Local tourism officials are unanimous in their enthusiasm for the proposal to build a new health museum in downtown Atlanta. As one who studies the tourism industry in the city, I do not wish to be seen as a critic of the project. I would prefer to raise what I feel is a critical question that the planners of the health museum must consider: If you build it, will they come?

Much had been made in the coverage of the proposed museum in the AJC of the critical mass of tourist sites in the Centennial Olympic Park area. The area already boasts the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coke, CNN Center, and the park itself, as well as the adjacent convention center —- the Georgia World Congress Center —- indoor sports arenas and other tourism facilities. The proposed civil rights museum and other projects will also contribute to an area that will provide a variety of experiences for visitors.

Will this agglomeration be sufficient to ensure the health museum receives a steady flow of visitors willing to pay for admission? The answer to this question places a great burden on the design of the new facility and its exhibits. The health museum must be able to strike a balance between good science and entertainment, making its exhibits interesting and, at the same time, helpful to the goal of promoting good health.

The city's experience with Sci-Trek gives some idea of the difficulty in finding the right blend of attractive, interactive exhibits that convey useful information to visitors. Not striking the right balance could mean the difference between success and failure. Even the constant flow of visitors to the area might not guarantee that sufficient numbers of these tourists will visit the health museum.

Consider the example of the old World of Coke's location and the adjacent Underground Atlanta. One flourished by attracting tourists willing to pay to learn more about Atlanta's native beverage, while Underground Atlanta has struggled.

The designers of the health museum must join together educational activities with the commerce and technology of the entertainment world. Author John Hannigan described this convergence as "edutainment." Failure to provide the excitement of a theme park with the educational value of a museum could make the proposed health museum a new version of Underground Atlanta.

There will be other challenges to face in order to create a health museum of truly national stature. I hope the planners of this new institution will learn from some of the successful and the less successful examples in the history of Atlanta's growth as a city where tourism is a key component of our local economy.

> Harvey K. Newman is the chair of public administration and urban studies at Georgia State University.