• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.249-262
• /
• 2004

This study was conducted to suggest alternatives for the effective use of national park visitor centers, by evaluating their functionality. Visitor centers in Naejangsan National Park and Pukhansan National Park, which are deliberately composed and managed, were investigated for this purpose. First, I clarified the concept, function and type of a visitor center through literature review, and then, analyzed visitors' post-visiting evaluation based on McManus's Communication Theory. The results of the analysis shows that visitors have not enough time to understand the contents of visitor centers, and facilities and guide sign system to support visitors are insufficient, which seem to disturb the proper communication between visitors and exhibits. Visitors' short visiting time caused by their little interest in exhibits and their low degree of understanding show the difficulties in the communication between visitors and exhibits. The following alternatives are suggested to improve these problems: first, the improvement of the guide sign system; second, the provision of exhibition rooms specialized for different visitor groups; third, the display of exhibits connected with visitors' experiences; Forth, the utilization of various media proper for each subject.