Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum Aquarium
Springfield, MO
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Located in Springfield, Missouri, the Johnny Morris Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium is a non-profit educational attraction that focuses on conservation. Situated next to the national offices of Bass Pro Shops, the facility is named after Johnny Morris, the founder of the company.
This state-of-the-art establishment boasts a brand-new 1.5 million gallon aquarium adventure, showcasing 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, and birds. Visitors can explore themed areas such as an ocean shipwreck, Louisiana swamp, Ozark forest, and the Amazon rainforest. Additionally, the museum features immersive wildlife galleries that provide an up-close encounter with the largest collection of record-breaking game animals ever assembled.
Spanning an impressive 350,000 square feet, the facility is divided into two main sections. The Wildlife Museum offers interactive wildlife galleries, complete with taxidermied animals from around the world displayed in intricate dioramas that replicate various natural habitats. Visitors can also enjoy historical artifacts, works of art, films, and special exhibits, including the renowned North American Heads and Horns Collection from the Boone and Crockett Club.
The inaugural Wonders of Wildlife building, designed by Cambridge Seven Associates, opened to the public on November 1, 2001. Spanning 92,000 square feet (8,500 m2), the building showcased interactive exhibits, educational programs, freshwater and saltwater aquariums, and a diverse collection of 225 live animal species. However, in December 2007, the original attraction closed to make way for a $25 million expansion, which would increase the facility's size by 58%. The expanded facility, launched in September 2017, incorporated the original building with modifications and updates. Additionally, museum organizers promised a more ambitious extension, estimated to cost around $80 million.
On September 22, 2017, the building reopened to visitors under its current name and configuration. The event was attended by prominent North American conservation leaders and numerous celebrities, including former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, and entertainers Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Costner, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, and Easton Corbin, among others. The Wonders of Wildlife project, which took nearly a decade to plan and construct, involved collaboration with over forty conservation organizations, including the National Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, National Wild Turkey Federation, and National Geographic Society. In 2017, Wonders of Wildlife was recognized as the "Best New Attraction" in the United States by readers of USA Today.