Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium Facts for Kids

Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium


Date opened	September 22, 2017
Location	Springfield, Missouri, United States
Coordinates	37°10′53″N 93°17′47″W / 37.1814°N 93.2965°W / 37.1814; -93.2965
Total volume of tanks	More than 1.5 million US gallons (5,700 m³)
Annual visitors	1.6 Million (2018)

The Johnny Morris Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, often called Wonders of Wildlife, is a special place in Springfield, Missouri. It's a museum and aquarium that teaches people about nature and how to protect it. It's next to the main office of Bass Pro Shops and is named after its founder, Johnny Morris.

This huge place is about 350,000 square feet, which is like having more than six football fields indoors! It has two main parts: a museum and an aquarium.

The Wildlife Museum shows off amazing animals from all over the world. These animals are taxidermied, meaning they are preserved and displayed in detailed scenes. These scenes look just like their natural homes. You can also see old items, artwork, movies, and special exhibits. One cool exhibit is the Boone and Crockett Club's collection of large animal mounts.

The Aquarium holds 1.5 million gallons of water, which is a lot! It's home to 35,000 different fish, frogs, snakes, birds, and even some mammals. The aquarium has different areas that look like real places. You can explore an ocean shipwreck, a Louisiana swamp, an Ozark forest, and even the Amazon rainforest. Johnny Morris once said that Wonders of Wildlife is a journey that celebrates people who hunt and fish as heroes for protecting nature.

How Wonders of Wildlife Started
The First Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Grand Reopening of the Museum
Gallery
See also

How Wonders of Wildlife Started

The idea for Wonders of Wildlife came from Johnny Morris. He worked hard to get support and money for the first museum. He even helped with a plan that used public money to build part of the museum. This first museum cost about $52 million.

Later, some people were not happy about using public money for the project. So, Johnny Morris decided to give back the public money. He used his own money and donations to finish building the museum.

The First Wonders of Wildlife Museum

The first Wonders of Wildlife museum opened on November 1, 2001. It was about 92,000 square feet. This museum had 225 different kinds of live animals. It also had aquariums with both fresh and saltwater fish. Visitors could enjoy interactive displays and educational programs.

The original museum closed in December 2007. The plan was to make it much bigger. At first, they thought it would be a $25 million expansion. But then, they decided to make it even larger, costing about $80 million. The old museum was updated and became part of the much bigger attraction that opened in 2017.

Grand Reopening of the Museum

The museum reopened with its new name and design on September 22, 2017. Many important people came to the opening event. These included former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush. Famous people like Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Costner, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were also there.

More than 40 groups that work to protect nature helped with the Wonders of Wildlife project. These groups included the National Audubon Society and the National Geographic Society. The project took almost ten years to plan and build. In 2017, readers of USA Today voted Wonders of Wildlife the "Best New Attraction" in the United States.