TAKEOFF
THE DEAL
WILDLIFE
GALLERIES
UPPER
LEVEL
Enter through the
Bass Pro Shops main
entrance and begin
your visit through
America’s wildlife
wonderland.
J
WILDLIFE
GALLERIES
By Colin Moore
ohnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, started his
retail fishing tackle business in 1972 with enough
gear to fill up eight square feet of his father’s liquor
store in Springfield, Mo.
Today, Morris is the undisputed king of fishing and
hunting equipment sales, and that original floor space has been multiplied by
millions of square feet. Besides retail outlets throughout the country and a
booming mail-order business, Morris’ Bass Pro Shops is also involved in
numerous conservation efforts. That part of the company’s story is exemplified
in the new Wonders of Wildlife (WOW) National Museum and Aquarium in
Springfield. The vast complex houses thousands of fish and wildlife specimens
from around the world, as well as artistic renditions of various habitats, from
the African plains to the Amazon rainforest, from the Arctic to America’s
national parks.
Wonders of Wildlife has been a huge hit with visitors since it was opened
last fall. In fact, it ranked as 2017’s Best New Attraction in a USA TODAY 10Best
Readers’ Choice Award poll. This spring, another national poll conducted by
USA Today earned WOW recognition as Best Aquarium in the country.
If you’re contemplating a stopover at WOW (wondersofwildlife.org) during
the family vacation this year, here are a few of the things you’ll see:
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
MAIN
LEVEL
The Great African
Hall exhibit is the
centerpiece here.
AQUARIUM
UPPER
LEVEL
Exhibits here include the
Shipwreck Reef and the
boats of Ernest Hemingway
and Zane Grey.
AQUARIUM
MAIN
LEVEL
You’ll want to spend hours
exploring all the attractions
here, which include
the huge Open
Ocean aquarium,
River Monsters and
Shark Alley.
Collectively the various Wonders of Wildlife aquariums and realistic
habitats comprise an eye-popping look into the world of fish.
For instance, 300,000 gallons of saltwater fill the circular, wraparound
aquarium of the Great Oceans Hall. And overall the 1
1/2 million gallons of aerated freshwater and salt-
water serve as the home to thousands of fresh-
If all the space in WOW was laid out in a
water and saltwater fish and other creatures
rectangle, six football fields would fit inside.
that depend on water for survival.
Habitats and inhabitants as depicted
in the WOW are varied, but the mes-
sage they convey is the same: The
world’s fish and wildlife constitute
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame has
a precious treasure, and,
been accorded a place of honor in
standing together, hunters
Wonders of Wildlife. Many of the
and fishermen are its
sport’s greatest anglers, innovators and
strongest guardians.
promoters are commemorated there
with plaques and memorabilia.
FACTOID
32
BASS FISHING GREATS