It was once a common sign outside theaters and businesses: “Come on in, it’s cool inside.”  That’s not the draw it was before shopping malls, but it still has an effect.

 The Cleveland Museum of Art is opening a new exhibition on American art of the 1920’s.   And spokeswoman Elizabeth Bolander says the hot temperatures this week might help attendance.

"We do see a lot of people find the museum a refreshing respite from the heat."

Bolander says July is generally the art museum’s biggest month.

The director of the McKinley Museum, Kim Kenney, says it, too, sees a boost in visitors when the weather is very hot,  or very rainy.

The Massillon Museum gets a boost in the summer but officials attribute that to special events.

And commercial film studios have learned to schedule blockbuster movies for the hot weather months, so cause and effect is not so clear.

The CMA once had a lush green courtyard that was popular in hot weather.  Now the new glass-roofed atrium is likely to attract crowds in extreme weather.   It opens in October.