By K. Michelle Moran
Arts & Entertainment Editor

DETROIT — The best things in life are free this month, as the Detroit Historical Museum invites people to come through its doors without paying admission all July.

Thanks to support from Detroit-based PVS Chemicals, visitors can enjoy new and permanent exhibits at the popular Cultural Center attraction without opening their wallets.

“We’re sponsoring the free month at the Historical (Museum) because we think it’s a fantastic resource for the citizens of Detroit,” said PVS Chemicals Vice President David Nicholson, a Grosse Pointe Farms resident. “It’s a place where we can see how much entrepreneurship and human capital is available in Detroit and the history of Detroit as a can-do city.”

Besides permanent exhibits such as the “Streets of Old Detroit,” “Frontiers to Factories” and the interactive Glancy Trains, the museum regularly installs new displays to give visitors a reason to come back. One of the most recent is “From Haven to Home: Jewish Life in America,” which runs through Aug. 30. The Detroit Historical Museum is the only Midwest stop for this exhibit, which spans a period from the 1600s to modern times. Assembled by the American Jewish Historical Society, the Detroit stop is presented by the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

The museum’s “Hero or Villain? Metro Detroit’s Legacy of Leadership” continues to encourage visitors to look at both sides of 16 sometimes controversial figures, from late former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young to the Rev. Charles Coughlin, the Catholic priest and radio personality who started Royal Oak’s Shrine of the Little Flower church, to Ford Motor Co. founder Henry Ford.

Also examining more recent history is “Detroit’s Classic TV Personalities,” which runs through Sept. 6. Longtime news anchor Bill Bonds, “Kelly & Company” talk show hosts John Kelly and Marilyn Turner, early Detroit TV legend Soupy Sales, movie host Bill Kennedy, veteran news anchor Amyre Makupson and former White House correspondent-turned-local news anchor Emery King are the familiar figures featured in photos and video. Author Tim Kiska, Bonds, Kelly and Turner will appear at the museum July 18, and King and Makupson will be on hand July 19.

In honor of Detroit’s 308th birthday, the museum will feature American Indian demonstrations and an old-fashioned cakewalk from 1-4 p.m. July 26.

A new exhibit, “Belle Isle: Soul of the City, Lighting the Way for Better Urban Living,” opens July 19 in the Community Gallery.

Detroit Historical Society Executive Director and CEO Bob Bury of Grosse Pointe Park said awareness is growing about the museum’s ever-changing roster of displays.

“It’s a great way to reconnect for a family or a group event,” Bury said of a museum visit. “There’s something that interests everyone, regardless of what your age is or what your interests are.”

The museum offered free admission a few months ago during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day — traditionally their busiest time of the year — and Bury said that drew lots of new people along with museum regulars.

“We decided it would be a wonderful way to give back to the community during these tough economic times,” said Bury, expressing gratitude also to PVS Chemicals for their support. “We had record attendance during (the holidays), and we’re hoping that people who didn’t make it then will be able to come out (this month) and enjoy all of our exhibits and programs.”

Want to experience more cost-free culture? The Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra are teaming with the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy to offer complimentary music, art-making and other activities from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. July 11, Aug. 8 and Sept. 12 at Rivard Plaza, 1340 E. Atwater in downtown Detroit. In July and August, the Marshall Music Instrument Petting Zoo will give little ones a chance to get up close and personal with various instruments. The DSO will also be presenting concerts. From balloon artists to beaded crafts, there will be plenty to see and do for parents and kids. For more information, visit www.detroitriverfront.org. For more about the DIA, visit www.dia.org. For more about the DSO, visit www.detroitsymphony.com.

The Detroit Historical Museum is located at 5401 Woodward, at Kirby, in Detroit’s Cultural Center. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (313) 833-1805 or visit www.detroithistorical.org.

You can reach Arts & Entertainment Editor K. Michelle Moran at kmoran@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1047.