The news that planners of the American Revolution Center would abandon Valley Forge for Philadelphia generated real excitement in the city.

Because, after all, what Philadelphia needs is another Revolutionary-era attraction.

Right now, the city offers only the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Betsy Ross House.

And Carpenters' Hall. And the First Bank of the United States.

And Christ Church, City Tavern, the Merchants' Exchange, Fireman's Hall, Congress Hall, the Powel House, Franklin Court, the Graff House, Society Hill, Old St. Joseph's Church, and the Todd House.

To name a few.

Actually, Wednesday's announcement that the American Revolution Center (ARC) would quit its controversial plan to build inside Valley Forge National Historical Park - after spending millions of dollars and years of effort - left some in the suburbs scratching their heads.

In Valley Forge, they said, a world-class museum would be a singular attraction, compelling visitors to spend extra time in the region. In Philadelphia, it could be more of the same - and potential competition for other attractions, particularly the National Constitution Center.

"Guess what's going to happen? It's going to be one or the other," said Paul Decker, president of the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

ARC's decision to leave disappointed Decker, not just because Montgomery County will miss out on millions in tourism dollars, but because it "puts our strongest historical attractions all in a row within a few city blocks."

That will extend the city's "long-suffered, albeit invalid, reputation as a rush-through-it, short-stay destination."

ARC had won local-government permission to build on 78 acres of private land inside Valley Forge Park. But the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group, pursued dual lawsuits to block construction - effectively choking ARC's ability to raise money.

Now ARC plans to move to Third and Chestnut Streets, once the site of the National Park Service visitor center. The building currently houses classrooms and archaeology stations. People who work in Philadelphia tourism said that far from being repetitive, ARC would be a needed and welcome addition.

"I don't think it's redundant at all," said Meryl Levitz, president of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. "I see it as a stage-setter for almost everything else on the mall."

Besides, she said, noting ARC's legal and political battles at Valley Forge, "it looked like it was never going to happen out there. Let's put it where it can happen."

Cynthia MacLeod, superintendent of Independence National Historical Park, said ARC would be "a wonderful complement," and she looked forward to "a fruitful partnership."

ARC executives had seen the museum complex as a valuable addition to Valley Forge, telling the story of the Revolution at the site of the Continental Army's 1777-78 winter encampment. Opponents, including park service officials, saw the development as desecration.

The central point of the relocation plan announced by ARC executives and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is a land swap. ARC agreed to exchange its 78 acres inside Valley Forge for the property in Center City.

Officials said it would take a year to complete the exchange because of the need for title searches, surveys, and appraisals. Construction could easily take at least another year.

Moving to Philadelphia allows ARC to eliminate plans for parking and for the possible construction of a "scholars' dormitory." ARC will consist of a museum and education center, size to be determined.

Efforts to reach ARC president Bruce Cole were unsuccessful yesterday.

But ARC's arrival would seem to pose keen competition for the National Constitution Center, which charges admission fees, as ARC intends to do.

The NCC asks $12 for adults, rising to $17.50 for special exhibits. If ARC set similar rates, a family of four would have to spend about $100 to see both places.

NCC president Linda Johnson was asked if she envisioned ARC as a challenger for visitors and dollars.

"It's too soon to be able to comment on that," she said. "It depends on how they craft [their museum], and what their mission is, and how they fulfill that."

On one hand, she said, tourists are always limited in how many places they can visit. On the other, having ARC in the historic district "adds to the number of venues. ... The more the merrier."

ARC will move into a crowded urban area. At Valley Forge, its woodland property sits on the north side of the Schuylkill, virtually surrounded by the national park.

"The best site is where the maximum number of visitors would be able to learn about the American Revolution," said University of Pennsylvania history professor Richard Beeman. "Siting it in the historic district makes a lot of sense."

Beeman, author of the new book Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution, was among the historians who helped plan the Constitution Center. He serves on its board and its distinguished scholars panel. He also served on the ARC board of scholars, left, then returned when Cole took over as president in January.

Beeman sees the Valley Forge site, across the river from the main portion of the park, as unworkable - and the relationship between park officials and ARC executives as unsalvagable. A move to Philadelphia offers a fresh start, he noted.

"The dynamic power of the American Revolution is, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' That's the really compelling story Americans need to know. That story can be told better in the historic district than in Valley Forge."

Maybe.

Decker, of the Valley Forge visitors bureau, begs to differ.

"It will create competition between great attractions, all in a row," he said. "It just doesn't make sense to put all your eggs in one basket."

Contact staff writer Jeff Gammage at 215-854-2415 or jgammage@phillynews.com.

Staff writer Stephan Salisbury contributed to this story.