Proposed museum names aren't playing in Peoria

PEORIA, Ill. -- A proposed regional museum in downtown Peoria needs a name, and officials are letting the public vote on four suggestions.

Trouble is, the names won't play in Peoria. A lot of people in the city hate all four.

The suggested names -- ExploraSphere Museum, AMAZeum, Port of Exploration Museum and Museum on the Square -- are drawing raspberries and thumbs-downs on a museum Web site. One person wrote: "All the names stink."

The $65 million museum, set to open in 2009, will focus on life in central Illinois with exhibits on the river that runs through the city and an African-American Hall of Fame.

Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. donated $11 million, but since the heavy equipment maker plans to open a visitors center next door, it wasn't interested in putting its name on the building.

Officials don't want "Peoria" in the name because they think it would deter a regional audience.

Museum leaders chose the four finalists from 500 suggested by surveys, committees and focus groups ("What was your focus group? A group of 5-year-olds?" someone wrote on the Web site). Officials hope to choose a name next month.

Jim Richerson, president of Peoria's Lakeview Museum, an existing facility that will become part of the new museum, greets the chorus of boos with Midwestern optimism.

"I consider it a victory," Richerson said. "The worst thing that could have happened is that we got no response."

---

On the Net:

Name the Museum: www.namethemuseum.org