MLK Park Indianapolis | Dr. Martin Luther King Park Inspires Visitors to Reach for Justice and Unity

Let your kids stand in the spot where history was made at MLK Park Indianapolis. Your visit could be a jumping-off point for important conversations about justice, peace, unity, and the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Senator Robert Kennedy was visiting Indianapolis on April 4, 1986, the day that Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. On this night, Senator Kennedy delivered a speech with a message of love, unity, and justice. Within what is now Dr. Martin Luther King Park is the location where that speech was made and where a memorial now stands.

The Landmark for Peace Monument

The Kennedy-King Landmark for Peace Monument and Park is a part of the National Parks Service African American Civil Rights Network. This network is made up of “properties, facilities, and programs chosen [to] help us to understand the significance of the African American Civil Rights Movement within the broader history of the United States” (NPS). The Kennedy-King Monument in the MLK Park Indianapolis location is the only destination included in the Network in Indiana.

Robert F. Kennedy’s Speech at 17th & Broadway in Indianapolis

In 2018, the Landmark for Peace Memorial and the Kennedy-King Park were designated as a National Commemorative Site.

MLK Park Indianapolis Playground and Attractions

Martin Luther King Jr. Park is located in Center Township, on the northeast side of downtown Indy. This Indianapolis park has one of the most beautiful basketball courts in the city, a family center, a large playground with many modern play pieces and giant climbing features, a swimming pool, and a splash pad.

Art and Memorials

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park offers visitors a chance to play by utilizing its many amenities. However, this park is also an invitation to reflect through public art, signage providing historical context, and the central Kennedy-King Monument.

An excerpt of Robert F. Kennedy’s speech is inscribed on a large metal panel. It reads:

“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country…”

There’s a beautiful mural of Martin Luther King Jr. on the exterior wall of an apartment building adjacent to the park.

The centerpiece of the park is of course the Kennedy-King Landmark for Peace, a sculpture that depicts both Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. reaching towards one another.

Martin Luther King Day in Indianapolis

Dr. Martin Luther King Park is an inspiring Indianapolis location at any time of the year. But this park is an especially poignant destination on Martin Luther King Jr Day. Celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy with your kids by grabbing some educational books or other resources from your local library, then plan to attend some kid-friendly events held in his honor. Downtown Indy’s Monument Circle hosts a nighttime light show tribute to Dr. King during the week and weekend leading up to the holiday on the third Monday of January each year.

Many of Indy’s museums and cultural institutions will hold special events, exhibits, and activities to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. Most of these institutions offer free admission (donations encouraged) on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and guests are welcome to explore other exhibits during their visit.

Don’t let the cold stop you from getting out in nature! Check out our favorite Indy-area parks for winter exploration.

Go ice skating indoors or outdoors around Indianapolis.

Celebrate Black History Month at one of these February events and activities.