In the week that City of York Council voted to close one museum, the prospect of another, very different, attraction is unveiled. Last night The York Story became a victim of the council's attempts to balance its budget. Today a proposal to create a planetarium in Museum Gardens was revealed.

This scheme is as exciting as it is ambitious. Yet what has been dubbed the "second Eye of York" is presently little more than a twinkle in the eye of the plan's creators, the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. No funds have been sought or secured. The planning obstacles to building it in one of York's most historic areas are considerable.

Overcoming these hurdles will take great energy and commitment. Hopefully, the informed enthusiasm of the Philosophical Society visionaries will prove infectious. And the society does have something of a track record of turning adventurous blueprints into reality: the Yorkshire Museum is evidence of that.

One thing is certain: York needs new attractions. The closure of the York Story and the fall in numbers at the Castle Museum are proof that tourists will not keep returning for the same experiences.

When the Jorvik Viking Centre opened 16 years ago, it pioneered a new form of interactive museum. Over the years, other venues have caught up and overtaken it. In the fiercely competitive tourist sector, standing still is not an option.

The York Dungeon is not to everyone's tastes, but it is hugely popular and was a winner in last year's city tourism awards. Part of its success is due to continually updating its exhibits, as tonight's report reminds us.

To regain the buzz that Jorvik created, York must offer the visitor fresh and stimulating sights. Jonathan Cainer's proposed astrology attraction on Stonegate and the second Eye of York in Museum Gardens are two proposals that could make York the brightest star in the tourism universe once more.

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