The 1.5-million-gallon aquarium experience in Springfield, MO will celebrate its grand opening on National Hunting & Fishing Day, September 21, 2017.

Writer: Carly Terwilliger

Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, in partnership with conservation partners from around the world, stated that the new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, MO will celebrate its grand opening on National Hunting & Fishing Day, September 21, 2017.

“I am proud and excited that this special facility dedicated to those who love the outdoors will open in the heart of America in our hometown, Springfield, Missouri,” said Morris. “We are deeply grateful to the many remarkably talented individuals and world-class conservation organizations that have come together for the past nine years to help make this vision a reality. It is our shared hope that the tremendous investment of time, energy and resources will have a profound, positive long-term impact on the future of hunting, fishing and conservation in America.”

“Wonders of Wildlife has the opportunity, like no other attraction before it, to have a positive national impact on wildlife and conservation,” said Colin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Johnny’s investment in this not-for-profit facility through the Johnny Morris Foundation will establish one of the most valuable and respected conservation and education centers in the world.”

Wonders of Wildlife consists of an 1.5-million-gallon aquarium experience showcasing 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles and birds, and a wildlife museum that brings visitors eye-to-eye with a collection of record-setting game animals. It’s located adjacent to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield.

In conjunction with the grand opening, a national conservation summit will highlight a series of celebrations and commemorative events with conservation partners, special guests and dignitaries from across the nation.

Photo and video courtesy Bass Pro Shops