Today sees the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr Day in 2024, which is held on the third Monday of January each year to celebrate the birthday of the eponymous activist, who was instrumental in advancing civil rights in the USA.
Martin Luther King Jr Day was first observed in 1986, after then-US President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in November 1983 to make the third Monday in January a federal holiday in honour and recognition of King’s legacy.
The occurrence of a federal holiday in the US means a number of public services and locations will have different opening times to usual.
Read on below for a list of opening times for big stores, banks, post offices and parks across the US on Martin Luther King Jr Day 2024.
Martin Luther King Jr Day was first observed in 1986, after then-US President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in November 1983 to make the third Monday in January a federal holiday in honour and recognition of King (pictured) and his legacy
Visitors are seen at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Independence Ave. in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2024, ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The holiday celebrates the birth of the civil rights icon.
Full list of big stores opening for Martin Luther King Jr Day 2024
A lone shopper heads into a Target store Thursday, January 11, 2024, in Lakewood, Colorado
Major US retailers, such as Target, Walmart, Kroger and Costco, will be open on Monday January 15 2024.
Wholesale retailers – including popular chains Costco and Sam’s Club – will also be open for business as usual.
Most major restaurant chains will also be open for service, but specific branch opening times may vary in your local area, so it is best to check in advance to see if they are operating as normal.
Walmart
Stores will follow their typical operating schedule, but hours may vary depending on the location of each individual store.
The supermarket chains will have its usual delivery and pick-up options available for customers to use.
Target
Target stores will be open and operating as usual on Martin Luther King Jr Day 2024, but hours may vary depending on the location your nearest store.
Costco
Costco stores will follow its usual timetable of opening hours for stores across the United States today but, like other grocery stores across the country, this may not apply to your nearest Costco branch.
Kroger
Kroger branches Stores will follow their typical operating schedule on that holiday, but hours may vary depending on the location.
Stores will follow their typical operating schedule on that holiday, but hours may vary depending on the location.
Albertsons
Locations of popular grocery store Albertsons are open to allow shoppers to purchase groceries and other items as normal, but exact hours of each store may differ nationwide.
Bank opening times for Martin Luther King Jr Day 2024
A customer enters a Chase bank branch in New York, on Thursday, January 12, 2023
Given the status of Marin Luther King Jr day as a federal holiday, banks across the country will banks will be shut.
However, online banking services and ATMs will be available to use for any members of the public wishing to carry out financial transactions.
As today is a banking holiday in the US, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange are not open for trading.
Post office opening times for Martin Luther King Jr Day 2024
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Like banks and schools, post offices nationwide will be closed on Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of the federal MLK holiday.
This also means no post will be collected or delivered across the US on January 15.
Given that there was no mail service or delivery the Sunday before MLK Day, any post office needs have to happen on Saturday, Jan. 13, or you’ll be forced to wait until Tuesday, Jan. 16 when the USPS re-opens for the week.
National park opening times for Martin Luther King Jr Day 2024
Tourists enjoy the view and take photos of sandstone formations with a blue sky at Arches National Park on September 24, 2022 in Moab, Utah
There is a perk for anyone wishing to spend the day in the great outdoors.
Nature lovers can enjoy free admission to any of the US National Parks on Monday, as MLK Day is one of six days across the year where anyone across the States can benefit from free entrance days in 2024.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park is open from 9am local time until 5pm, giving you a great chance to explore an area of nearly 3,500 square miles on a volcanic hotspot at what is a world-renowned tourist hotspot.
Grand Canyon
The visitor centre at Grand Canyon National Park is open between 10am and 4pm local time today.
Yosemite
While Yosemite National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the park can be very busy during winter holidays, especially in late December and early January, with traffic congestion and limited parking possible, according to the National Park Service website.
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also open all day long and all year round. However, some areas and roads in the park do close throughout the year.
As a result, you should be sure to check the park’s website to see which routes are open on MLK Day 2024.
Zion National Park
It is an ideal day to visit Zion National Park, which is open to the public all year round, 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
This is because you can enter the grounds for free, without having to pay for an entrance pass, which can cost up to $35 outside of designated holidays.