Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium - Springfield, Missouri - public aquarium, museum, and tourist attraction

Opened in 2001, the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri is also known as the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum and the Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium. The exhibits feature more than 225 species of live animals, both land and water-based displayed in aquariums, interactive displays and educational programs. The building encompasses over 92,000 square feet devoted to fish and wildlife.

The original idea and driving force behind the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium is John Morris, founder of the Bass Pro Shops. Mr. Morris envisioned the museum and campaigned for its creation. His efforts resulted in a ballot initiative that raised $52,000,000.00 toward the building of the museum. In addition to the ballot initiative, the Wildlife Museum and Aquarium also received federal appropriations and is the recipient of a special sales tax district that allows Bass Pro shops and a small shoe shop across from the Bass Pro shops to collect taxes specifically to fund the Museum.

The museum, located on the property of the original Bass Pro Shop is "part museum, part zoo and part educational center'', according to a company spokesperson. The museum opened in November, 2001 and closed for renovations in 2007.

Wonders of Wildlife was conceived as a mix of about 80% live and 20% museum exhibits. The intent of the museum was to showcase the role of hunting and fishing in conservation efforts. To that end, it featured numerous wild animal exhibits, including a 140,000 gallon aquarium that recreates the habitat of Table Rock Lake. The zoo's live exhibits include 40 different birds and mammal species and 120 different fish and reptile species.

Other spectacles at the Wonders of Wildlife include a bat cave with 100 species of bats living behind glass walls in a walk-through exhibit, and the Out to Sea saltwater aquarium, which housed sharks, rays, eels and other ocean fish. A planned future exhibit included poisonous snakes and alligators.

In addition to the live exhibits, the Wonders of Wildlife featured a number of educational museum displays aimed at families and children. The rivers exhibit, for example, lets kids float a little sponge fish down the current and follow its progress as they learn about conservation and the river environment. An open-air aviary is also part of the future plans for the Wonders of Wildlife museum and center.

Wonders of Wildlife also featured the Community Pond, an 850 square foot gallery with views of the Missouri River habitat from the side and from underneath the water. The facility also provided unique event space for meetings and conferences, as well as educational outreach programs for area schools and residents. Currently, the museum is closed for all of the renovation to take place, but visitors can stop by their website to find out more about their plans and when they'll be open again.