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 non-profit attraction focused on education and protecting nature. It sits right next to the main office of Bass Pro Shops and is named after its founder, Johnny Morris.

This huge building, about 350,000 square feet, has two main parts. The Wildlife Museum shows amazing displays of animals from all over the world. These animals are preserved and placed in detailed scenes that look like their natural homes. You can also see old items, art, films, and special exhibits here. One special exhibit is the Boone and Crockett Club's collection of large animal mounts.

The Aquarium holds 1.5 million gallons (about 5.7 million liters) of water. It is home to 35,000 different fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and even some mammals. The aquarium has areas designed to look like different places, such as an ocean shipwreck, a Louisiana swamp, an Ozark forest, and the Amazon rainforest. Johnny Morris once said that Wonders of Wildlife is "an inspirational journey around the world." He added that it "celebrates the role of hunters and anglers as America’s true conservation heroes.”

How Wonders of Wildlife Started
The First Wonders of Wildlife (2001-2007)
The Grand Reopening Event
Images for kids
See also

How Wonders of Wildlife Started

The idea for the first Wonders of Wildlife museum came from Johnny Morris. He worked hard and gave a lot of money to make it happen. He helped create a plan that would use some public money to build the original museum. This plan also set up a special group to manage the museum's design and building.

The city of Springfield agreed to use some of its hotel-motel tax money for big projects like this. The project also got $1.5 million from the government. However, some people were not happy about using public money. So, Johnny Morris decided to return the public funds. He used his own money and donations to finish building the museum instead.

The First Wonders of Wildlife (2001-2007)

The first Wonders of Wildlife building was about 92,000 square feet. It was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates and opened on November 1, 2001. This original museum had 225 different kinds of live animals. It featured both fresh and saltwater aquariums. There were also interactive displays and educational programs for visitors.

The first attraction closed in December 2007. The plan was to make it 58 percent bigger, costing about $25 million. Later, museum leaders announced an even bigger plan, costing around $80 million. With some changes, the original building became part of the much larger attraction that opened in 2017.

The Grand Reopening Event

The museum reopened with its new name and design on September 22, 2017. Many important people and celebrities came to the opening event. These included former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush. Other famous guests were actor Mark Wahlberg, actor Kevin Costner, and sports stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart. Country music singers Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley also attended.

More than 40 groups that work to protect nature helped with the Wonders of Wildlife project. These groups included the National Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, 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.