A proposed cogenerating power plant of 70-MW capacity is to be located in an urban setting and will be subject to stringent environmental noise emission criteria. A four-cell forced draft cooling tower is included in the plant design. Computer modeling of cooling tower noise propagation to affected neighboring residences involved significant uncertainties due to the complex shapes of power plant building elements and existing surrounding buildings. Without a finished facility in which to perform full-scale field tests, the next best thing is a scale model test. This paper will discuss the specifics of the 1/20th scale test setup, materials, selection, instrumentation, test execution, some problems and some lessons learned. The results of the test will be given in terms of the differences in octave band sound-pressure levels between an unobstructed free-field value and the modeled in situ value, at several receptor positions. The test enabled the specification of more precise sound attenuating elements for the cooling tower fans and inlets in order to comply with the governing regulations.