able to participate in Indiana Trivia, and Eskenazi Health will be on-site to provide free health screenings.

Activities will take place all day long, and the museum’s galleries will be open in addition to the special programming, including the blockbuster traveling exhibit, “The Power of Poison,” which is organized by the American Museum of Natural History.

The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is located in White River State Park in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. It is Indiana’s museum for science, art and culture, offering a place where you can celebrate, investigate, remember, learn and take pride in Indiana’s story in the context of the broader world. Even the building is a showcase of the best Indiana has to offer in architecture, materials and sculpture. Easy and convenient parking is available in the attached underground garage.