Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium — Zoo & Aquarium in Springfield

Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium and its collection

Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium, opened in 2001, is a zoo in Springfield, United States.

Adjoining the flagship Bass Pro Shops store, to which it is joined, the complex carries the name of that company's founder, Johnny Morris. It now runs to 350,000 square feet in two principal halves, one of them a museum where taxidermy gathered from many countries is set into detailed habitat dioramas alongside artefacts, artworks and films. Big game mounts making up the North American Heads and Horns Collection, owned by the Boone and Crockett Club, are held here.

History

The first building, of 92,000 square feet and drawn up by Cambridge Seven Associates, opened on 1 November 2001. It shut in December 2007, alongside news of a $25 million enlargement that added 58 percent more floor space.

Animals and collection

The original building held 225 live species in freshwater and marine tanks, shown alongside hands-on displays and teaching programmes.

Exhibits

Its exhibits include Wildlife Galleries, Aquarium Adventure, Open Ocean, Amazon Rainforest and Great Oceans Hall.

Things to do

Things to do include Back of House Tour and Bait Ball feeding.

What the venue says

• We offer two on-site dining and snack options, Fish Tales Cafe and the Shipwreck Snack Bar. Hemingway's Bluewater Cafe is also located nearby in Bass Pro Shops and is a great dine-on option.
• Free parking is available in front of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and outside the Aquarium’s Great Oceans Hall.
• Wonders of Wildlife is wheelchair accessible and stroller friendly with elevators available throughout.